stuartf

Gracenote EU EPG Down & Service Renewal Removed from shop

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I have stopped receiving updates to Gracenote for the  (UK) EU. I am getting "Update failed (could not connect to server)"

I completed the checks on certificates at:  https://www.geniatech.eu/faq/epg-gracenote-cannot-connect-to-server/. The last one fails due to an expired certificate

My EPG subscription is valid for another month

I also noticed that the option to buy an EPG subscription in the Geniatech shop is gone and now links to buy EYETV4 software

Anyone else having issues?

Is this finally the end of support?

I did use xmltv for a while but when the API changes a few years back I could no longer get it to work

Thanks in advance for any advice

Stuart

EYETV 3.6.9 (7524) on an old Mac mini running Sierra (as I found EYETV on High Sierra to be unstable)

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same problem in switzerland-no conect to the server- absolut new and clean install - no effekts to gracenote conection - epg dvb working. EyeTV 3.6.9 (7530)  new epg account 13. Juli 2022 to aug.2023 .

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Stuart,

 

Yeah...looks to have been not updating since around the 2/3rd Aug.  I've logged a support ticket, but after finding this forum 15mins ago I realised that its a worldwide issue.  Lets hope they can be bothered to fix it....I won't hold my breath as since the company was bought both development/bugs and support get worse each year.  Shame as its a decent product for those that just want to access Freeview from their Mac rather than having to also own a TV/Sky sub etc.

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Still no joy as of this date.  Ran Wireshark to check connections on update request ip traffic and no connection to made to Gracenote (https://webapi-net.glb.gracenote.com/) during update attempt.  No idea why 3 separate websites needed to update.  Have logged 2 separate incidents with Geniatech with no response.  Guess that's what happens when a Chinese company goes south.  If anyone wants a copy of the Wireshark info, let me know and I'll put it up with a Dropbox link.

Trying to get TVheadend working on a Synology DS220 NAS.  Not for the faint of heart.  Think you need to be a Sat TV engineer and unix guru rolled into one.  Will update if successful.  Probably about 20 attempts so far

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I managed to get XMLTV working in a couple of hours after some trial and error

Hopefully just enough detail to get people going. I'm sure I reused previous knowledge from posts I found here and on Google

This is all done in the terminal. If you are not comfortable with this I would avoid this option

Pre-req is to install xcode and add-on's when prompted 

Google and Install macports (there is a package but I installed from the source tar. I recommend you do too as it will compile the version for your macOS). I'm doing this on an old mac running Sierra. Old OS and old shell

https://www.macports.org/install.php

Follow the instructions on the website including adding /opt/local/bin to your path or terminal will not find "port" once installed

Once macports is installed:  Install xmltv using

sudo port install xmltv

It may take a while as it takes care of all the required dependencies. 

This creates a series of tools in /opt/local/bin. I'm using the UK grabber but there are others. Then I ran

 /opt/local/bin/tv_grab_uk_tvguide --configure

This creates the .xmltv directory in your user home and defines the cache location. You do want to go through the pain of selecting the channels in this config as selecting all will take the grabber forever to run. For the UK I had to say no or yes over a 1000 time. Yes it was pain but worthwhile

One configured I created myself a script file in

vi ~/.xmltv xmltv_refresh.sh 

Use your editor of choice. In this file I entered the following:
 

!/bin/bash

# Run the grabber, limit detail for speed 14 days, pass to sorter and output to an xml file

/opt/local/bin/tv_grab_uk_tvguide --nodetailspage --days 14 | /opt/local/bin/tv_sort --by-channel --output ~/.xmltv/uk-tv-listings.xml

# load xml EPG in EyeTV by passing the file

/usr/bin/open -a /Applications/EyeTV.app ~/.xmltv/uk-tv-listings.xml

Make the above file executable by running

chmod u+x ~.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh

Test the grabber by running the above script you saved: 

~/.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh

You can test this is eyeTV by selecting xmltv as the guide against a channel. You will instantly see the channel listings if it has worked

Once happy you can add an entry to your crontab like:

#

00 05 * * * $HOME/.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

00 17 * * * $HOME/.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh >/dev/null 2>&1

This will run the script twice a day ay 05:00 and 17:00. Choose times to suit

Good luck. Hope this helps some people while we wait ..

Stuart

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Frustrating surprise today: eyeTV EPG failed to connect to server for updates. And I can confirm, that the option that the option to buy an EPG subscription in the Geniatech shop is gone.

I have a valid subscription until october 25, but it seems to be lost.

Has anybody an idea for another EPG running on Mac?

