EPG from URL - got it to work, but I'm not sure why, need one last piece of help

Tom Johnson

OK, I've actually got it working, but I don't know why, so that scares me, so I figured I should ask.

So I downloaded my XML file and it has the proper size:

"wget -O /path/to/tv.xml https://internet_location_url/epgfile.xml"

I made sure that xmltv was installed on my system and enabled the external grabber on the "EPG Grabber Modules" tab

Then I ran:

"cat /path/to/tv.xml | socat - UNIX-CONNECT:/path/to/xmltv.sock"

I go to the "Configuration | Channel/EPG | EPG Grabber Channels" Tab, see that the "Module" column is filled with XMLTV and the path to the xmltv.sock is correct. I make sure to enable all of the modules. They all show to be updated to the time I ran the above "cat" line.

I'm more thrilled because then I go to the "Configuration | Channel/EPG | Channels" Tab, and the "EPG Source" column is filled with the correct entries!

Then I go to the "Electronic Program Guide" tab and .... there is nothing there. Empty. Nada.

Huh?

So I go back to the "Configuration | Channel/EPG | EPG Grabber Channels" Tab and check the "once per auto channel" box for one of the channels, and lo and behold, it shows up in the "Electronic Program Guide" tab. I go back and do it for all of the channels and they all show up in that tab.

OK, what did I do, and since it's only "once per channel" will my EPG not update in the future when I update my epg.xml file and send it to xmltv.sock?

TIA in advance

Em Smith

Ticking "once per channel" doesn't sound right to me.

You should (when it all works) be able to remove xmltv package (since you are using socat/wget), maybe you need to install socat package if xmltv installed it for you.

There's a "map services" in channel/epg->channels, and that should then map the channel in to the EPG.

In that tab, you should also see "EPG Source" filled in automatically with the names from your xmltv file (it's the inverse way of looking at channelepg tab). Are they filled in?

Sometimes you have to hit "reset all" in the EPG tab if you go from no EPG at all to loading a file.

Also in epggrabber tab you might want to tick "update channel icon" assuming case your xmltv file provides them and you've not set up channel icons any other way.