Utility to create MXF file for DVBS

An evolving, supported alternative to Rovi
Forum rules
★ Download the latest EPG123 here: https://garyan2.github.io/ <> Setup guide here: https://garyan2.github.io/install.html
Post Reply
RichardH

Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:46 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

Utility to create MXF file for DVBS

#1

Post by RichardH » Fri May 07, 2021 10:57 am

It appears I haven't posted here since 2018. And that was about a problem with SD. That is because EPG123 generally just works.
I would now like to mention that I have come up with, if not a perfect solution, a satisfactory workaround to avoid the inconvenience of scanning satellite transponders during WMC TV Signal Setup. That is something I have had to do occasionally, and I at least have always found it a time-consuming ordeal.
My main requirements were to create an MXF file independently of WMC, and for it to include channel preset numbers and call signs to facilitate automatic subscription to EPG123 guide listings.
How to inject an MXF file into WMC has been well documented, but I couldn't find an existing way to create one that meets my requirements.
My utility is based on an Excel Workbook and supporting VBA code.
It takes as input a tab-delimited text file with the tuning parameters, which you can beg, borrow, or steal from somewhere, or export from transponder scanning software. I have used DVBViewer Pro for this purpose.
Optionally, if the tab-delimited file exported from the EPG123 Client Guide Tool is also provided, the channel numbers of matching services will be incorporated, and EPG123's Service Callsign will be written to the MXF file in place of the name from the tuning parameters.
It is limited to a single orbital position, region and headend. My only interest is in the Freesat FTA channels at 282E, which certainly works. These parameters are configurable, however, as are the column numbers to suit whatever tuning parameter file is used.
The entire WMC TV Signal Setup procedure, complete with listings and logos, now takes me just a few minutes, which makes maintenance much easier.
I would be happy to share this if anyone is interested.

RichardH

Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:46 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#2

Post by RichardH » Tue May 18, 2021 11:28 am

Since the above post I have removed the dependency on Excel by creating a Visual Studio 2019 project. The utility is now a simple console application. It depends only on .NET Core 3.1. The functionality is the same: it accepts two tab-delimited files as input, one with satellite tuning parameters and optionally another, with presets and names, that is output by the EPG Client Guide Tool. It is configurable for any single satellite, and for any tuning parameter file column layout.
I have made the project available on GitHub https://github.com/RichardH-code/Freesat in case anyone faced with the prospect of a clean MCE TV Setup for satellite stumbles on this thread in the future. Alongside the source there is a sample tuning parameter file obtained from DVBViewer Pro for the FTA channels at 28.2E (including Freesat), sample output from EPG123 Client, and a sample configuration file. These are all editable. Also included is sample project build output (the console application) and sample output from running the utility (the files, including the MXF, required on the HTPC during TV Signal Setup).

As a possible alternative solution, I also had a look at the Digital Devices Kanalsortierer. This is a graphical program described as a ‘Software Channel-Sorter for WMC Tool’, which is still available on the Digital Devices site. Their latest transponder lists are now stale, and the instructions, in German, no longer work. However, it is possible to manually update the transponder lists with DVBViewer Pro output, and there are workarounds for the other issues. It does handle configurations with multiple satellites. Otherwise, I found that it does not simply accept EPG123 Client output, and many of its functions parallel those of EPG123 Client.

User avatar
garyan2

Posts: 7438
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2015 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#3

Post by garyan2 » Fri Oct 15, 2021 9:44 pm

This has obviously been a request for epg123 to support for quite some time. I would certainly like to help as much as I can, but without any hardware to work with and experiment with to determine the steps WMC goes through when setting up DVB-S, I am just guessing here.

I've spent the last couple days building a program that will scrape KingOfSat and build the mxf file with updated info, but I'm not sure when the optimum/correct time to import it is. I've seen importing it before TV Setup works, but I've also seen either at the TV Signal Setup or the TV Signal Setup Finished screen. I would assume this also means that you could finish TV Setup and import it after, which I could do during client setup when TV Setup is complete and WMC is closed. When it is best to import will determine how epg123 would actually work for you guys.

I'm hoping I can leverage some of your observations and experiences to do this. Does importing before TV Setup, with a clean start setup not work? Any info you have on how WMC does its' thing would be greatly appreciated.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

RichardH

Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:46 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#4

Post by RichardH » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:04 pm

Hi Gary. Thanks for your reply and sorry for my own delayed response.
I have now used the above console application quite a few times and am able to build the db in a matter of minutes. It would obviously be better if the functionality could find its way into EPG123 in some way.
(Ideally, it would be nice to avoid use of the TV Setup procedure and all its redundant steps and create the db from mxf directly, but that goes way beyond my knowledge of the object store and mcepg, unfortunately.)
I gave up on scraping KingOfSat. Since I am able to do so, I scan the satellite with DVBViewer Pro and export to csv. I do check the result against KingOfSat and Lyngsat, in particular before deleting any possibly dead channels.
For the first time in months, I have updated the GitHub project linked above. In that, Publish/Target/Readme.txt sets out the steps needed on the Media Center machine, and when to import the mxf with success.
If I remember correctly, importing before TV Setup (clean start or otherwise) creates only the satellite list, so is very incomplete. In the TV Setup procedure, there is a 'TV Source Setup Finished' screen after every signal source involved. Importing while any of these is displayed seems to work. This is not to be confused with the 'TV Signal Setup Finished' screen that appears later, when import no longer works.

User avatar
garyan2

Posts: 7438
Joined: Fri Nov 27, 2015 7:23 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#5

Post by garyan2 » Mon Nov 22, 2021 3:24 pm

Thanks for the reply. I have actually found you can import the mxf file prior to TV Setup and it works. Maybe I am doing something that you are not to get it to work, but can't think of anything.

I've already started implementing a method using epg123 (viewtopic.php?f=99&t=13718&p=146482#p146292), but the second stage to create a personalized DefaultSatellites.mxf file is a bit away. I don't think it will be difficult, but finding the time is a bit problematic. If you find yourself in need to run a TV Setup again, try using epg123 and placing your mxf file in the new .\satellites folder. It should work. I purchased a DVBS tuner just so I can run through a satellite setup here and everything was fine. I just don't have the ability to scan a satellite for verification that a non-mxf using setup works as well.

Note if you try your mxf file with epg123, you will need to either run a [Client Setup], or click the [Transponders] button to import it into the database prior to performing a TV Setup.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

RichardH

Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:46 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#6

Post by RichardH » Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:58 pm

Great. Consider me a volunteer. I will try my mx with EPG123 and let you know what happens.

RichardH

Posts: 26
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2017 6:46 pm
Location:

HTPC Specs: Show details

#7

Post by RichardH » Tue Nov 23, 2021 1:20 pm

First of all, I find I too can now import my (personalized) mxf prior to TV Setup, which is interesting. All I did was empty out the %programdata%\ehome folder. That was only necessary once, and now simply deleting mcepg2-0.db seems to be 'clean enough' for my procedure to work repeatedly. Not sure what the problem was. Now I will proceed to try the .\satellites folder and Transponders button in EPG123. I will put any comments in the other topic.

Post Reply