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1 hour ago, Elsässer said:

@STUARTF would/could you help me for a german grabber. I changed uk vs. de vs. gr but it did not work.

thx

martin

tv_grab_eu_epgdata is the grabber name but I just went to their site and it looks like they have stopped providing the EPG

I must be lucky that the EPG in the UK is provide by TV Guide and free of charge

The full list of grabbers installed by xmltv is:

tv_grab_ar

tv_grab_eu_epgdata

tv_grab_fr

tv_grab_it

tv_grab_na_tvmedia

tv_grab_uk_tvguide

tv_grab_ch_search

tv_grab_fi

v_grab_huro

tv_grab_na_dd

tv_grab_pt_meo

tv_grab_zz_sdjson

tv_grab_fi_sv

tv_grab_is

tv_grab_na_dtv

tv_grab_tr

 

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Thanks a lot Stuartf for pioneering a workaround while Geniatech EPG is shamefully down.

I am in France, and tried to adapt your script but since I am very bad with Unix commands I probably did something wrong and am stuck at the « port » command not recognized although supposedly installed.
May be my error is obvious and you can help.

What I did :
+ Installed from developer.apple.com :
     Xcode_10.3.xip [highest version compatible with Mojave]
     Command_Line_Tools_macOS_10.14_for_Xcode_10.3.dmg

+ Added /opt/local/bin to $PATH, using :
     export PATH=$PATH:~/opt/local/bin

+ Checked /opt/local/bin properly added to $PATH, using :
     echo $PATH

+ installed from GitHub :
     MacPorts-2.7.2-10.14-Mojave.pkg

All the above executed properly, and completed normally.

+ Then entered :
    port man  
and got :
    Error: Unrecognized action "port man"


I tried to redo all the above installations multiple times, without any success.
Any idea about what I did wrong ?

Thanks for your help

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Here in the UK I have swapped all channel to use the DVB EPG and am getting program guide updates.  As I've said before I hope that we all get credited for the time the service has been down seeing as its a paid for service.

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6 hours ago, geeji said:

+ Then entered :
    port man  

and got :
    Error: Unrecognized action "port man"

Stupid of me : port has no manual, should have used port list, which DOES work.

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Stuart,  Thanks a bunch.   Tvheadend was doing my head in.  Kind of got it half working but certainly not to the level of EyeTV in spite of all its faults.

Couple of issues I found,  I selected and pasted "/opt/local/bin/tv_grab _uk_tvguide --configure" but eventually discovered that it contained a control code <feff>.  Back delete to correct a typo?  Also in your script  "~/.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh" it starts with "!/bin/bash",  believe it should be "#!/bin/bash"

You were correct re having to go through 1000ish entries to get the 20 or 30 you wanted but I found you could repeat the process to get ones you missed as long as you carried on to the end, it didn't delete previous configuration.  Screenshot attached265157787_Screenshot2022-08-15at20_29_14.thumb.png.14264065c07da13020aaab3fdebd5bba.png

For your info, I'm running this on a 2018 Mac mini with Monterey 12.4 and EyeTV4.  Would love to get a hold of the EyeTV3 code and see about converting it to 64 bit which is what Geniatech should have done in the first place.  4 is rubbish compared to 3.  

Thanks again!  

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Hi Stuart, I am stuck again.

According to your original post, « /opt/local/bin/tv_grab_uk_tvguide --configure » is supposed to create the .xmltv directory.
But I cannot find this new directory anywhere after executing the grabber (which completed fine), so I must again have made some stupid error.

What is encouraging is that OldGoat was able to execute your script, but unfortunately I do not find in his comments anything which could explain my own problems.

Note that « /opt/local/bin/tv_grab_fr --configure », which is what I am aiming at for France, does not work any better.

Any suggestion welcomed.

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I have finally achieved half-success with tv_grab_fr, see the attached screen copy 😀.

Note that the number of french XML guides available thru telestar.fr is far, far below the 1000+ XML guides available in the UK.

The only problem is that I achieved this by copying and executing manually SOME of the Terminal commands given by Stuart in his script, while the "automated" shell script "xmltv_refresh.sh" continues to fail abysmally. Furthermore, I finally got the xml listing executing from the Terminal "/opt/local/bin/tv_grab_fr", but sometimes I can reproduce it, sometimes I cannot !

I suppose I will finally understand what goes wrong in my configuration, but Unix line interface is definitely not my preferred environment, and one tend too easily to forget the HUGE progress the Xerox Star graphical interface was 41 years ago, before the Mac and Steve Jobs made it affordable...
Going back to vi was definitely a torture, I finally switched to Word and saved as text !

xmltv Fr Guide.jpg

Edited by geeji

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On 8/15/2022 at 3:02 PM, cooperdc said:

Here in the UK I have swapped all channel to use the DVB EPG and am getting program guide updates.  As I've said before I hope that we all get credited for the time the service has been down seeing as its a paid for service.

This is a free service and not what we paid for.

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In France, the DVB EPG covers barely (and poorly) half of the channels...

