[mythtv-users] Schedules Direct JSON service on the back burner?

[R. G. Newbury]

On 15/10/14 02:16 PM, Thomas Mashos wrote:
> On Wed, Oct 15, 2014 at 11:04 AM, Joseph Fry <joe at thefrys.com> wrote:
>> I have noticed that almost all of the discussion on this list has related to
>> the RobertE's XMLTV adaptation to SD's new JSON service... which seems like
>> more of a workaround than anything.
>>
>> Is anyone actually using the JSON service, is there any effort to move
>> things in that direction?  It really does seem like the better solution,
>> though I suspect that we will ultimately need database changes, and perhaps
>> some changes to mythtv-setup (or whatever is to replace it) to manage our
>> lineups.
>>
>> While I suspect that I will have to use the XML solution come Nov 1st, I
>> fear it's simply because adjusting things to support the JSON data isn't
>> getting the attention it deserves.  I know RobertK has a script for the JSON
>> service, but haven't seen any real discussion from folks testing it... thus
>> I am not sure I will be comfortable going that route come Nov1.

>
> Moving to the JSON service has a few challenges.
>
> 1) It requires a JSON grabber. Now IIRC Robert does have a JSON
> grabber, but I believe that the idea is to move to using the JSON
> service via XMLTV (so there is a single codebase for updating guide
> data in MythTV). This requires more work.
>
> 2) Using the JSON service (and thus the JSON grabber) requires more
> user interaction than using the XML DD replacement service. Most agree
> that while the JSON grabber is preferred, it's not ideal to require
> the user to do the amount of work required for the JSON change during
> a minor upgrade (a more natural time for this change would be the
> upgrade from 0.27 to 0.28). IIRC, we cannot do a zero impact upgrade
> for a user and move them to the JSON service, it will require that
> they setup the new grabber.

The JSON service and grabber are still there and working well. The only 
'user interaction' required is during setup. There are the same number 
of steps as in an original mythtv setup, only some are done in mythtv 
and some with the sd-utility.
Thereafter, the JSON grabber runs in background without intervention.

<digression>
Some background for those who missed the prior messages. I am a director 
of Schedules Direct and have learned a lot about how the services 
actually work. in the last few months.

We are actually talking about three different data sources.

1) We refer to the original and present data feed as DataDirect or 
TMS-DD. In fact, that feed is hosted on computers owned by Tribune, the 
old parent of Tribune Media Services, now owned by Gracenote. Tribune 
wants their machines back!
This is the service which is going away.

2) Robert Eden accesses a different data feed, (the 'flat file') parses 
it and loads it onto servers we run. (I think he has to transform it to 
XML, although it may already be XML). This feed is North America only.
There are two levels of 'fix'.

Fix A:  The RE fix at first instance is to point the mythfilldatabase 
grabber at the IP address of 'our' server (and bypass DNS looking up the 
real address). (There are other methods using RPZ, too)

Fix B   Mythtv devs have already committed patches to the code base, to 
point to the new correct domain. Unfortunately, this fix is only for 
.28-pre (aka master) and fixes-.27-4. This was inserted into the code 
base 2 days ago. Fixes-27.3 was bumped to 27-4 earlier today.

The requires compiling your own programs, or re-installing mythtv with 
the correct version. For Fedora (etc) users atrpms is still on .26 while 
rpmfusion is on 27.3. I don't know where to look for Ubuntu/mythbuntu etc.

If you do not intend to compile your own, and do not wish to upgrade to 
something with the fix then you will have to use Fix A. (I strongly 
suspect that pre-packaged 27.4 versions will be available before the end 
of the month for those upgrading.)


3)  Robert Kulagowski's grabber accesses a completely different feed 
which TMS had called ON and which Gracenote calls On-Entertainment. This 
feed covers 30 odd countries already and has a much wider available 
breadth of meta-data, most of which has not been built into or available 
in myth. One thing which is presently available is the presence of 
unique hard-coded series and episode numbers for tv programs.

</digression>

I have been testing RK's JSON grabber since late April, and using it for 
daily test purposes since mid-July. I have been using it at home on the 
main box since early September. NO PROBLEMS.

Yes,there are a number of steps during the install. You did them when 
you set up your box. You do not have to touch anything to do with the 
database. Going back and forth from mythtv-setup to the sd-utility 
seems confusing, but the sd-utility just replaces parts of the 
mythtv-setups videosource setup stage.

The things which seem to have evidenced the most confusion involve:
1) deleting all video cards, and
2) the deletion of video source data.
You do not *have to* delete your video cards. But they *will* become 
unlinked from your present video sources.

You cannot have both old and new setups active at the same time, so your 
old video sources should be deleted. Your new video source is no longer 
TMS-DD. The lineups have slightly different names but lineups are a 
choose-from-the-list, enter-the-number' proposition in the utility. If 
you choose entirely new names for your sources, your old sources can be 
retained, but as dormant rows in the tables.

One possible point of confusion regarding Antenna/OTA. A scan is 
required because we have no way of knowing which tv channels you can 
actually receive. And we can set up custom lineups if you can get 
something which others nearby cannot receive.

Another point of confusion, is that with the JSON setup, when you select 
a cable type lineup, ALL of the channels in that lineup are included. 
You have to use the channel editor to set the ones you do not want, to 
not be 'visible'. That includes OTA channels which the scan picked up 
but which you do not want to watch.

Once set up, the grabber substitutes for mythfilldatabase completely, 
and runs every day without problem.

The JSON feed is not limited to North America, but covers basically all 
of the Caribbean, most of South America, and a number of countries in 
Europe including Great Britain.



-- 
              R. Geoffrey Newbury