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Thread: Creating my own version of the RadioTimes.com TV Guide

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    Question Creating my own version of the RadioTimes.com TV Guide

    I waste a lot of time checking the TV guide here everyday for the next 24 hours of programmes on the channels I like: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/

    I was thinking I could make my own version and I could add a "hide" button on any programme so I can hide programmes I don't like from appearing. That way it will only take me 5 minutes to check the guide every day instead of an hour or so. Will make this available to the public as well. Any thoughts?

    Where do you think the RadioTimes.com site gets their EPG data from to populate their TV guide? Is there a way I can access the same data so I can make my own TV Guide?

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    Quote Originally Posted by SkyFan View Post
    I waste a lot of time checking the TV guide here everyday for the next 24 hours of programmes on the channels I like: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/

    I was thinking I could make my own version and I could add a "hide" button on any programme so I can hide programmes I don't like from appearing. That way it will only take me 5 minutes to check the guide every day instead of an hour or so. Will make this available to the public as well. Any thoughts?

    Where do you think the RadioTimes.com site gets their EPG data from to populate their TV guide? Is there a way I can access the same data so I can make my own TV Guide?
    An hour or so to check a TV guide for the next 24 hours, really?

    It used to be available from the RT site
    https://www.toppy.org.uk/~nwhitfield/projects/rt.php

    BUT...BUT...BUT this was at least 8 years ago and I remember as soon as it was working reliably RT changed something at their end which broke the plugi-in until someone could fix it. Very much like OpenVix the Topfield Mystuff code and all the plug-ins were written by users and had little or nothing to do with the manufacturer of the box. I guess things will have changed by now and RT is likely to have changed hands again to another commercial owner. RT is nothing to do with the BBC.

    What's wrong with the EPG you can get over the air and already captured by OpenVix. Surely this data would be a good starting point for your bespoke plug-in or download for a program on your computer. Instead of just checking ahead 24 hours you could do it for 7 days ahead.
    Last edited by adm; 15-03-23 at 10:27.
    Xtrend ET10K, 2 x satellite tuners 28.2 (Sky FTA), 2 x hybrid (UK Freeview), Zgemma H9S (satellite)

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    Quote Originally Posted by SkyFan View Post
    Where do you think the RadioTimes.com site gets their EPG data from to populate their TV guide? Is there a way I can access the same data so I can make my own TV Guide?
    RadioTimes have used MetaBroadcast Atlas for many years now.
    You have to pay for API KEY and are not allowed to cache their data, the more your API calls their data the more you will have to pay them.
    Code:
    www.metabroadcast.com/platform
    HOWEVER..
    You can instead install the RadiotimesXmltvEmulator plugin that is on the feeds to recreate you own old radiotimes.dat format files while zapped to IEPG data1.
    Code:
    https://github.com/LraiZer/RadiotimesXmltvEmulator

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    Quote Originally Posted by adm View Post
    An hour or so to check a TV guide for the next 24 hours, really?

    It used to be available from the RT site
    https://www.toppy.org.uk/~nwhitfield/projects/rt.php

    BUT...BUT...BUT this was at least 8 years ago and I remember as soon as it was working reliably RT changed something at their end which broke the plugi-in until someone could fix it. Very much like OpenVix the Topfield Mystuff code and all the plug-ins were written by users and had little or nothing to do with the manufacturer of the box. I guess things will have changed by now and RT is likely to have changed hands again to another commercial owner. RT is nothing to do with the BBC.

    What's wrong with the EPG you can get over the air and already captured by OpenVix. Surely this data would be a good starting point for your bespoke plug-in or download for a program on your computer. Instead of just checking ahead 24 hours you could do it for 7 days ahead.
    Yes really! I'm checking about 25 channels every day. I also write down the times, and programme names and epg description of the things I'm recording. Takes me at least 1 hour when I'm not distracted by videos playing in the background. I feel like I'm wasting so much time doing that everyday, it's really getting me down and stopping me from doing other things.

