v1.2.8 Release

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★ Download the latest EPG123 here: https://garyan2.github.io/ <> Setup guide here: https://garyan2.github.io/install.html
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garyan2

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v1.2.8 Release

#1

Post by garyan2 » Wed Dec 26, 2018 11:39 pm

Got a new release for you folks. This was driven by some changes in the API to Schedules Direct concerning TV Ratings and content advisories. There has been some improvements in those areas as well which you may appreciate (who doesn't want more, right?).

http://epg123.garyan2.net/
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#2

Post by garyan2 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 4:49 pm

I'm taking the binaries off the server... there appears to be a problem. Please continue using 1.2.7.

EDIT: The problem has been fixed. Version v1.2.8.2 has been posted on the server. I had missed a "null" check when determining a movie star rating in the code and it was aborting the creation of the MXF file when encountered.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

Alan G

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#3

Post by Alan G » Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:11 pm

I'm still running 1.1.18!!! It's been rock stable and since it ain't broke, I don't need to fix it. I do appreciate all the improvements and maybe someday I will upgrade. Thanks for the continuing good work.

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#4

Post by spanner » Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:06 pm

Hey Gary.
every time i unzip to my computer microsoft security essentials identifies it as a serious threat and quarantines epg123Setup_v1.2.8.2.
Seems like something like this has happened in the past. but did not want to tell my virus protection to ignore it until i posted here

happens on both my HTPC win 7 computer and my win 10 computer when i try to unzip there.

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#5

Post by garyan2 » Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:17 pm

spanner wrote: Thu Dec 27, 2018 9:06 pm Hey Gary.
every time i unzip to my computer microsoft security essentials identifies it as a serious threat and quarantines epg123Setup_v1.2.8.2.
Seems like something like this has happened in the past. but did not want to tell my virus protection to ignore it until i posted here

happens on both my HTPC win 7 computer and my win 10 computer when i try to unzip there.
Yah, MS is at it again. This was a problem a couple years ago, but it did it to me on my laptop last night but my desktop was just fine with Defender on Win10's. It flags the installation file, but not the actual EPG123 exe files, so you could either turn your AV off, install the latest version, and then turn it back on, or you can download the portable zip file from the website and just copy the contents over the files in C:\Program Files (x86)\epg123.

Just FYI: I had VirusTotal scan the zip file and the setup file without issues. (www.virustotal.com)
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#6

Post by mafaldatv » Fri Dec 28, 2018 2:56 am

Alan G wrote: Thu Dec 27, 2018 8:11 pm I'm still running 1.1.18!!! It's been rock stable and since it ain't broke, I don't need to fix it. I do appreciate all the improvements and maybe someday I will upgrade. Thanks for the continuing good work.
1.1.17 (!) and I'm fine. Ain't broke, don't fix. So unless there's some problem I"m happy!

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#7

Post by DSperber » Fri Dec 28, 2018 5:33 am

mafaldatv wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 2:56 am1.1.17 (!) and I'm fine. Ain't broke, don't fix. So unless there's some problem I"m happy!
You're missing out on some very nice new features which have arrived with the evolution up to 1.2.28.

Like the "pink highlight" of newly added (since the last time) channels in your channel lineups. These are pre-checked by default and you may not really want them, so the pink highlight makes them stand out clearly so you can easily spot them to un-check.

Also, the Client GUI remembers window size/location and vertical/horizontal column and divider locations. So when you pull and stretch and move column dividers to make it more appealing and readable to you, that set of GUI tweaks is retained so the next time you open the Client the appearance will be as you last configured it. You won't have to repeat all of that all over again.

Also, there is now a "tweak WMC" function in the Client which makes the Guide look much more elegant and clean and sleek and pretty. You can adjust font size, cell size, logo size, spacing, etc.

The "tweak WMC" interface even allows for an easy direct way to change the fast-forward (move forward 29 seconds by default) and skip-backward (replay 7 seconds by default) by simply changing a number in a box. Previously you had to use REGEDIT to manipulate HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\VideoSettings and change the SkipAheadInterval and/or InstantReplayInterval values. Now you can use the EPG123 Client to do that. [Note this only affects the main foreground WMC interface. It does NOT change the similar two Registry values for the MCX* users corresponding to WMC Extenders via remote desktop connections, as their Registry families require "load hive" complexity that is not implemented in EPG123 Client]

And there's more...

