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Article |
| Enable your Web Based Program Guide with XMLTV and SnapStream
Beyond TV 3 |
Posted:
September 02, 2003
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By:
Percy Bell |
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Intro
Although Beyond TV 3 does not yet natively support integrated
TV listings for countries other than the United States, users in certain
foreign countries can use XMLTV. Previously, this only offered Program
Guide data in full-screen or windowed mode, but now, with the help of
Beyond TV "Power User" PeterOA, you can now access,
schedule, and search recordings over the Internet with his "ASP-based
EPG for Snapstream XMLTV Data" application.
XMLTV
The first part of the process is converting the XMLTV data into a format
Beyond TV 3 can use. XMLTV is an open source project
that retrieves TV listings from various sources and saves it in a
specified file format. This file format must then be imported into
the Beyond TV 3 database via a third-party application.
If you are unfamiliar with XMLTV import process then read my article
on
How to use XMLTV with SnapStream
Beyond TV 3 .
Installation and Setup
What Do I Need?
Internet Information Services (IIS) 4.0 or Greater
IIS comes with Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP Professional
XMLTV:
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=39046
XMLTV Importer:
http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7203
ASP-based EPG for Snapstream XMLTV Data:
http://www.snapstream.com/download/ss_asp_epg.zip
The SS_ASP_EPG.zip file contains the following:
guide.asp - EPG including browse and search
prog.asp - send selected job to SS for recording
SS_Beyond TV_DB.mdb - a blank SS database with NO PASSWORD
1x1.gif - spacing image for layout
readme.txt - instructions, etc.
How to Install
Since IIS is required for the correct operation of the ASP-based
EPG, the steps necessary for setup on Windows
2K/XP operating systems are covered.
Step 1: Download all necessary files.
Step 2: Get IIS installed.
To add ISS:
Go to Control Panel-> Add Remove Programs-> Add/Remove Windows
Components-> Internet
Information Services(IIS)
Step 3: Transfer XMLTV to Beyond TV.
This multi-part step consists of:
- Installing XMLTV
- Getting XMLTV Data
- Installing the XMLTV Importer
- Importing XMLTV Data into Snapstream
This setup procedure is covered in the Community Article:
How to use XMLTV with SnapStream Beyond TV 3
Step 4: Copy ASP pages to an IIS accessible page.
I used the directory C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\guide\.
Copy these files from the SS_ASP_EPG.zip into
that directory:
- guide.asp
- prog.asp
- 1x1.gif
Step 5: Copy the Beyond TV 3 blank database
to the appropriate location.
In order to access the data stored in the Beyond TV
3 database (SS_PVS_DB.mdb) you
must use a blank database without a password.
This is provided
in the SS_ASP_EPG.zip file.
Copy the SS_PVS_DB.mdb file to C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\SnapStream\Beyond TV
Step 6: Setup ASP pages to
access Beyond TV 3 data.
Guide.asp Settings
Open the guide.asp page in a text editor.
You will see something like this at the top of the file:
' HTML Guide for SS data
'
' Available Internal Parameters:
'
| timeoffset
= 6 |
'
time offset from GMT |
| defminchannel
= 2 |
' default starting
channel |
| defmaxchannel
= 56 |
' default ending
channel |
| DSNPassword
= "" |
' DSN password
for SS |
| DSNName = "SS_PERSONALVIDEOSTATION_DATABASE" |
' System DSN
Name |
| viewhours =
2 |
' number of
hours to see |
|
The timeoffset value I used is for Central Daylight Time.
The actual GMT classification for CDT is -6 GMT.
You can get your GMT offset by using Window's Date and Time Control
Panel Applet.
The defminchannel setting
is the default minimum or starting channel.
The defmaxchannel setting
is the default maximum or ending channel.
Leave your DSNPassword blank.
Leave DSNName as it is.
The viewhours settings is the number of hours that the grid will
show at a time.
Prog.asp Settings
Open the prog.asp page in a text editor.