    There's nothing wrong with the EPG captured by OpenVix in theory but in practice it has a few problems which have never been fixed. It just seems to be accepted that that's the way the EPG in Vix is or is there some way to get an EPG which doesn't have the problems mentioned here?:

    • I sometimes see incorrect programme titles mentioned in the Vix EPG where it mentions one programme but what actually airs is something completely different (but RadioTimes gets it right) and it's nothing to do with a show being re-scheduled, it's just using incorrect EPG data for some reason. The EPG for all other channels is correct apart from 1 or more progammes on a random channel.
      -
    • I sometimes see timeblocks such as 8pm for example that have no programme title in them. While this can also happen on the RadioTimes site, it's rare.
      -
    • I also often see an overlapping programme title glitch like this: http://imgur.com/a/NVKzk. For example, On BT Sport 2, the EPG says UFC Fight Flashback is on at 3.30AM. However select the "Rand University" programme to the left of that and Rand University says it's on from 3AM-4AM. The "Rand University" programme is the correct title because when you select the UFC programme the Rand progamme will have it's text change to yellow.


    So I'm not sure if using the Vix EPG for my own website would be a good idea or not? Would I still get the glitches mentioned above?

    I'm not sure what you mean by checking ahead for the next 7 days? Obviously the TV guide would have data for the next 7 days or so, I'm just saying that for me personally what I do is check what's on for the next 24 hours everyday for all the channels I like to see if there's anything I want to record. I already spend an hour everyday doing that, I don't want to check any further ahead than 24 hours for me personally as it would take too long.

    Since I'm here, if you have the skills does anyone want to give me a price to make the EPG I'm looking for, for my website as per my original post? Or do you know someone who might be interested in doing it for me?
    Last edited by SkyFan; 16-03-23 at 00:02.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LraiZer View Post
    RadioTimes have used MetaBroadcast Atlas for many years now.
    You have to pay for API KEY and are not allowed to cache their data, the more your API calls their data the more you will have to pay them.
    Code:
    www.metabroadcast.com/platform
    HOWEVER..
    You can instead install the RadiotimesXmltvEmulator plugin that is on the feeds to recreate you own old radiotimes.dat format files while zapped to IEPG data1.
    Code:
    https://github.com/LraiZer/RadiotimesXmltvEmulator
    Thanks for the info. I'll look into it. I don't suppose you've got any interest in being paid to make the TV Guide for me on my website? Or do you know anyone who would?

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    Quote Originally Posted by SkyFan View Post
    I waste a lot of time checking the TV guide here everyday for the next 24 hours of programmes on the channels I like: https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/tv-listings/

    I was thinking I could make my own version and I could add a "hide" button on any programme so I can hide programmes I don't like from appearing. That way it will only take me 5 minutes to check the guide every day instead of an hour or so. Will make this available to the public as well. Any thoughts?

    Where do you think the RadioTimes.com site gets their EPG data from to populate their TV guide? Is there a way I can access the same data so I can make my own TV Guide?
    or else you can ask it on the Nova ChatGPT APK Premium app on the secure, free Getmodnow website
    It sounds like a great idea to create your own version of the TV guide with a "hide" button to customize your viewing options. This will save you a lot of time and make it easier to navigate through your preferred programs. Sharing it with the public is also a good way to help others who may be facing the same issue.

    To answer your second question, most TV guide websites get their electronic program guide (EPG) data from a variety of sources, such as broadcasters, cable and satellite providers, and third-party data providers. The RadioTimes.com website may have a partnership or license agreement with one of these data providers.

    You could also access EPG data by contacting data providers directly or using an API (Application Programming Interface) that allows you to access and integrate EPG data into your own website or application. However, keep in mind that some data providers may charge a fee for access to their data.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LraiZer View Post
    RadioTimes have used MetaBroadcast Atlas for many years now.
    You have to pay for API KEY and are not allowed to cache their data, the more your API calls their data the more you will have to pay them.
    Are you sure RadioTimes use Metabroadcast? I emailed RadioTimes and they said they used PA Listings which I assume is this site: https://pa.media/pa-tv-metadata

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