I have a custom EPG XML feed, how do I get it into SageTV 7?

[hagur]

Hi,

Can someone explain to me how to use the xmltv import plugin in SageTV 7? Explain it to me as if I was a child :-)

I believe I've got all parts of the XMLTV plugin installed, I've got an xmltv plugin directory under the sagetv directory (C:\Program Files\SageTV\SageTV\xmltv) and in this directory I've got 4 files, Channel.class, Episode.class, Program.class and XMLTVImportPlugin.class.

The Sage.Properties file points to the plugin, like so:

epg/epg_import_plugin=xmltv.XMLTVImportPlugin

and finally I've got an xmltv.properties file in the SageTV directory that has those lines:

ThirdPartyGuideDataPath=C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\LM Gestion\\SageTV XMLTV Importer\\GuideData
LogPath=C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Application Data\\LM Gestion\\SageTV XMLTV Importer\\GuideData

This GuidData folder is present.

The above configuration I got by running the XMLTV import installer which StephaneM here at the forums wrote. Initially I was going to try to use his software, but then I figured I really don't need his importer, since I've got full access to all my local EPG data in an XML format which I can modify at will to make this work. I guess that means I don't really need the importer, right? Once the XMLTV import plugin is configured correctly and working, isn't this just a matter of placing the XML files with the EPG data in the correct folder ?

Is this xmltv.properties file the configuration file for the actual XMLTV import plugin or is it for the XMLTV importer utility?

Then there is the other part of my problem. I'm trying to set my source up so it uses the XMLTV plugin. I goto the source setup screen, click the source and then click the EPG line-up.

I click "Use US, Canada, or XMLTV Guide Data with this source".

Then I'm asked whether I want to use "Cable or satellite" or "Local Broadcast". If I click "Local broadcast", I immediately get an error message which says:

"There was an error connecting to the SageTV Server. Please be sure your internet connection is established".

If I select "Cable or satellite", I'm asked for a US postal code (which I don't have, since I'm in Europe). If I input 90210 (Did watch to many episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 haha!), then I immediately get the same error message as above.

So I guess my question in short would be:

1. How do I properly install and configure the XMLTV plugin and have my source use it?

2. Where do I place the XML files with the EPG data and how should it be structured? If anyone could provide a sample of their files, that would be great.

Anyone?

[hagur]

Anyone?

[hagur]

Ok, so now I have got the XMLTV plugin installed and configured correctly, and I've greated a test epgdata.xml file with some channels in it, but no programming yet.

The PluginTester tells me that everything is OK and SageTV is correctly picking up the channel lineup from the epgdata.xml file.

Now I'm trying to add one programming element manually but it does never show up in the EPG in SageTV and the PluginTester always gives me this error:

java.text.ParseException: Unparseable date: "20110224150000"

This is the date I've got specified as the start date in the epgdata.xml file. I've tried all possible date formats I can think of, always get his error.

Any ideas? Why isn't it accepting any date formats ?

[hagur]

Ok, I'll keep answering my own questions

I figured out what was wrong, the timezone information was missing from the dates.

Needed to add +0000 to all the date strings. Works fine now.

But in order to get the data in to Sage, I had to remove the source and then add it again.

How is this information updated in the future? Does Sage automatically refresh the epg data every day or what?

[hagur]

How is this information updated in the future? Does Sage automatically refresh the epg data every day or what?

No answer to this seemingly simple question?

[redman]

Yes. Every 24 hours.

If you use Nielm's web server, you can see when its next due and hit the button to force it to update now.

You can also force sage to update, by restarting the service/server.

I use StephaneM's program to load it in, as i can set the schedule time and other factors as well.

[hagur]

Thanks, appreciate it!

[gabz90]

Man how did you set up xmltv plugin? How did you configure the source? I mean what zip code am I meant to use if I'm outside the us etc