Anyway, I'd say your missing out by remaining behind at 1.1.17. In my experience 1.2.28 is just as bullet-proof and rock-solid stable and 100% functionally perfect as any product can possibly be.

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#8

Post by adam1991 » Fri Dec 28, 2018 3:00 pm

I can speak for those who want something that just works. And if it works, don't fix it.

The goal of this program is not for the user to be inside the client GUI all the time. Instead, set it and forget it. Never go to the client GUI again.

It is nice that it does some "tweak WMC" items that are otherwise done elsewhere, either with registry edits or with other third party utilities. But again, once your system is set up, you don't need those things.

Set it and forget it. Nothing to miss out on, other than the possibility of the update breaking things.

My $0.02.

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#9

Post by IT Troll » Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:37 pm

Looks like Gary has now pulled v1.2.8.x completely.
Apologies, everyone. Version v1.2.8.x just wasn’t meant to be. I knew with some of the changes I made I had added some risk for race conditions, but I thought I had mitigated that… apparently not. I am abandoning that method and will be backing out most of the changes in the code and it will be released as a new version.
Are you a Recorded TV HD user or want to give it a try? Check out the new community-made update; Recorded TV HD v2.1.1

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#10

Post by garyan2 » Sat Dec 29, 2018 12:31 am

IT Troll wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:37 pm Looks like Gary has now pulled v1.2.8.x completely.
Apologies, everyone. Version v1.2.8.x just wasn’t meant to be. I knew with some of the changes I made I had added some risk for race conditions, but I thought I had mitigated that… apparently not. I am abandoning that method and will be backing out most of the changes in the code and it will be released as a new version.
Yah, I built the next version last night and tested it out today. I've just been too lazy to go through the release process again.
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#11

Post by 12noon » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:00 pm

garyan2 wrote: Wed Dec 26, 2018 11:39 pm This was driven by some changes in the API to Schedules Direct concerning TV Ratings and content advisories. There has been some improvements in those areas as well which you may appreciate (who doesn't want more, right?).
AFAIK, SchedulesDirect is still using the 20141201 API, and I don't see any notices in their forums. What improvements are you referring to? Am I missing something?
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#12

Post by garyan2 » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:31 pm

12noon wrote: Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:00 pmAFAIK, SchedulesDirect is still using the 20141201 API, and I don't see any notices in their forums. What improvements are you referring to? Am I missing something?
In the program response, the contentAdvisory data is basically being moved to be a part of the contentRating. You can see there is no contentAdvisory from the root program response, but in contentRating for "USA Parental Rating" there is an array for contentAdvisory. This is fairly easy to address for the programs, but my major "change" was when I recognized the schedule responses rarely had any ratings information any more. I needed to reference the program information to get that since the WMC database needs the TV Rating in the ScheduleEntry elements of the MXF file. Before I would just populate the ScheduleEntry tvRating field with the information provided in the schedule response... now I have to reference the program response which comes later.

