USING MC2XML TO MAKE YOUR OWN EPG - tuturial with open discussion

[cwh060]

If you start the mc2xml.exe, and then select Mexico from the drop down. Input postal code (I used Mexico City) and then select Sky Mexico Digital. That should give you most of the channels. I only use a couple, so unfortunately you'll have to search the mx.xml once it's created to find the channels needed.

I combine mc2xml files with webgrab+ files for my guide.

cwh

[expatter]

Hey guys,

I am working on my EPG Guide and I am able to get the US channels from schedules direct the way expatter explained. Did anyone knows where I get the information from the latinoamerica and mexico channels? I have not been able to find the channels on schedules direct, but on their website mexico is on the list.

I will appreciate the information

GREAT JOB expatter!!!! very easy steps to follow.

Thanks

cwh060 gave you a good answer to getting these channels. Something else you could do though, is get the url for pach's epg since it also has Spanish channels and open the url in a web browser and look through the guide and copy the channel names and IDs to a .chl and .ren file to pull just those channels.

Glad my tutorial helped you out in getting started with pulling your own guide data. Cheers!

[Rock99]

cwh060 gave you a good answer to getting these channels. Something else you could do though, is get the url for pach's epg since it also has Spanish channels and open the url in a web browser and look through the guide and copy the channel names and IDs to a .chl and .ren file to pull just those channels.

Glad my tutorial helped you out in getting started with pulling your own guide data. Cheers!

cwh060 Thank for the info, I was forgetting to choose the MX region. How are you able to access SD and grab the information using Webgrab+?

The only issue I am having is with the timezone time and I haven't been able to figure out. When I grab the information from SD, the time is UTC and I am on CST and on the command is the -U -u options. Is there something missing on the command?

mc2xml -J User: Password -D USdirect.dat -C USdirect.chl -R USdirect.ren -d 120 -U -u -F -o USdirect.xml

Start time .. : 2017-05-09T00:00:00 UTC
End time .... : 2017-05-15T02:30:00 UTC

programme start="20170509100000 +0000" stop="20170509110000 +0000"

Thanks,

[cwh060]

The commands look right. The timezone (if I recall) is a function of whatever EPG you are using. I'm in EDT, for me it just worked without having to do anything.

For mixing Webgrab+ and SD, I used the mc2xml command, similar to combining SD XML's. I run the Webgrab+ files an hour, before the SD files are generated. The output of WG is the same directory of SD xml files.

Then I use
mc2xml -J User/Pass -D can.dat -C can.chl - R can.ren -d 48 -F -U -u -I Webgrab.xml -o can.xml

my next line then combines the can.xml (which now has Webgrab.xml) embedded to my next list in this case Mexico.

mc2xml -J User/Pas -D mx.dat -C mx.chl -R mx.ren -d 48 -F -U -u -I can.xml -o mx.xml

Eventually my final output is a guide.xml which is output to my Apache directory, where all my devices can pick up the EPG and channel M3U's.

[Rock99]

The commands look right. The timezone (if I recall) is a function of whatever EPG you are using. I'm in EDT, for me it just worked without having to do anything.

For mixing Webgrab+ and SD, I used the mc2xml command, similar to combining SD XML's. I run the Webgrab+ files an hour, before the SD files are generated. The output of WG is the same directory of SD xml files.

Then I use
mc2xml -J User/Pass -D can.dat -C can.chl - R can.ren -d 48 -F -U -u -I Webgrab.xml -o can.xml

my next line then combines the can.xml (which now has Webgrab.xml) embedded to my next list in this case Mexico.

mc2xml -J User/Pas -D mx.dat -C mx.chl -R mx.ren -d 48 -F -U -u -I can.xml -o mx.xml

Eventually my final output is a guide.xml which is output to my Apache directory, where all my devices can pick up the EPG and channel M3U's.

