Field length of "sub-title" and "descr" in XMLTV file for EIT

staidaffect

Hello, is there a way to increase the default lenght of the "sub-title" and "descr" fields. They seem to be set at 256 symbols, but the descriptions in the EIT from the satellite provider are longer.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Can you please provide more details about which version of TVH you are experiencing this issue with?

If you are using the latest version, my first guess is that TVH is not correctly handling multiple event descriptors as described in the DVB specifications.

More than one extended_event_descriptor can be associated to allow information about one event greater in length than 256 bytes to be conveyed.

According to the specification, it would appear that fields longer than 256 bytes can be created by combining multiple descriptors. Handling only one of the descriptors encountered would account for only receiving 256 bytes.

Do you see the first 256 bytes, the last 256 bytes or somewhere in the middle?

If you are able to provide a mux dump of an unencrypted service experiencing this issue, I can have a look at it, but not until October due to other commitments.

https://docs.tvheadend.org/documentation/creating-a-mux-dump

I am also curious why you included 'XMLTV' in your description. Are you trying to extract XMLTV data from TVH after it has harvested OTA EIT EPG data? If so, do you see the full descriptions using the WebUI, or is that also truncated to 256 bytes?

DeltaMikeCharlie

DeltaMikeCharlie my first guess is that TVH is not correctly handling multiple event descriptors as described in the DVB specifications.

I have tested this on my system with my local broadcasters and multiple extended event descriptor segments appear to be concatenated correctly.

DeltaMikeCharlie

DeltaMikeCharlie Are you trying to extract XMLTV data from TVH after it has harvested OTA EIT EPG data?

I have tested this on my system forcing additional text (400+ bytes) into the extended description and the XMLTV output showed all of the expected text.

staidaffect

I'm using version 4.3-2426 with OTA EIT EPG Grabber module. I see the first 256 bytes. I tried different settings for "DVB Sub-title Processing" with the same result, i don't know if it does what i think it does. I did a mux dump, the unencrypted service you should look for is "BNT 4". The EPG is in Bulgarian, but if you see 256 occupied bytes it's most sertainly more tha are not shown.
https://mab.to/t/RGiXzl28oBa/eu1

DeltaMikeCharlie

staidaffect I did a mux dump

Thanks, I will have a quick look at it today.

DeltaMikeCharlie

@staidaffect - Are you absolutely sure that your broadcaster provides extended descriptions?

I used a tool called 'DVB Inspector' to analyse your mux dump. From the random sampling I conducted, it would appear that there are no extended descriptions present in the EPG data.

There are 2 short descriptions, 1 in Bulgarian and 1 in English, but I could not see any extended descriptions.

I will do a deeper analysis, but the specifications only allow 255 bytes each for the event title and the short description. What you are seeing may be normal behaviour.

DeltaMikeCharlie

@staidaffect - I did some more analysis and imported your data into my TVH with some extra debugging code enabled. Unfortunately, your EPG does not appear to contain any extended event descriptions. From what I can tell, what you are seeing is normal.

On a different subject:
I am compiling data on the parental classification systems used by various countries. I noticed that all of the programmes in your sample have a rating of 'Undefined' (as opposed to no rating at all). If you are willing, would you be able to perform another mux dump or two on networks that contain parental classification so that I can analyse those?"

staidaffect

I'll get a satellite reciever to check how the epg is displayed on it and compare it with TVHE.

DeltaMikeCharlie

staidaffect I'll get a satellite reciever to check how the epg is displayed on it and compare it with TVHE

You could also download a copy of DVB Inspector and have a look at your mux dump. You could even just play the mux dump with VLC and have a look at the programme guide that it provides.

staidaffect

https://mab.to/t/BksYDIJ4B0I/eu1
Service 5024 (Dorcel) is a porn channel, i hope this helps. I'll try do do a dump on another network later.

staidaffect

Here's a dump from Bulsatcom muxes:
https://mab.to/t/r53NQIyLoN6/eu1

and from A1 Muxes:
https://mab.to/t/VJgquVPlBAP/eu1

DeltaMikeCharlie

staidaffect Here's a dump from Bulsatcom muxes:
staidaffect and from A1 Muxes:

Thanks.

staidaffect

Just checked A1_12309H.ts from A1 muxes dump. The show from 12:35 to 14:10 on MovieStar channel. The VlC shows full description, but when i open TVHE i see only 256 symbols and description ending with "...". My /XMLTV/Channels shows the same.How to increase the number of symbols in that field?

DeltaMikeCharlie

staidaffect and description ending with "...".

This seems to be what is in the EPG transmitted by the broadcaster. This screen print is from DVB Inspector, nothing to do with TVH.

DeltaMikeCharlie

From Bulsatcom_12156H.ts. TVH is seeing 413 characters of extended description for this event.

staidaffect

DeltaMikeCharlie Bulsatcom's EPG seems to display full text, so i'm using it for the moment.

Chris G Which provider is that ?

DeltaMikeCharlie

You can see that there are 2 extended_event_descriptors. TVH processes these and joins the text together.

Both TVH and DVB Inspector see the same data longer than 256 bytes when it is present.

Chris G

It seems OK for me when using Kodi.
This description is too long for the UI, but you can see the cut-off when you view info.

DeltaMikeCharlie

Chris G It seems OK for me when using Kodi.

Interesting. What was your EPG source?

Chris G

DeltaMikeCharlie

Auto-Detected EIT:

This is how I have my grabbers configured... I just let TVH decide which to use:

DeltaMikeCharlie

Chris G I just let TVH decide which to use:

On the MoveStar channel, do you ever see descriptions longer than 255 bytes?