[addon] Web-based Program Guide (Apr 18 Update)

[SSDNAdmin]

Author: StephaneM
Title: Beyond TV Web Based Program Guide
Long Description: Access you program guide, video libray, setup recordings, transcode your video files, edit video metadata (title / ep. title / description / is movie / date / is new), setup keywords recordings and receive e-mail alerts all through your web browser. The guide also features a Pocket PC / Smartphone interface.
Website: http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/20/article.asp
Version:

Status: Released
Last updated: 4/07/2004
License: Free and Donation for scheduling recordings
Requirements: .Net Framework 1.1 / IIS 5 or newer / BTV XMLTV Importer 2.6
Installation Instructions: http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/22/article.asp
Release Notes: http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22/24/article.asp

Download BTVWebGuide2.6s.exe

Screenshots:

[Jon Hancock]

This is a very welcome addition. The only problem I am having is scheduling to record from a Pocket PC. It connects to the guide but I cannot see a way of selecting record.

[Jon Hancock]

Ahhh, I've worked it out. You have to pay. Worth every penny.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by Jon Hancock

You have to pay.

Yes you have to make a donation for enabling recordings in the Web guide.

Regards,
Stéphane.

[heysurreal]

Stephane,

I'm using your web-based program guide (and have made a donation so that I could schedule recordings) and find it one of the best (and most used) additions I've made to my HTPC. I primarily use the mobile interface as I'm using a PocketPC with NetRemote / Girder to control most aspects of the HTPC. I have a few comments / requests:

1) When "Search" on the "Mobile" interface is used to find a TV show, the red "recording" button beside each found item does not work.

2) Would it be possible to change the layout of the "Mobile" version to look more like the "Full" version of the web interface. Maybe showing only 1hr or 2hr's worth of programs - whatever fits best. If necessary, the choice of layout could be made a user option?

3) Would it be possible to run this on a different machine to that running BeyondTV. The reason I ask is that I use a fairly "thin" client for my HTPC (a VIA EPIA box running at 1.4Ghz) and while ity works OK with IIS running in the background, I am always looking for ways to reduce background activities. What I would like to do is run this on my server - if necessary I could install BTV Link on it. I just want to know whether this would work.

Other than that I just want to thank you for a great add-on!

Cheers

Mark

[StephaneM]

Hello Mark,

Originally Posted by heysurreal

1) When "Search" on the "Mobile" interface is used to find a TV show, the red "recording" button beside each found item does not work.

Could you check on a regular PC if it works or not. If it works on the PC and not on the Pocket PC, then it's maybe because those recording buttons use javascript to work (check if Pocket IE has javascript enabled). For me it does work fine with a Windows Mobile 2003 Smartphone. If it doesn't work on the PC, then we will have to make some trace and I will contact you by e-mail for this.

2) Would it be possible to change the layout of the "Mobile" version to look more like the "Full" version of the web interface. Maybe showing only 1hr or 2hr's worth of programs - whatever fits best. If necessary, the choice of layout could be made a user option?

This will not be easy, Pocket IE is not powerful enough to draw such a program grid (widht of each program cell, cutting text, too much content when displaying all channels etc...). But tell me how you use or would use the grid and I'm sure we will find a better option.

3) Would it be possible to run this on a different machine to that running BeyondTV. The reason I ask is that I use a fairly "thin" client for my HTPC (a VIA EPIA box running at 1.4Ghz) and while ity works OK with IIS running in the background, I am always looking for ways to reduce background activities. What I would like to do is run this on my server - if necessary I could install BTV Link on it. I just want to know whether this would work.

Yes it should be possible, though it will requires some modification of the guide and extra configuration on your side and purchase of a BTV Link License. The guide will need to access :

* BTV via the API using the BTV Link License key
* A file share on the BTV computer to access the Document And Settings\All Users\Application Data\Snapstream\Beyond TV folder

What you could do is adding RAM to your BTV computer, The web guide doesn't use that much CPU and even if you put it on another PC it will still talk to BTV and this is this part that is the most CPU intensive. By adding RAM to your HTPC you'll greatly inprove the Web guide and all other background service (My Box is running 1.5 Ghz and was running 256 MB, since I put 512 MB more even the Firefly is more responsive ).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[nstocke]

A couple of questions.

When searching in the Web Guide Most of the Catagories have items in them. However the Movies catagory does not return any results. I use the North America Graber and was wondering if I need to do something different or change my keywords so that it can identify movies?

I would also like to expand the search capabilities. I really like how the program now identifies and shows what the MPAA rating for each show is. I would like to search on the MPAA rating. Such as find all action movies that are rated PG-13 or lower. Is there a way to do that?

Thanks in advance.

Neal

[StephaneM]

Hello Neal,

Originally Posted by nstocke

When searching in the Web Guide Most of the Catagories have items in them. However the Movies catagory does not return any results.

You you must change your keyword for movie to match the category used in the XMLTV file (Some XMLTV file may have more than one category for a show, currently the Importer only import one). You can also search for categories : check the "Kind" check box in the search page and type your keyword in the "Search" text box.

I would also like to expand the search capabilities .../... I would like to search on the MPAA rating.

I'll introduce it in the upcoming release of the guide (that will also have a library page for downloading your videos with an advanced folder view : that is another view as the ones proposed by BTV and currently makes very useful subdirectories for recording / transcoding).

Regards,
Stéphane MENGUY

[nstocke]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

I'll introduce it in the upcoming release of the guide (that will also have a library page for downloading your videos with an advanced folder view : that is another view as the ones proposed by BTV and currently makes very useful subdirectories for recording / transcoding).

Do I get any hints about when the upcomeing release will be out? Thanks for the great work.

Neal

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by nstocke

Do I get any hints about when the upcomeing release will be out?

Today

[dequire]

Stephane -

Does the web-based guide contain DirecTV pay per view info? Thanks in advance.

[StephaneM]

Hello,

Originally Posted by dequire

Does the web-based guide contain DirecTV pay per view info?

No, not for now. It only loads either the XMLTV data produced by the importer, or the BTV guide data.

I will see if it is possible to add PPV info into the guide (of course additional infos will be exclusive to the web guide and will be not included into the BTV program guide).

Regards,
Stéphane.

[nstocke]

Originally Posted by StephaneM

Today

You can't ask for better service than that. Thanks again.

Neal

[nstocke]

I just started getting an error screen when I go to the recordings tab. Guide, Search, and options all work fine. I suspect I've got some problem data in the scheduled recordings, or something but I don't know where to start looking. Any help or guidance would be appreciated. I've attached a file with the error message.

Thanks

Neal

[StephaneM]

Hello Neal,

Originally Posted by nstocke

I just started getting an error screen when I go to the recordings tab.

The error is caused by a malformed date. However the error occurs in the .Net Framework and I don't know why as the date can't be malformed at all (because everywher I do acces a date I parse them to check validity...).

I'll send you a test build that catch this error and let me know then on what recording it shock (you'll see no recording date on the page for that particular recording job).

Regards,
Stéphane.