channel_import - Script to Import channels.conf to MythTV Multiplexes and Channels
This script will work for UK users of Freeview (Digital Terrestrial) and Freesat (Digital Satellite), but likely no-one else. Patches to address this limitation are very welcome.
After a new installation of MythTV the dubious pleasure of training the backend for local satellite and terrestrial channels awaits. If you're lucky, the setup program's scanner will work, and EIT program lineups can be downloaded. Along with that comes the myriad of adult and shopping channels.
All the author really wanted was about 20 "standard" channels installing, in a consistent and repeatable manner, without having to understand the schema of, and hack on, the channel and dtv_multiplex database tables, ever again. Furthermore EIT lineups just aren't as good as trusty Radio Times, but the consequence is that XMLTV IDs must be installed, which is tedious at best.
This script makes all this quite possible, and almost painless.
You must scan the satellite and terrestrial feeds and arrive at a list of channels which interests you. The author has supplied his own as an example, in this distribution. For UK Freesat you can probably copy the example, but the Freeview frequencies will only be correct for the Hannington/Berkshire area.
Sample command for scanning the Freesat service:
w_scan -f s -c GB -s S28E2 -R 0 -O 0 -E 0 -a <adapternum> >DigitalSatellite.confSample command for scanning the Freeview service:
scan /usr/share/dvb/dvb-t/uk-Hannington -x 0 -t 1 -o vdr -a <adapternum> >DigitalTerrestrial.confSubstitue adapternum for the device number of the DVB adapter on your system. The author uses udev to fix these between reboots (see below).
You must use VDR style output, whatever scan command you use (i.e. if you use dvbscan or don't follow the above). You don't have to have both satellite and terrestrial - the script only works with one file at a time.
Edit these generated files so that they contain only the channels you're interested in. It's best if you name the file after the Video Source name you used in mythtv-setup.
There is a flag to request removal of all existing channel and multiplex configuration from MythTV. Use this only after backing up your database. To enable the flag, set the RESET_MYTH_CHAN_MPLEX environment variable to a true value:
RESET_MYTH_CHAN_MPLEX=1 ...You'll need the password for your MythTV mythconverg database. It's usually to be found in /etc/mythtv/mysql.txt. Pass this in an environment variable called MYTHCONVERG_PASS:
MYTHCONVERG_PASS=letmein ...If you named the output file from the scan after your Video Source, then simply run the script like so:
bin/channel_import -c <ChannelScanOutputFile.conf>If you need to specify the Video Source name, use the additional option:
bin/channel_import -s <VideoSourceName> -c <ChannelScanOutputFile.conf>Don't forget to set the MYTHCONVERG_PASS, and make sure only to set the RESET_MYTH_CHAN_MPLEX flag once, otherwise only your most recent import will have an effect.
It's safe to run the import script more than once with the same channel data file. In fact this is a good way to update the channels list.
Other than error messages (see below), the script creates one file in the current direcory. This is the configuration used by mythfilldatabase when updating your database using tv_grab_uk_rt.
The file is named <videosource>.xmltv and should be copied to the ~/.mythtv directory of the user which runs mythfilldatabase (typically mythtv).
No videosource defined (use -s <sourcename>)You missed the -s option, and the name of the scan file couldn't be parsed to guess a Video Source name.
Unknown video source '<videosourcename>' (use -s <sourcename>)You missed the -s option, and the name of the scan file doesn't match the name of a Video Source. Or, you supplied the -s option with the wrong value.
Unable to get document: ...Internet access is required for this script to be successful. It downloads some XMLTV IDs.
Skipping (<T|S>) channel '<callsign>/<serviceid>' with no xmltvidUnfortunately one of your channels has no XMLTV ID defined in the online lineup listing. If you want to attempt a fix, change the Callsign (first field in the scan file) to be something featured in the XMLTV ID data (see below).
Skipping (<T|S>) regional channel '<callsign>/<serviceid>' (please update callsign)Some terrestrial channels have regional variations in listings so have different XMLTV IDs, which aren't given in the online channel lineup listing. If you want to attempt a fix, change the Callsign (first field in the scan file) to be something featured in the XMLTV ID data (see below). The new name can be from either of the freeview or freesat names lists.
http://supplement.xmltv.org/tv_grab_uk_rt/lineups/freesat.map
http://supplement.xmltv.org/tv_grab_uk_rt/lineups/freeview.map
Oliver Gorwits <oliver@cpan.org>
This software is copyright (c) 2011 by Oliver Gorwits.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system.