Handling recordings show when EPG data insufficient

Channels DVR Server Troubleshooting
#1

Unfortunately, the only xmltv with polish EPG guide does not provide tags if something is new or rerun.
Even worse there is often wrong date of original airing and title of each episode in the guide is just title of the show. Here below is a screenshot for a "Królowa piękności".

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But as you see at least show description of each episode is correct. So could Channels in such case differentiate between "that was recorded and it's in database" and 'this is new" also as a last resort do checks on show description? Manual selection for recording is a bit of a pain.

#2

Can you email a copy of the xmltv file to support. I think it's a good idea to track by description.

#3

I can provide you with a link one is here another
source with the same problem is here

#4 
  <programme start="20210105205500 +0100" stop="20210105215000 +0100" channel="TVP2.pl">
    <title lang="pl">Królowa piękności</title>
    <desc lang="pl">Katia przyjeżdża do Moskwy. Udaje się do Związkowego Domu Mody i prosi o pomoc naczelnego projektanta. Udaje się jej dostać pracę i pokój w mieszkaniu komunalnym. Gdy zdjęcie dziewczyny pojawia się w prasie, kontaktuje się z nią Feliks Krutskij, uznany redaktor jednej z moskiewskich gazet. Kocha się on w dziewczynie od czasu, gdy poznał ją podczas pracy nad reportażem o wiodącym kołchozie. Jego rodzice jednak chcą, by poślubił młodą aktorkę Mariannę Nieczajewą, kuzynkę znanej bolszewickiej działaczki, o której Feliks zamierza napisać książkę. W redakcji zjawia się Walerka, który chce mieszkać i pracować w stolicy. Poznaje córkę głównego redaktora, Irinę, która marzy o zamążpójściu.(n)</desc>
    <credits>
      <director>Karien Oganiesian</director>
      <actor>Karina Andolenko</actor>
      <actor>Paweł Priłucznyj</actor>
      <actor>Nastia Zadorożnaja</actor>
      <actor>Władimir Żeriebcow</actor>
      <actor>Waleria Kożewnikowa</actor>
      <actor>Sebastien Sisak</actor>
      <actor>Nikita Łubienko</actor>
      <actor>Diana Iwanowa</actor>
      <actor>Olga Suchariewa</actor>
      <actor>Oleg Graf</actor>
    </credits>
    <date>2015</date>
    <category lang="pl">Serial</category>
    <category lang="pl">Obyczajowy</category>
    <country lang="pl">Rosja</country>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">, odc. 2/12</episode-num>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">E2/12</episode-num>
    <rating>
      <value>12</value>
    </rating>
  </programme>

Actually it has season episode information, but the format is not being recognized. I will add support for this type of formatting: E2/12

2 Likes
#5

I assume such format may appear in guide where the series has no distinction for seasons

#6

Ok I see you added support for that numbering style, however

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E7/12 means "episode 7 of total number of 12" so label should be "Season1 Episode 7", or ditch season description. I understand this may be difficult due to hardcoded UILabels.
At that point I wish to add important clarification. I'm not sure how many people on this forum came from continental Europe and may confirm that in regard to their countries, but in Poland there is no concept like "Season" which is unique rather to USA and Canada. Lot of series was produced being complete from start to finish without a need to extend it.
Some show like polish version of Nanny has "series" but there was two series produced in one year so it's not a "season". In that case is common in polish EPG also for Discovery shows like Storage Wars, Złomowisko,Złoto Bałtyku,Curse of Oak Island to give the number of series in EPG title.

So while in USA epg has just "The Nanny" in Poland will be e.g. "Niania 3" or "Curse of Oak Island" will be now "Klątwa Wyspy Dębów 8".

I hope that clarifies things a bit and will help Channels team to create better experience for DVR

#7

As I understand it, the general term used outside of NA is "Series". For example, Spooks (MI-5 when rebroadcast in the US) had 10 "series".

Also, the episode numbering scheme you indicate as being used in PL seems quite similar to the specified xmltv_ns episode numbering. From the XMLTV DTD:

xmltv_ns: This is intended to be a general way to number episodes and
parts of multi-part episodes.  It is three numbers separated by dots,
the first is the series or season, the second the episode number
within that series, and the third the part number, if the programme is
part of a two-parter.  All these numbers are indexed from zero, and
they can be given in the form 'X/Y' to show series X out of Y series
made, or episode X out of Y episodes in this series, or part X of a
Y-part episode.  If any of these aren't known they can be omitted.
You can put spaces whereever you like to make things easier to read.

(NB 'part number' is not used when a whole programme is split in two
for purely scheduling reasons; it's intended for cases where there
really is a 'Part One' and 'Part Two'.  The format doesn't currently
have a way to represent a whole programme that happens to be split
across two or more timeslots.)

Some examples will make things clearer.  The first episode of the
second series is '1.0.0/1' .  If it were a two-part episode, then the
first half would be '1.0.0/2' and the second half '1.0.1/2'.  If you
know that an episode is from the first season, but you don't know
which episode it is or whether it is part of a multiparter, you could
give the episode-num as '0..'.  Here the second and third numbers have
been omitted.  If you know that this is the first part of a three-part
episode, which is the last episode of the first series of thirteen,
its number would be '0 . 12/13 . 0/3'.  The series number is just '0'
because you don't know how many series there are in total - perhaps
the show is still being made!
#8

Okay made this change for next build

1 Like
#9

that xmltv specification is hard to understand to be honest, I read it twice and I don't understand :slight_smile: