UK Users getting satisfactory listings?

[Martin1099]

I'm evaluating BTV using an old desktop connected to Telewest Digital in the UK, and (thanks to some help!) have everything working well except the TV Listings, which for me, is a clinch point. I want a reasonably reliable, automated, listings capture process.

I can see how much hard work has gone into solutions for the grab process using Digiguide and/or XML and have tried a few XML solutions. However, they seem fragile - at significant risk of failure in the future. Whilst I'm happy to hack around with software/hardware to get it running, I don't yet have the feeling of confidence in operability to make it worth shelling out for a media PC which would be reliant on this process.

What are your current thoughts / solutions, and how satisfactory are they?

[berg]

Martin,

I don't know if you have seen the latest announcement about the upcoming version 3.5, but it does mention something about listing support for European countries. You might be able to make more of the announcement, but I would think that in addition to the existing solutions being used, the support from SnapStream should be solid.

The SnapStream team has stated that they intend to expand into the European market.

So it looks promising !

[Martin1099]

Thanks for the pointer, Berg...

The annoucement (10/9) states:

"* TVTV web-based European electronic program guide support"

Having briefly checked out tvtv at http://www.tvtv.co.uk , it seems to be a comprehensive listings service, free to view on-line, or a downloadable service (file format not specified) at GBP 14.90 per annum.

Anyone got any experience with tvtv?

Regards,

Martin.

[ScAtMaN]

If this is properly integrated into BTV with the minimum of fuss this is great news for UK and european users - At least until snapstream.net catches up with full supported listings.

[mikem]

Looking at it, and reading through it then it seems to be that we will need to set our 3rd Party program guide in WebAdmin to be the tvtv.co.uk website and Register our device as BeyondTV in our tvtv account profile. You will then be able to mark the program for recording which will setup a recording in BeyondTV for you. It does not populate the EPG within BeyondTV as far as I can tell. If anyone has a service code and it does populate the EPG then can they post a reply to say so. (I don't want to spend 14.90 just to see if the EPG is populated.)

Whilst the information looks good I wouldn't call it integrated unless the EPG is populated and I can setup recordings from within BeyondTV or the BeyondTV Link frontend which is how I plan on using the system.

As such whilst it is an improvement in that we will have an 'official method' of getting listings in the UK, we really need an 'official method' of populating the EPG. If anyone from Snapstream could comment on any plans for implementing something like this. Of course if I am wrong about the tvtv.co.uk populating the EPG then I apologise in advance.

With Radio Times now starting to block the XMLTV grabbers then we are at a bit of a loss for listings now in the UK. Could anyone with a working grabber for bleb.org please post a link that it could be downloaded from.

[maurij]

i have heard that tvtv.co.uk provides an xml file with listings which presumably will populate the epg. however, i have not had any direct experience with it. when looking at the site, i did not find cable or satelitte channels which are a must for me. like mikem, i'm not willing to put down £15 to find out the xml download does not support all of telewest's channel line up.

[mikem]

Dear Mike,


Snapstream currently supports our online tvtv for PC version. That means that
you have to use the browser in order to select programmes for recording. You
have to go to www.tvtv.co.uk and logon then choose the desired programmes.
After you added new recording jobs onto the shortlist you will have to synchronise
this list with the Snapstream Software. Using macros means that you can
automatically search for your favourites however you still have to add the desired
programmes manually to your shortlist.

Best regards,
tvtv sales team

Straight from tvtv and there response to my question. As I thought you will have to setup www.tvtv.co.uk as your 3rd Party web guide. This will not populate the EPG. Whilst this is a step in the right direction and least means that we have a reliable tv listing available, it is not really satisfactory. For instance how will conflict resolution work without the EPG populated. Certainly the smart scheduling is straight out of the window, as it has nothing too look at.

[falvious]

Ive managed to use bleb.org to populate the epg in btv however as thye dont match up up with the video feed coming into the pc which is on channel 90, its still pretty useless with regards to scheduling recordings, and i am also having problems getting channel 90 to show up if i get the epg populated. Im using telewest with the tv out cable plugged direct into my capture card. is there a better way so that i can match up the channles with those im wanting to watch ?

[Detritus]

Welp. I'm a UK user and have been reading around this issue over the past couple of weeks. I was planning on buying BTV, BM and BTV Link once BM had come out and BTV 3.5 was available. I'm probably not going to for the time being. It seems that UK users are being shifted from pillar to post. First Digi-Guide blocks us out, then Radio Times. XML TV data is pretty poor, from what I've read, and requires a lot of manual intervention. For me one of the main reasons to go for a PVR is the EPG and the simplicity of recording shows. I do NOT need to add complexity into my home theater setup. Maybe if enough potential customers in the UK, like myself, hold off on purchasing BTV until there is decent EPG support then something will get done to address the issue.

[blods]

I've had the same problem in that XMLTV has stopped working in the last 3 weeks because of RadioTimes blocking it.

There's a new version of XMLTV but only Unix so loking around I've found this to use instead http://www.alanbirtles.dsl.pipex.com/xmltv/xmltv.htm

It seems to download from RadioTimes and takes only a few minutes for 2 weeks of TVGuides while XMLTV took hours and was very unreliable (it's no wonder RadioTimes blocked it as it was a horribly inefficient way of scraping a web site).

Once the XML file is downloaded I use the XML to Snapstream importer freeware to pull it into Snapstream. Both are schedlued to run each night.

It's now looking a lot healthier, my only concern is if this stops working when the new version comes out in the next few days.