FreeEPG wmcGuideServiceProxy - BladeRunnerPro Replacement?

epgStream · **8th April 2008, 07:47 PM**

Hey Guys,

As part of our plan to publish our own internal EPG tools, we have a new tool, called wmcGuideServiceProxy, which could possibly replace the current versions of BladeRunnerPro.

wmcGuideServiceProxy quite simply takes your XMLTV data, compiles it and loads it directly into your Windows Media Center installation. It integrates directly with Windows Media Center and works with Vista.

wmcGuideServiceProxy is very simple to use and does it's best to self-configure with the only manual setting required being the location of your source XMLTV file (possibly downloaded by xmltvDownload). It consists of a only a single executable and a single configuration file.

wmcGuideServiceProxy is run from the command-line and should be running as a background task 24/7. At present it is a desktop application, but will be converted to a Windows Service at a later stage.

If anyone is interested in testing wmcGuideServiceProxy for us then we are happy to continue development of this product.

You can download the latest version of wmcGuideServiceProxy from this external link.

Anyone interested?

Thanks,

epgStream · **8th April 2008, 08:44 PM**

Off the top of my head, I'd recommend the following configuration models:

Simple Installation

First xmltvDownload ...
Install xmltvDownload to "C:\Program Files\epgStream.net\xmltvDownload".

Configure xmltvDownload to save it's ChannelSettings.xml file to "C:\Program Files\epgStream.net\xmltvDownload".

Configure xmltvDownload to write it's xmltv.xml file to "C:\Program Files\epgStream.net\xmltvDownload".

Configure xmltvDownload to download your guide data from your favourite source, either ozTiVo.net or epgStream.net.

Create a Scheduled Task to run xmltvDownload twice a day (morning and evening).

Run xmltvDownload at least once to get some 'test' data.

... then wmcGuideServiceProxy ...
Install wmcGuideServiceProxy to "C:\Program Files\epgStream.net\wmcGuideServiceProxy".

Edit the wmcGuideServiceProxy.exe.config file to read it's xmltv.xml file from "C:\Program Files\epgStream.net\xmltvDownload".

Run wmcGuideServiceProxy by double-click or command-line and select 'Yes' to the auto-configure option.

... now Windows Media Center ...
Open Windows Media Center.

Navigate to Tasks->Settings->TV->Guide

Select 'Set Up Guide Listings' option and proceed to setup your guide as-per-usual. Make sure you enter a postcode and not '0000'.

Select 'Get Latest Guide Listings' option.

... and finally Enjoy!
To get your latest guide update, simply perform a 'Get Latest Guide Listings' from Media Center, or just wait for Media Center itself to download the guide during it's daily download.

Advanced Installation

You can download your XMLTV data on-the-fly from Media Center's 'Get Latest Guide Listings' option ... We'll post about it later if we get some interest!

Multiple Media Center Machines At Home?

This is really cool! Configure one of your machines, named 'A', to download your guide data and then have all your other machines, download their guide directly from 'A'! Saves on bandwidth... We'll post about it later if we get some interest!

jmccl · **8th April 2008, 09:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by epgStream

If anyone is interested in testing wmcGuideServiceProxy for us then we are happy to continue development of this product.

Anyone interested?

Thanks,

Hi,

I would love to test wmcGuideServiceProxy for you. I have been using BladeRunnerPro for some time as I have needed to use xmltv files for my EPG.

Let me know how to obtain a copy and I will give you some feedback...I am sure many others would be keen to test it for you as well...

Keep up the good work...

Jamie

Bluey913 · **8th April 2008, 11:05 PM**

Hay epgstream,
Love to test the app for ya, will it be vista frendly....?

epgStream · **9th April 2008, 09:24 AM**

I've modified the original post to include the download link and posted the instructions above ...

epgStream · **9th April 2008, 10:49 AM**

Can't see any data if you use an ozTiVo.net XMLTV feed? (epgStream.net XMLTV not effected)

Issue found which, v0.20.01.B2 now released to fix this.

smjgsmith · **9th April 2008, 08:08 PM**

I followed the instructions and worked first time for Oztivo download. Very impressed at how easy setup was. Well done!!!

Bluey913 · **9th April 2008, 09:57 PM**

woo hoooo.... it works, great stuff. I will try it out and update as i go, once again great work.

I would love to know how to make it run as a service. i have a schedule running for the guide data which works well, any chance of making it run hidden with a command line switch???

epgStream · **10th April 2008, 01:07 PM**

Problem running wmcGuideServiceProxy on a Windows x64 system?

wmcGuideServiceProxy isn't a native 64-bit application yet so it couldn't update the necessary environment settings.

The latest version, v0.20.02 will try to detect your x64 environment and then create a registry file for you to import manually.

Avatar · **12th April 2008, 09:04 PM**

banger @epgStream.net,

Thank you to you and your colleagues at epgStream!

I have been faffing around trying to get BRP to work with your excellent grabber - I've tried every solution posted on these forums to no avail. I persisted well beyond what my better-half considered reasonable because BRP had served so well for the last 18 months.

I am not sure why I won't just sucumb to the easy lure of just using Free*EPG and its ClickOnce Free*EPG Setup 1.0 as it gets great raves on the forums but ... some people have to do it the hard way!

I set up xmlDownload and wmcGuideServiceProxy exactly as you suggested and it worked first time! I am impressed and the better-half is relieved. BRP is dead to me

Love your work. Have signed up with epgStream and will avidly await future releases.