To grab EPG from the DVBViewer Media Service (DMS) and store it in the XMLTV format. The XMLTV format is quite popular, so the files can be used in many systems. You can also just inspect the epg content by type (DVB, MHW, Extern) for each channel. XgrabDMS displays all the DMS channels with checkboxes so you can just check the channels you want to grab xmltv epg from. The selection can be saved to disk (as *.grab) for further processing either by XgrabDMS or by the DMS api.
Select Help → How To for an overview of the possibilities, including automation.
With the newest release of DMS you can accomplish grabbing xmltv directly (without using XgrabDMS) by DMS api calls, like
localhost:8089/api/epg.html?xmltv=1&xgrab=&favonly=1&tvonly=1
You can copy/paste this link into your browser to watch the result. If you add the parameter &download=1 the file is saved to disk. Read the DMS documentation for further possibilities.
XgrabDMS does not use the xmltv=1 parameter internally but converts the received xml epg file to the xmltv format. However, it supports the DMS api call in the following way
localhost:8089/api/epg.html?xmltv=1&xgrab=mychannels.grab
The mychannels.grab is a file created by XgrabDMS. Usefull if you prefer a graphical UI for selecting the channels. A restriction is that the mychannels.grab must exist in the DMS configuration folder. For that purpose select Options → Settings → Program Mode → Use DMS configuration folder. All Open/Save operations then goes to the DMS configuration folder using simplified dialogs in order to protect you from accidentally messing up DMS configuration files. You can delete *.grab files, though (right click).
They are just UTF-8 encoded (with BOM) ini files containing information on which channels are checked. It could look like:
[Channels]
560751028476231=DisnJr (dan)\Children\Favorites
560751028476081=Cartoo (dan)\Children\Favorites
560751029786641=DisnHD\Children\Favorites
560751030442091=Boomrg (dan)\Children\Favorites
560751017987410=SVT1HD\YouSee\Favorites
560751017331970=RTL HD\YouSee\Favorites
560751017331960=NDR HD\YouSee\Favorites
560751018642940=DR3Syn\YouSee\Favorites
560751061238910=TV3 HD\YouSee\Favorites
The numbers are EPGIDs, they will be added '.DMS' (without the quote) to constitute the xmltv id. The values will become the <display-name> element in the created xmltv file. The display-name format is configurable, see Options → Settings → Display Name Format.
Using the keyboard to check channels
Use Left, Right to close and open nodes. With Shift+Down or Shift+Up you can multi toggle checboxes in as many sessions you want. If you go too far and want to go in the opposite direction you need to release the Shift key when going the first step. Space key will also toggle a checkbox.
TIP: Since it occasionally can take several seconds to load the preview EPG, have the Channel Info toolbutton pushed unless you actually want to see the epg.
The main window has 3 helper windows for more advanced checking/unchecking possibilities: Search, Properties and Categories. Show/Hide them using toolbuttons to the right. In any case the UI of the main window is fully available, including shortcut keys. Positions and sizes of most windows will be Stored in XgrabDMS.ini between sessions.
TIP: You can use the keyboard to switch windows focus. See window captions: Ctrl+F9,...,Ctrl+F12.
If XgrabDMS.exe is launched with parameters, no windows are displayed. The parameters are (in that order):
<Grab file name> <XMLTV file name> [EPG type to grab]
Example:
MyChannels.grab MyTVGuide.xml 0
MyChannels.grab must exist
MyTVGuide.xml is created
[EPG type to grab] is optional, 0 is assumed if not present or illegal. 0=Prioritized, 1=DVB, 2=MHW and 3=Extern. Prioritized means Extern over MHW over DVB.
In the upper example additionally a log-file MyChannels.grab.LOG is created.
When the files have no path the default folders are assumed. See Options → Settings → Folders.
If you want Xepg to automatically create the XMLTV file and import it it could look like
The upper assumes that all files exist in the Xepg Data Folder (link on Xepg main window). This can be optained by installing the XgrabDMS files in the Xepg Data Folder. If you store them elsewhere a path is needed and double quotes (“) might be needed around the *.grab and the *.xml files, NEVER around the *.exe file, though.
Select Help → How To for other possibilities.
There are no limitations on how many instances of XgrabDMS.exe that can run at a time in invisible mode, so if you do a huge grab it is possible to split it up in several files.
To automate the process Xepg can be added as an external process timer to the DMS, see Xepg → Automate → Help for details.