XMLTV imporvements

Chris G

I have some ideas on how to improve the current system.

A way to have multiple XMLTV file/URL grabbers.
A way to limit which channels each grabber is used on by tag/s.

Perhaps instead of a list of grabbers, we "add" a grabber in the web UI, select the type and configure it.
This way we could have several of the same grabber, but each is configured differently.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Chris G Slightly off-topic, but on the same topic of EPG data: I don't understand why there needs to be several OTA grabbers.
Why isn't there just 1 and TVH automatically uses the best method that get the best/richest data?

My guess is that although DVB has a standard EIT implementation, there are a number of regions or providers that use proprietary extensions to the standard.

Chris G Firstly, I would like to be able to run more than one instance of a grabber, specifically the file and URL grabbers.

Multiple grabbers are already available. They should be located in /usr/bin in the format tv_grab_***.

I managed to clone an existing grabber and rename it so that it shows up in TVH. The script would then have to be modified to do whatever data processing is required.

Chris G A way to limit which channels each grabber is used on by tag/s.

As for restricting EPG data based on channel tags, this would have to be handled externally at the moment. One would have to use the JSON API to get a list of channels per tag and then filter the XMLTV data accordingly.

Perhaps if other people express interest in this new feature, it could be investigated further.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Can you please give some more details on the problem(s) that you are trying to solve? Perhaps examples may help too.

Chris G

DeltaMikeCharlie
I am trying to solve 2 problems:

Firstly, I would like to be able to run more than one instance of a grabber, specifically the file and URL grabbers.
Secondly, I would like to be able to limit a grabber instance to channels by tag.

The first problem is easy to understand.

The second suggestion would prevent, for example, "Discovery Channel" data from one region being applied to a different region.
This is because I use bouquet tags and I would limit the grabbers data to the correct bouquet.
So If I have a bouquet for Sky UK and I set it to add bouquet tags.
Then in a URL file grabber instance I have set up for Sky UK data, I set it to only apply to the Sky UK bouquet by tag.
Now, Discovery Channel from other regions isn't incorrectly showing the guide data for Discovery UK…. I would then set up those packages the same way.

I imagine grabbers working/being added similar to networks:

You click "add"
Select the grabber type/module from a dropdown
Configure that instance the same as you do now
I think all the options inside the "EPG Grabber" tab should be configurable per instance
And there would be the new option for "only apply to channels with tag/s"

I hope that makes sense?

Saen Acro

XMLTV grabber with multiscrape/filtering

DeltaMikeCharlie

As far as I know, you can't set a grabber by channel tag or network. However, you can configure different grabbers with different priorities. Maybe that could help.

I have only looked at grabbers once, a long time ago. As far as I recall, they are script files installed somewhere on your system. You could just copy/rename/edit the multiples that you need.

In the TVH channel configuration, you can pick which exact grabber/channel combination to use for EPG data for a specific TVH channel. Even if you get the same channel from 2 grabbers, you can manually configure a channel to select which grabber to use.

Depending on your programming abilities, perhaps you could also filter undesirable EPG data before the XMLTV data is sent to TVH.

Chris G

DeltaMikeCharlie

Exactly, what I suggested isn't possible. That's why I posted this in the feature ideas section. 🙂

I know how to work around the current limitations, and honestly I think the best way is to combine URL's/files externally and import as a single file.
I also know how to manually maintain which data each channel uses, but I am not interested in doing that.
I have a motorised dish and I get everything from 30W to 52E. Maintaining the constantly changing channels on sat is not something I want to do.
Right now I just use OTA EPG, because, in my opinion, the current XMLTV/grabber implementation isn't good enough for my setup. It only works well for people using illegal IPTV providers (because the channel IDs etc are set up) and perhaps someone using sat/cable/OTT with only 1 or few packages.

Slightly off-topic, but on the same topic of EPG data: I don't understand why there needs to be several OTA grabbers.
Why isn't there just 1 and TVH automatically uses the best method that get the best/richest data?

Chris G

Hopefully others express interest, but I doubt it.
Seems most just use TVH with IPTV providers.

Jonas Lang

Chris G not here. Wouldn’t touch IPTV. Purely DVBS here. All my EPG is broadcast OTA and no problems with it. Wouldn’t touch 3rd party XMLTV providers either. More trouble than they’re worth and constantly breaking or disappearing.