The xml EPG are more extensive, but definitely a regression compared to the now non existing Gracenote we paid for.

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Stuart,  Thanks a bunch.   Tvheadend was doing my head in.  Kind of got it half working but certainly not to the level of EyeTV in spite of all its faults.

Couple of issues I found,  I selected and pasted "/opt/local/bin/tv_grab _uk_tvguide --configure" but eventually discovered that it contained a control code <feff>.  Back delete to correct a typo?  Also in your script  "~/.xmltv/xmltv_refresh.sh" it starts with "!/bin/bash",  believe it should be "#!/bin/bash"

You were correct re having to go through 1000ish entries to get the 20 or 30 you wanted but I found you could repeat the process to get ones you missed as long as you carried on to the end, it didn't delete previous configuration.  Screenshot attached265157787_Screenshot2022-08-15at20_29_14.thumb.png.14264065c07da13020aaab3fdebd5bba.png

For your info, I'm running this on a 2018 Mac mini with Monterey 12.4 and EyeTV4.  Would love to get a hold of the EyeTV3 code and see about converting it to 64 bit which is what Geniatech should have done in the first place.  4 is rubbish compared to 3.  

Thanks again!  

 

Now have this running in launchd under user agents to run at 05:00 & 17:00.  


xmltv.plist file goes in directory ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ and xmltv_refresh.sh goes in  ~/.xmltv

I've added some lines to tidy up stderr & stdout files.  You will need to install coreutils to use this as xmltv_refresh.sh contains the command gdate which is not a OSX native command.

The command sudo port install coreutils since you've already installed .  I already have it installed via Homebrew.

xmltv_refresh.sh xmltv.plist

Edited by OldGoat
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On 8/16/2022 at 6:27 PM, geeji said:

I have finally achieved half-success with tv_grab_fr, see the attached screen copy 😀.

Note that the number of french XML guides available thru telestar.fr is far, far below the 1000+ XML guides available in the UK.

The only problem is that I achieved this by copying and executing manually SOME of the Terminal commands given by Stuart in his script, while the "automated" shell script "xmltv_refresh.sh" continues to fail abysmally. Furthermore, I finally got the xml listing executing from the Terminal "/opt/local/bin/tv_grab_fr", but sometimes I can reproduce it, sometimes I cannot !

Apologies I missed a # from the first line of xmltv_refresh.sh

 

should be 

#!/bin/bash

 

See OldGoat's post above

 

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Folks, we're all getting screwed here!

For six weeks now, Geniatech has allegedly been unable to solve a problem that really isn't rocket science. I have now written several emails to Geniatech support. The answer (quote): Our technicians are working around the clock to solve the problem (end quote).

Six weeks... around the clock... does Geniatech seriously think that anyone believes this fairy tale? The service is dead - and Geniatech doesn't intend to bring it back to life. Period.

I don't want to hear their lies anymore. I want my money back.

 

Screen Shot.jpg

 
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On 8/16/2022 at 7:27 PM, geeji said:

I have finally achieved half-success with tv_grab_fr, see the attached screen copy 😀.

Note that the number of french XML guides available thru telestar.fr is far, far below the 1000+ XML guides available in the UK.

The only problem is that I achieved this by copying and executing manually SOME of the Terminal commands given by Stuart in his script, while the "automated" shell script "xmltv_refresh.sh" continues to fail abysmally. Furthermore, I finally got the xml listing executing from the Terminal "/opt/local/bin/tv_grab_fr", but sometimes I can reproduce it, sometimes I cannot !

I suppose I will finally understand what goes wrong in my configuration, but Unix line interface is definitely not my preferred environment, and one tend too easily to forget the HUGE progress the Xerox Star graphical interface was 41 years ago, before the Mac and Steve Jobs made it affordable...
Going back to vi was definitely a torture, I finally switched to Word and saved as text !

xmltv Fr Guide.jpg

Bonjour collègue français, pourrais-tu me communiquer ton script, car j'ai les mêmes soucis ?

Merci d'avance

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Pour la France, il y a en fait beaucoup plus simple que ce script :

Aller sur https://xmltvfr.fr/xmltv.php, à l’extrême droite du bloc "XML TV TNT France  Liste des chaines" faire un clic droit sur le bouton jaune "XML (x.yz MB)" et sélectionner "Enregistrer la cible du lien sous...".
Un fichier "xmltv_tnt.xml" est téléchargé, qui n'a plus qu'à être glissé/déposé sur l’icône de EyeTV.app, sans même nécessiter d'arrêter l'application EyeTV si elle tourne.

La liste des programmes pour les 5 prochains jours est ainsi mise à jour.
Pas aussi complète que GraceNote, mais mieux que rien 😀.

 

Un apple script automatisant cette tâche chaque jour serai bienvenu, mais j'ai eu la flemme de le réaliser.

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