Solved how to get free guide data into WMC

[NOYB]

Most of the OTA stations here provide 12 hours to several days of PSIP EPG.

That can be used with EPG Collector for free guide data.

It's not as turn-key as EPG123 and SD. Doesn't provide as much future guide data, but it works and is free.

Would probably need to update guide several times a day though.

If FCC (or whatever authority sets that requirement) would require several days of guide data be provided it would be much more useful and workable for DVR.

I experimented with the EPG Collector method several years ago before deciding on going with EPG123 and SD.

[mmortal03]

I used to use WMC, then I moved on to using a NextPVR server and a HDHomeRun tuner. I use EPG Collector with a scheduled task to receive the free guide data, checking for new guide data every three hours, and then NextPVR pulling that in. The free guide data obviously isn't very useful for looking ahead for shows to record multiple days in advance, but I personally don't record that much and usually know what I'm wanting to record on a schedule -- but it still works fine as far as looking at what's on currently, and even programming ahead, say, anything involving some title or keyword.

[nhtvfan]

From the more recent posts in the other thread, it sounds like this no longer works.
viewtopic.php?f=96&t=12558&start=100

It is probably a couple of years since anyone tried this stuff.

My BAT script is still functioning quite well with "Task Scheduler". Despite being "Flamed" for my efforts, Still FREE!

FYI, still running Win 7x64. The only change I make to the *.bat is when I periodically update JAVA, since I hard-coded the java version. (too much work to add more code, HA.HA.)

[IT Troll]

Ah, thats good to hear. Having options is always good.

[Naffer]

My BAT script is still functioning quite well with "Task Scheduler". Despite being "Flamed" for my efforts, Still FREE!

FYI, still running Win 7x64. The only change I make to the *.bat is when I periodically update JAVA, since I hard-coded the java version. (too much work to add more code, HA.HA.)

It still works for me as well. There is a slightly newer version of xmltv-to-mxf(xmltv-to-mxf-0.0.3) that fixes season numbers so they start at 1 rather than zero. I use the -N 1 switch for Zap2XML like this post mentions (viewtopic.php?t=12391&start=440#p140155) to have the script use the cache except for the upcoming day where the listings are sometimes more detailed than they were when the listing first appeared.

The only problem I've had is that I recently noticed my database had swelled to over 2 gb, gotten slow, and was not being improved by the garbage collection script. I used epg123 to rebuild the database but wonder whether this approach to guide updates might be more prone to database problems long term. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

[Space]

My WMC database seems to grow over time as well, and I just use the regular method (Schedules Direct) to do updates with EPG123.

It gets big and slow and the garbage collection does not seem to help. I have to rebuild the database periodically to "fix" it.

I would assume that there would be a certain amount of DB growth due to the Series keeping track of every episode they record (and I am unaware of any mechanism to get rid of this list other than deleting the Series), but I wouldn't think it would make the DB over 2GB just for that.