Use of epg123Client.exe

[jmsnyc]

Hi,

I have two machines on my home network both running WMC. I actually got this to work after viewing the installation guide but the guide was not clear on how much setup on the 2nd machine would need to be done and at first it did not work. I then setup EPG123 on the 2nd machine as if it it were a separate installation.

Now, the advantages of using the epg123Client.exe is so you only need to do one guide update per day and any updates you make to the main pc will automatically reflect on the 2nd. Are there any other advantages?

Also, won't I need a scheduled task on the 2nd machine to pull the mxf file to keep the sync? Can I just edit the scheduled task created by EPG123 since I will not need the update guide task that is running on the primary machine?

[glorp]

You are essentially correct. If you have more than one WMC you can make one a "master", or even set up epg123 on a server without a WMC installation at all. You use epg123.exe to download and build your .mxf file (the schedule file) for all WMCs. Then you use epg123client.exe on each client to load that file from the "master". There are some little gotchas. The "master" must be built with all line-ups for all clients but the clients may still have different line ups. If the line-ups on all clients are all the same then it's very easy. If not, you need to make sure your master includes them all. Also you will have to create your own scheduled tasks on clients to run epg123client. There is no GUI for that. Finally the clients will log separately from the "master" and there will be no Windows Event Logging for the load step either. Since schedule customization occurs at the WMC installation itself, it's not entirely true that "any updates you make to the main PC will automatically reflect on the 2nd". But any line up changes or EPG123 changes you make certainly will be.

In case it's not clear, your "master" only needs epg123.exe and your slaves only need epg123client.exe on them. A master+slave would need both of course. You can set up the master using the EPG123 GUI. If the master does not have/use WMC, then simply disable the "Automatically import guide data into WMC" option in EPG123.

The scheduled tasks on the slaves will have to be coordinated in time so that all the slaves run after you are sure the master has finished it's update. You only need the following command to run:
<path-to>\epg123client.exe -i <UNC-path-to>\epg123.mxf [-match]
The optional switch -match is if you want channel automatching to occur on that machine.

It works quite well this way.

[kd6icz]

I just reinstalled Windows 7 on both of my Gigabyte BRIX spare TV's. Since I did a fresh install I did not agree to the WMC built in guide data from the very beginning. I would like to use the client on these PC's but am confused about a couple of things.

First... I'm assuming I will need to "share" the folder with no password on my main server with the mxl data?

Second... How do I set a schedule for the client?

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[garyan2]

... Also you will have to create your own scheduled tasks on clients to run epg123client. There is no GUI for that. Finally the clients will log separately from the "master" and there will be no Windows Event Logging for the load step either. Since schedule customization occurs at the WMC installation itself, it's not entirely true that "any updates you make to the main PC will automatically reflect on the 2nd". But any line up changes or EPG123 changes you make certainly will be.

In case it's not clear, your "master" only needs epg123.exe and your slaves only need epg123client.exe on them. A master+slave would need both of course. You can set up the master using the EPG123 GUI. If the master does not have/use WMC, then simply disable the "Automatically import guide data into WMC" option in EPG123.

The scheduled tasks on the slaves will have to be coordinated in time so that all the slaves run after you are sure the master has finished it's update. You only need the following command to run:
<path-to>\epg123client.exe -i <UNC-path-to>\epg123.mxf [-match]
The optional switch -match is if you want channel automatching to occur on that machine.

It works quite well this way.

Pretty much all these little gotchas are addressed in the upcoming epg123Client in v1.1.0. The epg123Client will truly be standalone and will perform all client function such as registry edits, and task scheduling. Sorry for the confusion right now, but it is being addressed.

[garyan2]

I just reinstalled Windows 7 on both of my Gigabyte BRIX spare TV's. Since I did a fresh install I did not agree to the WMC built in guide data from the very beginning. I would like to use the client on these PC's but am confused about a couple of things.

First... I'm assuming I will need to "share" the folder with no password on my main server with the mxl data?

Second... How do I set a schedule for the client?

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

The path to the mxf file has to be shared, but it is up to you if you want it to open to everyone. For my setup, I edited the update task to use a specific user/password to access the shared folder. Again, as stated above, the future client will do this for you, but you can create the update task using epg123.exe and then edit the task to call epg123Client.exe and change the arguments from "-update" to "-i [path_to_mxf_file]".

[kd6icz]

OK. I'll just wait for 1.1. I really don't need guide data on these PC's because I only use them to watch multiple baseball games. So... 5 months out of the year they get zero use for the most part. I think election night was the last.

I only built them because Newegg had a deal that you got the BRIX PC and a 4GB stick of RAM for $119. So add a 1TB WD AV drive, Win 7 COA, and Kingwin RF WMC remote and I had two complete standalone WMC computers for around $500 that could be hidden out of sight and have remote controls that only controlled their respected unit! When (at the time) compared to the $179 Echo it was a no brainier! Oh.... And these work!

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