Code: Select all

{
	"resourceID": "12909993",
	"programID": "EP024336970044",
	"titles": [{
		"title120": "Bull"
	}],
	"descriptions": {
		"description100": [{
			"descriptionLanguage": "en",
			"description": "Bull must convince a jury that an abuse survivor who shot her husband is not guilty of murder."
		}],
		"description1000": [{
			"descriptionLanguage": "en",
			"description": "A friend from Bull's past enlists his services to help convince a jury that a domestic abuse survivor who shot her husband in his sleep is not guilty of murder because she feared for her life and the life of her unborn child."
		}]
	},
	"originalAirDate": "2018-04-17",
	"genres": ["Drama"],
	"episodeTitle150": "Justified",
	"metadata": [{
		"Gracenote": {
			"season": 2,
			"episode": 20,
			"totalEpisodes": 22
		}
	}, {
		"TheTVDB": {
			"seriesID": 311945,
			"episodeID": 0,
			"season": 0,
			"episode": 0
		}
	}],
	"contentRating": [{
		"body": "Canadian Parental Rating",
		"code": "14+",
		"country": "CAN"
	}, {
		"body": "R\u00e9gie du cin\u00e9ma",
		"code": "13+",
		"country": "CAN"
	}, {
		"body": "Conseil Sup\u00e9rieur de l'Audiovisuel",
		"code": "-10",
		"country": "FRA"
	}, {
		"body": "Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft",
		"code": "12",
		"country": "DEU"
	}, {
		"body": "Mediakasvatus- ja kuvaohjelmayksikk\u00f6",
		"code": "K12",
		"country": "FIN"
	}, {
		"body": "USA Parental Rating",
		"code": "TV14",
		"country": "USA",
		"contentAdvisory": ["Dialog", "Language", "Sex", "Violence"]
	}],
	"cast": [{
		"billingOrder": "01",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "67545",
		"personId": "67545",
		"name": "Michael Weatherly",
		"characterName": "Dr. Jason Bull"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "02",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "70852",
		"personId": "70852",
		"name": "Freddy Rodriguez",
		"characterName": "Benny Col\u00f3n"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "03",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "318030",
		"personId": "311926",
		"name": "Geneva Carr",
		"characterName": "Marissa Morgan"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "04",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "331924",
		"personId": "323526",
		"name": "Jaime Lee Kirchner",
		"characterName": "Danny James"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "05",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "1011577",
		"personId": "558579",
		"name": "Annabelle Attanasio",
		"characterName": "Cable McCrory"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "06",
		"role": "Actor",
		"nameId": "1044200",
		"personId": "736737",
		"name": "Christopher Jackson",
		"characterName": "Chunk Palmer"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "07",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "637529",
		"personId": "616019",
		"name": "Sonya Harum",
		"characterName": "Kate Martin"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "08",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "253723",
		"personId": "250169",
		"name": "Jenna Stern",
		"characterName": "ADA Amy Lake"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "09",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "783621",
		"personId": "749091",
		"name": "April Yvette Thompson",
		"characterName": "Dr. Marian Grint"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "10",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "163700",
		"personId": "163004",
		"name": "Chip Zien",
		"characterName": "Professor Jameson"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "11",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "618018",
		"personId": "593717",
		"name": "Zachary Spicer",
		"characterName": "Brian Martin"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "12",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "75497",
		"personId": "75497",
		"name": "Ami Brabson",
		"characterName": "Judge"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "13",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "830774",
		"personId": "792313",
		"name": "Olivia Horton",
		"characterName": "Candice Aspin"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "14",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "533471",
		"personId": "516831",
		"name": "Aaron Lazar",
		"characterName": "Mark Burns"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "15",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "711859",
		"personId": "683496",
		"name": "Roger Wayne",
		"characterName": "Officer Levy"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "16",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "346845",
		"personId": "337971",
		"name": "Todd Baker",
		"characterName": "Older Juror"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "17",
		"role": "Guest Star",
		"nameId": "715997",
		"personId": "687287",
		"name": "Michiko Sasaki",
		"characterName": "Nurse"
	}],
	"crew": [{
		"billingOrder": "01",
		"role": "Executive Producer",
		"nameId": "71245",
		"personId": "71245",
		"name": "Paul Attanasio"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "02",
		"role": "Executive Producer",
		"nameId": "166892",
		"personId": "165959",
		"name": "Phillip C. McGraw"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "03",
		"role": "Executive Producer",
		"nameId": "303619",
		"personId": "299674",
		"name": "Jay McGraw"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "04",
		"role": "Executive Producer",
		"nameId": "276301",
		"personId": "272701",
		"name": "Justin Falvey"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "05",
		"role": "Executive Producer",
		"nameId": "276302",
		"personId": "272702",
		"name": "Darryl Frank"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "06",
		"role": "Writer",
		"nameId": "1112733",
		"personId": "1036561",
		"name": "Chamblee Smith"
	}, {
		"billingOrder": "07",
		"role": "Director",
		"nameId": "226545",
		"personId": "223863",
		"name": "Dennis Smith"
	}],
	"entityType": "Episode",
	"showType": "Series",
	"hasImageArtwork": true,
	"hasSeriesArtwork": true,
	"hasEpisodeArtwork": true,
	"md5": "FIuTvmmAhbmkjmlbj\/tFZQ"
}
- Gary
Keeping WMC alive beyond January 2020. https://garyan2.github.io

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#13

Post by 12noon » Sat Dec 29, 2018 6:50 pm

Thanks! Yeah, there was a note in the doc for the 2014 API saying "NOTE: In the next version of the API, the ratings element will be removed from the schedule entity; there is a "contentRating" field associated with the program which should be used instead." It seems GraceNote is doing that migration and SD is passing on the changes without updating the API version.

I've been seeing contentAdvisory as a separate entry, but I do see your example where it's under contentRating. Weird. There's nothing in the doc about that! (It's pretty crazy it's only under USA, too, but I suppose that's because it's in English.) I sure wish SD would update their API doc (and improve it).
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