This post will give you instructions in how to troubleshoot "No data" or other lineup issues in your environment and will detail what needs to be done to determine if Schedules Direct isn't sending you data, or if your application isn't receiving it correctly.
Things that may cause the No Data / incorrect data issue:
- Your 7-day trial may have expired, so check that your status is "Active".
Your lineup has changed, and you haven't enabled the new channel (new channels aren't enabled by default)
Your application may be sending a mixed-case username - username must be all lowercase for the login to work. However, passwords may be mixed case.
Your application is trying to use EIT, and the EIT data and the Schedules Direct data are interfering / overwriting each other. Use one or the other, not both.
Obtaining the raw XML file
If you've done the above and your application still isn't showing data, then you'll need to do something like the following.
The first thing you should do is log in to the Schedules Direct website with your username/password.
If you see your lineups, then your Schedules Direct account is working. If there are issues with your account, such as it's expired, the website will let you know.
Next, visit the url at http://www.schedulesdirect.org/getdata
The service running at that URL will create a web page containing the raw XML and will show you what's on the backend servers; the schedule will contain data for the next 30 minutes. If the web page you get is inaccurate in some way, then cut-and-paste that portion of the file and open a ticket. If it's accurate, then any issues you're having can only be occurring somewhere after the data left our servers.
The other method downloads all of the raw data.
Examples below are given for Linux; if you're running Windows you can download the pre-compiled xmltv binary from http://alpha-exe.xmltv.org/ and run the commands below by prefixing them with xmltv.exe
Confirm that you're running a version of XMLTV that works with Schedules Direct. You need 0.5.48 or higher.
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$ tv_grab_na_dd --version
XMLTV module version 0.5.48
If you're using the xmltv.exe binary in Windows, you would run
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c:\>xmltv.exe tv_grab_na_dd --version
Next, run the --configure option:
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$ tv_grab_na_dd --configure
using config filename /home/rkulagow/.xmltv/tv_grab_na_dd.conf
Time OFFSET Selection (note: not a timeZONE)
It is better to specify +0000 and let the final application
deal with a local conversion (helps with DST issues), but you
can specify a Time Offset if desired.
+0000 UTC
-0400 Eastern Daylight
-0500 Eastern Standard or Central Daylight
-0600 Central Standard or Mountain Daylight
-0700 Mountain Standard or Pacific Daylight
-0800 Pacific Standard
Timezone offset (+/-####) (-0600)
Schedules Direct registration required in advance.
Sign up at http://www.schedulesdirect.org
(don't forget to add a lineup!)
Username (rkulagow@rocketmail.com):
WARNING: Storing the password in the config file is not secure
If password is blank, it will be prompted as needed(more secure)
Unsecured password ('x':delete,default:<keep>,):
Fetching from Schedules Direct
loading data: ##################################################
NOTE: Your subscription will expire: 2007-11-23T13:12:10Z
Which Lineup? (TX64967:X)
0: IL12555:X|Comcast,CableDigital
1: TX64967:X|Verizon Fios Keller,CableDigital
Select one: [0,1 (default=1)]
The preferred method for controlling the channel lineup is through
the Schedules Direct web site, but you can omit channels here as well.
Do you want to skip some channels? [yes,no (default=no)]
Configuration complete!
Now that XMLTV is configured, I will perform a grab.
NOTE! Please note the location of the .conf file! If your lineup changes, then your application may be using an older version of the lineup, so you won't see the updates!
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$ tv_grab_na_dd --days 5 --output test.txt
using config filename /home/rkulagow/.xmltv/tv_grab_na_dd.conf
Fetching from Schedules Direct
loading data: ##################################################
NOTE: Your subscription will expire: 2007-11-23T13:12:10Z
Writing schedule: #################################################
Downloaded 50426 programs in 327 seconds
OK, so now we have a file called test.txt
Let's see what's in it:
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$ less test.txt
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE tv SYSTEM "xmltv.dtd">
<tv source-info-url="http://www.schedulesdirect.org/" source-info-name="Schedules Direct" generator-info-name="XMLTV/$Id: tv_g
rab_na_dd.in,v 1.54 2007/08/20 21:35:05 rmeden Exp $" generator-info-url="http://www.xmltv.org/">
<channel id="I10002.labs.zap2it.com">
<display-name>266 3ANGELS</display-name>
<display-name>266 3ANGELS TX64967:X</display-name>
<display-name>266</display-name>
<display-name>3ANGELS</display-name>
<display-name>3 Angels Broadcasting Network</display-name>
<display-name>Satellite</display-name>
</channel>
<channel id="I10021.labs.zap2it.com">
<display-name>201 AMC</display-name>
<display-name>201 AMC TX64967:X</display-name>
<display-name>201</display-name>
<display-name>AMC</display-name>
<display-name>AMC</display-name>
<display-name>Satellite</display-name>
</channel>
The first part of the file will contain the channel information; the "channel id" is what the rest of the file will use to identify programs.
Let's look for "CBS" and see if they have content:
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<channel id="I10759.labs.zap2it.com">
<display-name>11 KTVT</display-name>
<display-name>11 KTVT TX64967:X</display-name>
<display-name>11</display-name>
<display-name>11 KTVT fcc</display-name>
<display-name>KTVT</display-name>
<display-name>KTVT</display-name>
<display-name>CBS Affiliate</display-name>
</channel>
CBS is channel ID "I10759". Now, search for I10759:
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<programme start="20070910180000 -0600" stop="20070910183000 -0600" channel="I10759.labs.zap2it.com">
<title lang="en">How I Met Your Mother</title>
<sub-title lang="en">Something Borrowed</sub-title>
<desc lang="en">When Marshall and Lily's wedding is not as they had envisioned it, Barney tries to salvage the special day
.</desc>
<credits>
<director>Pamela Fryman</director>
<actor>Josh Radnor</actor>
<actor>Jason Segel</actor>
<actor>Alyson Hannigan</actor>
<actor>Neil Patrick Harris</actor>
<actor>Cobie Smulders</actor>
<writer>Greg Malins</writer>
<guest>Shulie Cowen</guest>
<guest>Meagen Fay</guest>
<guest>P.J. Marino</guest>
<guest>David Burtka</guest>
<guest>Rachelle Wood</guest>
<guest>Joe Manganiello</guest>
<guest>Candice Accola</guest>
<guest>Michael Mantell</guest>
<guest>Thomas Bethke</guest>
</credits>
<date>20070507</date>
<category lang="en">Sitcom</category>
<category lang="en">Series</category>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP00753796.0047</episode-num>
<audio>
<stereo>stereo</stereo>
</audio>
<subtitles type="teletext" />
<rating system="VCHIP">
<value>TV-PG</value>
</rating>
</programme>
So, in this instance, we can see that the raw download received from Schedules Direct does contain valid, non-generic program content, indicating that there's something on the application side which is rendering this into "Unknown" or "No Data". At this point you would need to contact your application-specific assistance resources, such as mailing lists, forums, etc.
However, if the raw download does show problems, then please indicate that in your ticket so that further investigation can be performed.
!