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mrfeh · 2018-01-11, 03:49

Hello everybody.

For the last couple years I've been getting my EPG data via zap2it.com. The data is downloaded and processed by the zap2xml.pl perl script.

It appears as though recently (maybe 10 days ago), zap2it has changed their web interface, so the perl script is no longer able to scrape the EPG data from their web site. I don't anticipate any quick fixes by the people the originally wrote the perl script.

What other options do I have for getting (hopefully free) EPG data that tvheadend can use?

cabbresson · 2018-01-11, 05:36

Yes you will need to use the new zap2epg
https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/440-tv...c-and-epg/

mrfeh · (This post was last modified: 2018-01-11, 14:39 by mrfeh.)

(2018-01-11, 05:36)cabbresson Wrote: Yes you will need to use the new zap2epg
https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/440-tv...c-and-epg/

I ended up creating a tvguide.com account and using the same zap2xml script to pull EPG from there instead of zap2it.

However, I wouldn't mind not having to deal w/ an external perl script, cron, etc. I assume the addon makes life simpler? It integrages well w/ tvheadend?

oldtvwatcher · (This post was last modified: 2018-01-11, 18:46 by oldtvwatcher.)

(2018-01-11, 03:49)mrfeh Wrote: Hello everybody.

For the last couple years I've been getting my EPG data via zap2it.com. The data is downloaded and processed by the zap2xml.pl perl script.

It appears as though recently (maybe 10 days ago), zap2it has changed their web interface, so the perl script is no longer able to scrape the EPG data from their web site. I don't anticipate any quick fixes by the people the originally wrote the perl script.

You may not have anticipated them, but the script has been fixed to work with the new zap2it.com site. Be sure to read all the release notes for 2018, though, as the changes to the site mean changes in how it all works. If you set up starred favorites, be sure to take note of the new -8 option, otherwise you may get duplicate channel entries.

Go to http://zap2xml.hosterbox.net/ to find the most recent release (alternate link: http://zap2xml.mooo.com/)

I note you say you switched to using TV Guide and that is another option, but I have found TV Guide's listings to be slightly less accurate outside of prime time. YMMV depending on which channels you are using.

oldtvwatcher · 2018-01-11, 16:16

(2018-01-11, 14:38)mrfeh Wrote:
(2018-01-11, 05:36)cabbresson Wrote: Yes you will need to use the new zap2epg
https://forum.libreelec.tv/thread/440-tv...c-and-epg/
I ended up creating a tvguide.com account and using the same zap2xml script to pull EPG from there instead of zap2it.

However, I wouldn't mind not having to deal w/ an external perl script, cron, etc. I assume the addon makes life simpler? It integrages well w/ tvheadend?

At the moment that script only integrates well if you are running OpenELEC or LibreELEC (programs I personally do not recommend to anyone, but some people take the easy way out and use them despite their limitations). If you are not running one of the *ELECs then stick with zap2xml; you already know how to use it and there's no real advantage to switching. Note I am not connected with zap2xml in any way, I just have been using it for many months now and happen to think it works pretty well for what it does, and so far the author has been fairly quick to fix the program when changes in the underlying sites have necessitated it. It did take him a little longer this time but I think that was probably because it was such a major change to the zap2it site that he had to rewrite large sections of the script, or that would be my guess anyway.

K5j%EhD55 · 2018-01-12, 05:32

Does anyone have the latest version of the zap2xml.pl file? I cannot reach the official web page. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/se...pace.info/

oldtvwatcher · 2018-01-12, 08:27

(2018-01-12, 05:32)K5j%EhD55 Wrote: Does anyone have the latest version of the zap2xml.pl file? I cannot reach the official web page. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/se...pace.info/

You must have missed where I posted the link up above: http://zap2xml.hosterbox.net/ to find the most recent release (alternate link: http://zap2xml.mooo.com/).

That is the main page for the project, showing the instructions which you WILL need to get it working again (BE SURE TO READ THE 2018 RELEASE NOTES). The direct link to the Perl script itself, as given on that page (at the time I am posting this) is http://fossick.tk/?h=1c8wrbu but if you don't read the new RELEASE NOTES I sincerely doubt you will be able to get it working again.

K5j%EhD55 · (This post was last modified: 2018-01-12, 13:44 by K5j%EhD55.)

I tried all 3 links that I found for that site, all of them simply have a 1 and nothing else. Your fossick.tk link did work, though, I am still unable to get the latest version as the download never finishes. When I tried cached versions of the download links, they'd redirect to google. I cannot read the release notes, as all the links to the webpage still only show "1". Thanks for the download, nonetheless.

UPDATE:
I had to use a proxy to reach the webpage. Who knew.

rykr · 2018-02-03, 16:38

Do you guys use the option to download the extra info that requires the extra trip per program? I tried on a 14 day amount of guide data and the initial query was taking like a full day to run. I eventually cancelled it. How are you guys running zap2xml?

oldtvwatcher · 2018-02-13, 23:15

No, I don't use that extra info option, for exactly the reason you've given. However I believe that since the web pages were changed to the new format, Zap2xml is able to get some additional information without using that option. Be aware that Tvheadend may not recognize all of the XML elements present in the generated listings file, so there could possibly be situations where the data is there but Tvheadend doesn't know what to do with it. If that is the case you may want to try upgrading Tvheadend, if you're not running the latest version.

rykr · 2018-02-14, 17:09

I'm not a user of zap2xml as I'm an SD subscriber. Was just curious