EPG Issue XBMC/Kodi DVB-T2 (Freeview HD)

[Piers]

Hello,

 

I've posted the same thread on the XBMC/Kodi forum here.

 

The following work without any issue seen:

- DVBViewer main application

- EPG

- Recording Service EPG/Timeline/Now/Next

 

The following do NOT work correctly

- EPG information display on XBMC/Kodi

 

Here is a screenshot to show the issue more clearly:

 

The top is the Web Interface EPG from the DVBViewer Recording Service, the bottom is the data displayed (on ALL skins) on XBMC/Kodi. As you can see it appears to skip out the actual information and just displayed the [eng] [subtitles] etc data.

 

 

Any help with this would be lovely. Apart from that there are no other issues with the EPG, it works as expected within DVBViewer and the Web Interface of the Recording Service.

[Tjod]

If there is no problem in the DVBViewer Client or in the Web interface. It is mostly not a RS Problem.

 

So you should ask in the Kodi topic about the DVBViewer Recording Service Add-on for Kodi

http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=140645

http://kodi.wiki/view/Add-on:DVBViewer_Client

 

The development is completely don there. Here you are only right if the Problem is in the RS or in the Recording Service API

http://en.DVBViewer.tv/wiki/Recording_Service_API

[Piers]

Thank you for the very quick reply. I've asked in the forum in a new thread (as mentioned) and have just updated the development thread to report the issue. If I receive a response with a fix, I'll update this thread as well for anyone else who may have the same issue.

[Piers]

The developer of the add-on has commented that he will be re-writing the EPG part in order to fix this.

 

On a different note, can you please include more information with your API in the Wiki?

Edited January 10, 2015 by Piers

[Tjod]

Which parts are missing in the API?

[Piers]

Which parts are missing in the API?

 

It's not so much the information, more that it's difficult to get XBMC/Kodi to use all the features because the API doesn't provide options. One example is Signal Strength, from the Kodi add-on developer "There is no real API to retrieve the current signal level. Instead the RS status site has been parsed, which was error prone."

[Tjod]

The signal strength delivered by TV card driver via BDA driver is more or less useless.

 

If it where for me the signal strength meter would be removed from the DVBViewer completely.

[Piers]

The signal strength delivered by TV card driver via BDA driver is more or less useless.

 

If it where for me the signal strength meter would be removed from the DVBViewer completely.

 

I find mine to be accurate and on par with what my TV says. However not with DVBViewer, with SmartDVB it shows the same figures as my TV.

[Derrick]

 

I find mine to be accurate and on par with what my TV says. However not with DVBViewer, with SmartDVB it shows the same figures as my TV.

..then it's probably signal quality and not signal strength.

[Piers]

..then it's probably signal quality and not signal strength.

 

My TV shows both strength and quality.

[Piers]

I've created a new post as this appears to be a problem with DVBViewer. http://www.DVBViewer.tv/forum/topic/55971-continuing-epg-issues/

[Tjod]

If you get the EPG from the API http://127.0.0.1:8089/api/epg.html?lvl=2

There are three parts for each broadcast.

 

title, event and description

 

title is no problem but in you situation the long part is in the event and not in the description.

 

The easiest solution would be if the plug-in developer would use event + description as the long part from the EPG in Kodi.

As far as I can see event part is currently not used in Kodi.

[Piers]

From the source, it looks like the description and event are both being used: https://github.com/opdenkamp/xbmc-pvr-addons/blob/master/addons/pvr.DVBViewer/src/DvbData.cpp

[Tjod]

I'm not a developer.

 

But the question is, where the information from event is displayed in Kodi.

 

You should be able to see on your pc which part of the EPG is transmitted in which tag.

http://127.0.0.1:8089/api/epg.html?lvl=2

 

In Germany event has often a short background information or is empty.

And the long description is in description

 

<programme start="20150130233500" stop="20150131004500" channel="880794730037250">

<eventid>

18232

</eventid>

<pdc>

986595

</pdc>

<charset>

255

</charset>

<titles>

<title>

Kurzschluss - Das Magazin

</title>

</titles>

<events>

<event>

Sondersendung anlässlich des 37. Internationalen Kurzfilmfestivals von Clermont-Ferrand

</event>

</events>

<descriptions>

<description>

* Zoom - Aïssa * Making of - Panzer * Festival - Die offenen Workshops des Kurzfilmfestivals von Clermont-Ferrand * "Aïssa" Kurzfilm Frankreich 2013 * "Panzer" Kurzfilm Frankreich 2014 * "Am besten stirbst Du jung" Kurzfilm Frankreich 2014 * "Mein Fleisch und Blut" Kurzfilm Frankreich 2014 Produziert in HD [16:9] [stereo] [deu] franz. oder Audiodeskription [mis]

</description>

</descriptions>

</programme>

[Griga]

...and it depends on how EPG data is broadcasted.