I was able to figure out why I was getting the channels on UTC time. Looks like the version I downloaded mc2mxl.exe v16 doesn't need the -u when the command runs. hopefully I will have my EPG setup this weekend.

mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D data.dat -C data.chl -R data.ren -d 48 -o data.xml
programme start="20170510120000 -0500" stop="20170510130000 -0500"

The only issues I am having is with the channels have these words "Español & Televisión" the "ñ & ó" looks like mc2mxl doesn't recognize them and guide does not load for those channels and finding some of the channels on SD.
are you using the -a or -A on your script? and how often you run the script?

Thanks a lot for you help Expatter & cwh060,
Cheers!!!!

[cwh060]

I do not use the -A or -a, I just don't like my EPG populated with an * when no program is available, just a preference really.

I know the "&" is a special character I tried escaping it using & but it didn't work suspect I missed the ; after now just reviewing. You will have to find the escape characters for the Spanish letters. In my case I just changed the EPG channel name to A and E from A&E, works fine.

Found this.

http://www.starr.net/is/type/htmlcodes.html

I run the script every night and request data for 48hrs. (Sometimes my Apache server goes down, so at least I have a guide till I get it back up. )

[Rock99]

I do not use the -A or -a, I just don't like my EPG populated with an * when no program is available, just a preference really.

I know the "&" is a special character I tried escaping it using & but it didn't work suspect I missed the ; after now just reviewing. You will have to find the escape characters for the Spanish letters. In my case I just changed the EPG channel name to A and E from A&E, works fine.

Found this.

http://www.starr.net/is/type/htmlcodes.html

I run the script every night and request data for 48hrs. (Sometimes my Apache server goes down, so at least I have a guide till I get it back up. )

That make sense I will try to modify the EPG file and I will create a schedule task on my Windows machine.

I thought I fix the issue with the timezone but at least is only 1 hour off for now. Is getting the UTC -0500 EST but I need the UTC -0600 CST

Cheers!

[expatter]

That make sense I will try to modify the EPG file and I will create a schedule task on my Windows machine.

I thought I fix the issue with the timezone but at least is only 1 hour off for now. Is getting the UTC -0500 EST but I need the UTC -0600 CST

Cheers!

A few more options to try:

You can add the following to the top of the playlist m3u to fix the 1 hour offset in Kodi 17.1:

#EXTM3U
tvg-shift=-1
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="I243.10112.schedulesdirect.org" tvg-name="CHching!" tvg-logo="http://content.iptvprivateserver.tv:88/stalker_portal/misc/logos/240/3660.png" group-title="Entertainments",CHching! etc ...

For Kodi Jarvis, just change the epg offset in the Simple Client pvr settings and select to Apply To All Channels. (This works a treat for me every time. Easiest option.)

Krypton Note: In Kodi settings>TV> Clear data and also Guide data. Exit Kodi. Delete the TV29.db and EPG11.db from UserData/Database/ and also delete all the the files from the cache directory Kodi/Cache (delete the cookie.dat file as well).

Restart Kodi and clear data for TV and Guide again. (I had to do it twice...) Should load up ok now.

Awardspace.info has a tool called xmltv_time_correct.exe and a batch file to fix offsets.

(xmltv_time_correct is a small program that allows to change the start and stop times for certain channels in a xmltv file.)

bat file directory contents info~

How to use :

1. edit xmltv_time_correct.bat
It contains text lines how to do that.
2. edit chans2correct.xml
It contains text lines how to do that.
3. run xmltv_time_correct.bat

Hope this helps.

[Rock99]

A few more options to try:

You can add the following to the top of the playlist m3u to fix the 1 hour offset in Kodi 17.1:

#EXTM3U
tvg-shift=-1
#EXTINF:-1 tvg-id="I243.10112.schedulesdirect.org" tvg-name="CHching!" tvg-logo="http://content.iptvprivateserver.tv:88/stalker_portal/misc/logos/240/3660.png" group-title="Entertainments",CHching! etc ...

