[Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

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keithy397
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Joined: August 29th, 2004, 6:49 pm
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Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by keithy397 »

Benjamin Markson wrote:Hi Keith,

Sadly, nothing has changed since I posted my reply here to Vitesse on October 7th. I did raise the issue with Metabroadcast over on their support forum: Where for art thou 4.0 schedules? but nothing has really changed.

Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to change what channels do, or do not. appear on the feed. :(

Ben.

Hi again Ben,

I am aware of your position Ben, I was just wondering if there was any light at the end of the tunnel yet!

I did read your previous responses - but one can hope!!!
Cheers,
Keith
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Benjamin Markson
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Location: en-GB

Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by Benjamin Markson »

Okay, here's the deal.

I now have a new UK TV, and Radio, Guide and Search (note the 'Radio' bit) add-on that I could submit to Mozilla for review and publication.

The add-on is using Metabroadcast's new, so called, v4 Atlas feed. They're still developing this feed - it is now returning data but I'm still noticing the odd 'glitch'. They describe it as in alpha.

The Channel List is certainly more fully populated.

I also haven't used my new add-on very much so it too may have the odd 'glitch'. :)

Do people want me to go ahead and try and get it a Preliminary Review, or wait until things have matured a bit more?

Ben.
XUL is dead. Long live the Google Chrome Clones.
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Benjamin Markson
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Re: Blank screen - UK TV Guide and Search

Post by Benjamin Markson »

some time ago now joe_evans wrote:Hi Ben
Sorry to trouble you but for the life of me I can not get your add-on to work and I wonder if you could throw any light onto my problem. I am running linux mint and firefox browser. Once upon a time when I first installed your add-on it worked!! yay :¬) and then for some reason it didnt! I am sorry but I can not remember what I did inbetween to make it not work. All I get is a blank screen of channels and your outlined screen. I have a screen-print if you would like to see but am not sure how I can get it to you.
No buttons work except the hide colours button. I can not add groups I can not download tv programs or nothing. It is just beyond me. I have disablesd it and removed it and reinstalled it a number of times but to no avail.
Is there any pointers you could give me? Anything I could try out? Anything at all please if you have the time.

Thanks in advance

JE

Joe,

You may never read this but I think I now have a solution to your problem.

Having recently installed a version of Linux Mint I've been reviewing how well my add-ons work under Linux. I came across an issue with permissions when running my TV Guide add-on - as of 1.3.14 this should be fixed.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefo ... ons/1.3.14

The permissions issue only effects Linux systems. Previously, the database folder could get created with the wrong permissions meaning that it cannot be accessed properly. If you currently have this problem you will need to delete the folder: /home/[user folder]/.mozilla/firefox/[profile folder]/UKTVGuide and then simply restart the add-on, at which time the folder will be created with the correct permissions (note: .mozilla is a hidden folder).

Sorry it took so long for me to discover this,
Ben.
XUL is dead. Long live the Google Chrome Clones.
colin1951uk
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Joined: November 17th, 2014, 4:52 am

Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by colin1951uk »

Ben,

Can you confirm if version 1.3.14 of your add-on gets data from the Radio Times xmltv feed or whether it uses the Meta broadcast format as indicated in your post dated last December 9th please.

If it is using the xmltv feed (which I think it is) is there a beta anywhere for the Meta stuff as I'd like to try it if there is.

Cheers.

Colin
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Benjamin Markson
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Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by Benjamin Markson »

UK TV Guide and Search (which is covered by this support thread) only uses: http://xmltv.radiotimes.com/xmltv/

The newer version of this add-on is UK TV, and Radio, Guide and Search uses either: http://atlas.metabroadcast.com/3.0/ or: http://atlas.metabroadcast.com/4/ depending on the whether you check the 'Use v3 Data' checkbox. At the time of typing I would suggest that the v4 feed is still not up to the job of producing a usable guide.

The two add-ons are separate and can be used alongside each other. Also, if you are used to the original then the newer add-on will be very familiar - for the most part its only difference is that it uses the Atlas feed.

Sadly, you will need to register for an API Key to use either of the Atlas feeds.