 

The DVB specifications provide three textual parts:

 

(1) Event name: "How I killed your father"

 

(2) Event description "Episode 55 / 3 (forget it)"

 

(3) Extended event description: "In this episode a long and boring story finally comes to an end..."

 

That's how it is supposed to be used, and that's how it is actually done by most European TV broadcasters. You can see it in the TransEdit Analyzer:

 

 

However, the British in their splendid isolation handle it a bit differently. This is from Freesat (Astra 28° East):

 

 

The event description in the Short (!) Event Descriptor is abused for telling a long story. It should be placed in Extended Event Descriptors. But there are none. There you are...

 

So fixing the resulting issues requires a re-assignment of data fields somewhere on the way from source to destination.

[Piers]

So you're unable to add a 'UK' option. manül appears to have changed the Kodi add-on, which is helpful for that part, but not really for general use (even with the fixed xml provided). Guess it's time to work out how EPG Collector works and what I need to do, although I'm not keen on using an external provider.

 

It might be worth pointing out on the sales area that UK EPG options are currently not fully supported.

 

Edit: Without wanting to be annoying, DVB-T2 was developed (including the specification) mostly in the UK by BBC R&D. Although standards for DVB data transmission were developed first, it still says that maybe the UK isn't entirely in the wrong.

[Griga]

So you're unable to add a 'UK' option.

 

Who said that?

 

But it's true: We are not able to add options for each and every local oddity worldwide. There are already too many options in DVBViewer. Handling it silently in the background would be better.

 

In my developer version (DVBViewer GE) I've tried the following approach: Use the short event description as extended description if the short description is longer than 60 characters and no extended event description is provided. This seems to work satisfyingly for Freesat in most cases. However, before implementing this method in DVBViewer Pro and the Recording Service it has to be investigated thoroughly if there are unwanted side effects. Additionally alternative solutions have to be considered. If possible It should be useful in general, not for UK folks only. Even if you are living in the UK try to think more globally

 

It might be worth pointing out on the sales area that UK EPG options are currently not fully supported.

 

Please note that the Freeview/Freesat EPG is a special thing. Receiving and decoding it requires information that is not part of the general DVB specification. Usually receiver manufacturers get this information together with a Freeview/Freesat licence comprising a lot of guidelines and rules. With other words: You are not supposed to receive this EPG with ordinary PC software that does not enforce content protection, DRM and stuff. It's supposed to be a closed thing (more about it here). But as it always goes, people find ways around such limitations (particularly the Linux people have been busy in this respect by applying reverse engineering techniques), and we also made considerable efforts to make the EPG available on a Windows PC. You are right. We should point this out on the sales page. It's quite a lot that you get for 15 Euro, isn't it?

 

Without wanting to be annoying, DVB-T2 was developed (including the specification) mostly in the UK by BBC R&D.

 

DVB-T2 as a reception technology has nothing to do with the DVB service information specification that was established long before DVB-T2. It refers to all reception types (satellite, cable, terrestrial). Please read ETSI EN 300 468 (PDF, easy to find in the web), specification for service Information (SI) in DVB systems, section 6.2.15 (Extended Event Descriptor) and 6.2.37 (Short Event Descriptor).

[Piers]

I spend half my time in the UK and half in Austria, so I do think (semi) globally.

 

The software that comes with the hardware supports the EPG as it should be displayed -- It's an EU model bought from a EU supplier (not a specific UK version). Not sure how they did it but I would assume it also supports EU EPG transmissions.

 

I like your approach, I've not used the other version as the Wiki is very limited in explaining the disadvantages/advantages of the application.

 

I apologise for my arrogance in the previous reply and look forward to testing a viable solution for Freeview/Freesat users.

[Piers]

And another user at the Kodi forum, from Denmark, has reported the same problem. I've asked him to come here and post.