For Kodi Jarvis, just change the epg offset in the Simple Client pvr settings and select to Apply To All Channels. (This works a treat for me every time. Easiest option.)

Krypton Note: In Kodi settings>TV> Clear data and also Guide data. Exit Kodi. Delete the TV29.db and EPG11.db from UserData/Database/ and also delete all the the files from the cache directory Kodi/Cache (delete the cookie.dat file as well).

Restart Kodi and clear data for TV and Guide again. (I had to do it twice...) Should load up ok now.

Awardspace.info has a tool called xmltv_time_correct.exe and a batch file to fix offsets.

(xmltv_time_correct is a small program that allows to change the start and stop times for certain channels in a xmltv file.)

bat file directory contents info~

How to use :

1. edit xmltv_time_correct.bat
It contains text lines how to do that.
2. edit chans2correct.xml
It contains text lines how to do that.
3. run xmltv_time_correct.bat

Hope this helps.

Expatter thanks so much for taking this time to help me out and also cwh060.

I tried everything you mention but didn't work.

But I was able this time to figure out how to make the mc2xml.exe to set the CST 1 hour offset on my Windows 10 PC. Looks like the mc2xml.exe is not able to convert the 1 hour offset on Windows 10 or 8. The only way I was able get the UTC -0600 CST is manually changing the dstoff on the script.

Here is the script, (the timeout is for me to see if if the time change)

tzutil /s "Central Standard Time_dstoff" (This command made the trick for the 1 hour offset)
timeout /T 10
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D Mexdata.dat -C Mexdata.chl -R Mexdata.ren -d 48 -o Mexdata.xml (Most Mex Channels)
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D UKdata.dat -C UKdata.chl -R UKdata.ren -d 48 -I Mexdata.xml -o UKdata.xml (Only Sport Channels)
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D USdata.dat -C USdata.chl -R USdata.ren -d 48 -I UKdata.xml -o TVGuide.xml (All USA Channels)
timeout /T 30
tzutil /s "Central Standard Time"
timeout /T 10


"programme start="20170519033000 -0600" stop="20170519040000 -0600" - (CST)"

Hope this will help anyone having this issue.

[expatter]

Expatter thanks so much for taking this time to help me out and also cwh060.

I tried everything you mention but didn't work.

But I was able this time to figure out how to make the mc2xml.exe to set the CST 1 hour offset on my Windows 10 PC. Looks like the mc2xml.exe is not able to convert the 1 hour offset on Windows 10 or 8. The only way I was able get the UTC -0600 CST is manually changing the dstoff on the script.

Here is the script, (the timeout is for me to see if if the time change)

tzutil /s "Central Standard Time_dstoff" (This command made the trick for the 1 hour offset)
timeout /T 10
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D Mexdata.dat -C Mexdata.chl -R Mexdata.ren -d 48 -o Mexdata.xml (Most Mex Channels)
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D UKdata.dat -C UKdata.chl -R UKdata.ren -d 48 -I Mexdata.xml -o UKdata.xml (Only Sport Channels)
mc2xml -J user/PW -U -F -D USdata.dat -C USdata.chl -R USdata.ren -d 48 -I UKdata.xml -o TVGuide.xml (All USA Channels)
timeout /T 30
tzutil /s "Central Standard Time"
timeout /T 10


"programme start="20170519033000 -0600" stop="20170519040000 -0600" - (CST)"

Hope this will help anyone having this issue.

Thanks for sharing this solution with us and kudos for figuring it out! I'm going to give it a try myself for krypton. I just installed Leia on a usb and it also has the 1 hour ahead epg issue. Aside from that, I can't get over how blazingly fast it is in every way, and most notable being startup and exit.

There is another solution that should work across all versions and platforms and that is with adding a line in advancedsettings.xml:

<pvr>
<timecorrection>-60</timecorrection> <!-- Correct all times (epg tags, timer tags, recording tags) by this amount of minutes. -->
</pvr>

It's good to share different options with users. Cheers.