[centuri]

How to give your EPG genre color in XBMC.

This will give XBMC the capability to give EPG genre colors and let you be able to customize the color to the genre names. This will require little editing in the skin. If you feel uncomfortable on editing a skin, you might want to email the skin creator and have them see this instruction and ask if they can do this for you.

I've have done these steps with 4 skins:

Skins:

• ACE
  AEON NOX
  Back Row
  Confluence
  

First step is to find the file to edit. Below are the 4 skin that I have done and there paths. Note: For other skins should follow the same path but depends on what they call the PVR filename. If you can't find the file you might want to email the skin creator.

Skins path and filename

• ACE
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.ace\720p\ViewsLiveTV.xml
  
  AEON NOX
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.aeon.nox\1080i\Includes_PVR.xm.
  
  Back Row
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.back.row\720p\ViewsPVR.xml
  
  Confluence
  \Program Files (x86)\XMBC\Addon\skin.confluence\720p\ViewsPVR.xml
  

Open the file in any text editor and search for the lines below. These lines are in the file twice so you will have to replace them both.

• For ACE search for
  <texture border="3">genres/$INFO[ListItem.Property(GenreType)].png</texture>
  
  For AEON NOX search for
  <texture border="4">$INFO[ListItem.Property(GenreType),epg-genres/,.png]</texture>
  
  For Back Row search for
  <texture border="3">epg-genres/$INFO[ListItem.Property(GenreType)].png</texture>
  
  For Confluence search for
  <texture border="3">epg-genres/$INFO[ListItem.Property(GenreType)].png</texture>
  
  

Change them to (Remember you need to replace the above twice)

• <texture border="3">epg-genres/$INFO[ListItem.Genre].png</texture>
  

Save the file once you have change both lines.


Second step need to add a epg-genres folder in the skins media folder

• ACE
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.ace\media
  
  AEON NOX
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.aeon.nox\media
  
  Back Row
  \Users\Username\AppData\Roaming\XMBC\Addon\skin.back.row\media
  
  Confluence
  \Program Files (x86)\XMBC\Addon\skin.confluence\media
  

And add this file in the media folder (unzip and place epg-genres in the media folder)
There are two files. One has Transparent colors the other solid colors. Choose the one that best fits the skin you are using.

epg-genres.zip Transparent Colors

epg-genres.zip Solid Colors

In the epg-genres folder is the Genre color with Genre name.

In order for this to work you will have to restart XBMC. If you do any changes example: change color or add/change the genre name you will have to restart XBMC to show the changes in the EPG.

When you rename a file you can not use some special charaters example / Windows will not let you use this character or others but you can use dash. File names must match the genre name for the genre to change color. Example: Drama you will create Drama.png

This is a good fix till something better comes along. Maybe someone can make an addon. I'm trying to lean how to write an addon but I think there is not away to access the genre list from the XBMC code. If there is a way please PM me. There is not much detail on addon access to XBMC.

That is it. Enjoy your color EPG Genre.

Special Note about EPG Genre:
The EPG Data I am using is MediaPortal backend with Argus TV using XMLTV Schedule Direct. The XMLTV file you use might have different genre names so you will have to edit the color genre names to fit your XMLTV Genre. One thing you should know that some PVR addon handle genre different. Most XMLTV list shows more than one genre. Example the show “Castle” genre is ”Comedy Crime Drama Series”. Some clients only see the first Genre so Castle is “Comedy”. Some will show all 3 so then you will need to create a genre color name called “Comedy Crime Drama Series.png”. If you use MediaPortal backend with XMLTV plugin it will show all genres for a show. So looks like Argus TV only see the first one.

[h.udo]

This is cool!

Why don't you submit this to XBMC's github? Maybe a dev picks this up or helps you achieve the same without hacking skin files.

Thanks!

[centuri]

Thanks Hudo

I'll look in to xbmc github and see if I can get a dev run with it or support it. Like to use xml file to hold the genre name and point to the color, it would be much more simpler than trying to make a color for each genre name. Also be able to use the / which is used in some genre names.

My though on modding the skin. It looks like they were all taken from the same template which is the main xbmc pvr xml file. So mod might be required even if a dev helps or takes over.

I just updated the zip with some more genre names.

If any one else added more genre name to there file please post those genre names so I can add them to the zip file. Let try to build up the genre file.

Also I found out that you can add a genre and/or change color while xbmc is running. It just when you first add the mods you have to restart the xbmc.

Cheer.

[centuri]

Brought to my attention that the colors don't look good on some skins because the colors are to transparent. So I made another epg-genres fold with solid colors. So select the one that looks best on the skin you are using.

Cheers.

[nessus]

AFAIK that is implemented in most of the skins that support PVR.

Bello is one of them...
http://imgur.com/a/954al#44

Cheers
Nessus

[jackal40]

I like what you've done here, thanks so much!

Now if there was an easy way for me to remove genres like Episodic and Series without having to edit each update of MC2XML data. I'm using the Microsoft Legacy source and MediaPortal TV Server as the back end with the Aeon Nox Skin in XBMC.

[nickr]

I like what you've done here, thanks so much!

Now if there was an easy way for me to remove genres like Episodic and Series without having to edit each update of MC2XML data. I'm using the Microsoft Legacy source and MediaPortal TV Server as the back end with the Aeon Nox Skin in XBMC.

If you are in North America you'll probably find Schedules Direct much better.

[jackal40]

I like what you've done here, thanks so much!

Now if there was an easy way for me to remove genres like Episodic and Series without having to edit each update of MC2XML data. I'm using the Microsoft Legacy source and MediaPortal TV Server as the back end with the Aeon Nox Skin in XBMC.

If you are in North America you'll probably find Schedules Direct much better.

I use the Microsoft Legacy because it's free, while Schedules Direct is better - it requires a subscription to get the updates.

[nickr]

How much did you spend on your HTPC setup? SD is only $25 per year, or <50c per week. Sheesh! For the best EPG info on the planet.

[mkossler]

Agreed, Schedules Direct is easily worth the spend. I guess 25.00 is a lot in the era of 99 cent apps.

[MrKuenning]

Anyone know if there is a guide to do this on Aeon MQ5?

Thanks!

[opdenkamp]

ask the skin author if genres are not coloured, because confluence has had coloured epg entries since before pvr was merged. so if pvr support is present in a skin, but if the labels aren't coloured, then the skin author either forgot to include the tags, or didn't like a coloured epg.

[regnets]

@opdenkamp: If you say the genres in confluence were coloured bevor pvr merge, why did the op include a guide for coloring the confluence epg?

[ghost5]

Thanks to the OP I did this with the MQ5 skin and changed all of the EPG colours to match the Sky UK genres.

I did this just over a week ago, it took me a good few hours to go through and make the changes. I never backed up what as I have an automated back up that runs every couple of weeks.

The MQ5 skin updated the other day and in the process has deleted all of my custom colours - I'm not happy - remember to make a backup of what ever changes you make!

[llorens89]

How can I implement this to the EPG in Bello skin? I used to use Confluence and this worked perfectly, but I can't implement it in Bello.