I hope that's what you were looking for,
Ben.
XUL is dead. Long live the Google Chrome Clones.
colin1951uk
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Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by colin1951uk »

Thanks a lot Ben I'll give the newer version a try...bit of a cheek Metabroadcast wanting to know all your business though for a so called free key!

I just found out that the xmltv feed will be no more at some point during January and this annoys me even more. Metabroadcast used the feed to partly develop their api and now that's up and running they can't be bothered with xmltv anymore. Very selfish considering that many others had used the feed (and still do) long before they came along.

I'm wondering if it might be worth contacting the editor of the Radio Times who at the end of the day provide the data for the xmltv feed and discuss if 'another' might be given the opportunity to keep the xmltv web page up to date if Meta can no longer be bothered with it. Providing RT are still willing to keep up the data input I see no reason why something shouldn't be agreed. Anyway I've got a bit of time to ponder options over it.

Just for my interest what's the difference between v3 and v4 of the Atlas feed...is v4 just an upgrade or does it have more options channel wise or whatever?

Cheers for the help.

Colin
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Benjamin Markson
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Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by Benjamin Markson »

colin1951uk wrote:I'm wondering if it might be worth contacting the editor of the Radio Times who at the end of the day provide the data for the xmltv feed and discuss if 'another' might be given the opportunity to keep the xmltv web page up to date if Meta can no longer be bothered with it. Providing RT are still willing to keep up the data input I see no reason why something shouldn't be agreed. Anyway I've got a bit of time to ponder options over it.

I don't know what agreement Metabroadcast made/had/has with the BBC, if any. The original announcement of their taking over the XML TV feed is here: http://www.radiotimes.com/blog/2011-12- ... tv-service - and I'm not sure that the data comes from the BBC, I believe that the data provider is the Press Association, with Metabroadcast as the data supplier.

Metabroadcast insist that Atlas driven applications carry these notices:
· Powered by Atlas, the media metadata router from MetaBroadcast. http://metabroadcast.com
· Entertainment data copyright: Press Association. http://www.pressassociation.com

I might speculate that the Press Association may be the ultimate arbiters of what is, and is not, allowed.

colin1951uk wrote:Just for my interest what's the difference between v3 and v4 of the Atlas feed...is v4 just an upgrade or does it have more options channel wise or whatever?

v3 works :mrgreen: - seriously, from the point of view of 'grabbers' I can't see that there is any practical difference. The code I use to handle the two is very similar, and the data I extract is identical. Currently, there is no v4 channel feed. The channel list comes from a v3 url for both v3 and v4. The original 'promise' was that v4 wouldn't need an API Key but (again I would speculate, at the insistence of the Press Association) this fell by the wayside.

I think that there may be other bells and whistles available that are aimed at a very different audience - i.e. for non-EPG type stuff - and aimed at Metabroadcast's commercial client base.

My only real regret is the need for the API Key which I think is a huge ask for people downloading a Firefox add-on.

Ben.
XUL is dead. Long live the Google Chrome Clones.
jw2016
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Joined: March 23rd, 2016, 2:27 pm

Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by jw2016 »

Hi, not sure whether this thread is still alive but I'm having an issue with the UK TV Guide and Search add-on, v1.3.15: it's not listing the channel Spike (unless I'm being blind).

I wasn't sure whether there was a way to refresh the list of available channels (or whether this happens automatically), so I tried deleting the database (C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\nybikkb7.default\UKTVGuide\UKTVGuilde.sqlite - yes I'm still using XP) but this hasn't helped.

Thanks!
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Benjamin Markson
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Re: [Ext] UK TV Guide and Search

Post by Benjamin Markson »

jw2016 wrote:Hi, not sure whether this thread is still alive but I'm having an issue with the UK TV Guide and Search add-on, v1.3.15: it's not listing the channel Spike (unless I'm being blind).
No new channels are being added to the, so called, XMLTV feed that this version of the add-on uses. So, it is still alive but in a coma.

If you want Spike (and many other newer channels) you will need to use the later version: UK TV, and Radio, Guide and Search of this add-on which uses Metabroadcast's Atlas feed.

Sadly, you need to register for an API Key to use the Atlas feed.

I hope that helps,
Ben.
XUL is dead. Long live the Google Chrome Clones.
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