You will see something like this at the top of the file:
| ' proxy to send programming request to jobs.cgi
'
' defaults used (change if needed):
'
strProfile
=
"a87d9660-25f0-426a-a6ab-6774842b6283" |
'
MPEG-2 "Good" profile |
| strFileFormat
= "5" |
' MPEG - WMV
is 3 |
| strStoreDest
= "Common" |
' Destination
Store of file |
| strMasterDevice
= "Cable" |
' type device |
| DSNPassword = "" |
' DSN password
for SS |
| DSNName = "SS_PERSONALVIDEOSTATION_DATABASE" |
' System DSN
Name |
| HostName = "snapstreampc" |
' SS Host Name |
| timeoffset =
6 |
' time offset
from GMT |
|
The strProfile setting
is the Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) for the Beyond TV 3 "quality
profile" you want to use.
GUIDs for custom profiles can be found in:
C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Application Data\SnapStream\Beyond TV\ProfileCollection.xml
GUIDS for MPEG Default Quality Profiles
Quality Profile
|
GUID
|
Fair
|
c721c710-e307-435f-877a-14664b4518e0
|
Good
|
a87d9660-25f0-426a-a6ab-6774842b6283
|
Better
|
1beb27b8-f2d2-4f59-a4c1-52691c83d854
|
Best
|
4fcaeff4-5e3a-473b-9d20-d29ffd136469
|
NTSC
DVD Ready Low-Res
|
5b5a2160-914c-4cf3-a9d0-bb15e48e8566
|
NTSC
DVD Ready Hi-Res
|
8eb2a315-84a3-46d9-bb80-928669344fe1
|
PAL
DVD Ready Low-Res
|
493a49d5-a6f9-4258-a8dd-34100dc3527e
|
PAL
DVD Ready Hi-Res
|
104290f6-080d-4685-838a-d7db631a90db
|
GUIDS for some WMV Default Quality Profiles
Quality Profile
|
GUID
|
28.8
Modem
|
58bb58a6-f7a6-49fe-9249-894c5f41c9f9
|
56K
Modem
|
3868422b-4891-4466-bd6b-4286e97e6534
|
Single
Channel ISDN
|
e792bafb-445e-4526-a9d3-fc4bfc0ce3f1
|
Dual
Channel ISDN
|
b5c73d85-53fd-4be3-a98f-ac6eecdbbb0a
|
Cable/DSL
Low
|
6a2dfd53-a45d-4a1f-97b5-f9a09d97fc6d
|
Cable/DSL
Medium
|
17d44462-e488-48e4-8ff5-a4dd3ae184fe
|
Near
VHS
|
ce2e13b6-b350-4a09-96ce-d886ccd4fc0c
|
VHS
|
369385f5-a0ae-4011-a9b6-7ccc2e6e2874
|
|
Near
DVD
|
43f72c66-1d37-4b27-8eb7-4875bf2983c8
|
The strFileFormat setting
specifies if the recordings are going to be WMV or MPEG.
File Format
|
Value
|
MPEG
|
5
|
WMV
|
3
|
The strStoreDest setting
is the name of your Video Folder for your recordings.
The strMasterDevice setting
is the Video
Source for your recordings.
You can see the available video
sources by going to Configure->Advanced Settings->Video
Sources via
the Web Admin interface.
Leave your DSNPassword blank.
Leave DSNName as
it is.
Set your HostName to your localhost name.
You can get this by going
to Start->Run
Type cmd and press Enter.
At the command prompt type "ipconfig /all" and
press Enter.
Locate the line with your hostname on it:
Host Name . . . . . . .
. . . . . : snapstreampc
Use the same timeoffset value
you used in the guide.asp file.
Step 7: Setup Beyond TV 3 to use your
EPG.
Start the Web Admin and choose Configure -> Snapstream.Net->
Third
party Program Guide. Check the box marked "I
want to use my own..."
Use http://localhost/guide/guide.asp
NOTE: Use the localhost you entered above.
Make sure you disable automatic updates.
Allow Automatic Updates -> Disable Automatic Updates
Step 8: Schedule Recordings!
Now, with this ASP-based EPG, you can search your EPG listings and
schedule "Record Once" recordings. For those who have to
use XMLTV, this is a great way to remotely schedule recordings!
Guide Screenshot
Search Screenshot
Like this article? Want to see more? Discuss it in our forums.
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