Server Version#: plexmediaserver-1.18.9.2571-e106a8 (CentOS 7, fully patched.)
Player Version#: Not applicable
Tuner Make/Model: tvheadend/tvhProxy
Guide/Lineup name: 55009 (Hiawatha Broadband/HBC)
Using XMLTV?: no
Channel number/Name: 104 (Disney Junior,) 126 (Fox Sports North,) 203 (AMC,) 258 (Investigation Discovery,) 270 (FX Networks,) are missing, and running channels have bad data
I submitted a request via Plex’s EPG channels form in January, and nothing has taken place. I’m missing at least 4 channels that I can tune via HBC’s device and tvheadend, yet the downloaded EPG from Plex does not have any data for the 4 above mentioned channels. Yes, I’ve done the remove the tuner, wait several minutes, restart, etc. and the newly download EPG doesn’t have the appropriate channels.
Additionally, at the moment, the EPG claims to have Food Network broadcasting “Beat Bobby Flay”, but it’s actually “Guy’s Grocery Games.” This just happens to be the issue du jour.
While I get that Plex may not have had much choice in changing your backend EPG provider, it took Plex some time (and a posted gripe by me, after my initial EPG complaint was ignored,) to provide data at all. Guess I’m gonna have to go back to my XMLTV download to see about getting the missing channels back and a more accurate EPG.
Looking at the HBC box’s guide for Wednesday, April 1, from noon to 4:00 PM, it’s all Guy’s Grocery Games, not Beat Bobby Flay. From 4:00 PM on, it’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and something called Tournament of Champions until 6:00 PM.Unfortunately, I don’t know where this is posted online, this is from manually digging through the HBC device. My 3rd party XMLTV data (not currently loaded into Plex, but am downloading daily,) doesn’t appear to show Beat Bobby Flay at all from 03/31/2020 until some time on 04/05/2020. I’ll pay closer attention to LiveTV and add updates with mismatches. I just happened to pick on Beat Bobby Flay today.
Edit: Now just wait a second… I’m looking at the webpage of the source of my 3rd party XMLTV, and it’s showing the same Beat Bobby Flay listings that you’re showing. FoodTV.com also shows the same listing. Guess I know where I’m gonna be tuning in on Wednesday. For the moment, I’m gonna kick dirt, and suggest that this might be a good opportunity for more analysis prior to turning it over to your EPG provider.
This is really really strange. HBC is a fairly small provider here (awesome service as a general rule,) I don’t see that they’d be generating their own channel scheduling.
FWIW, I triggered an XMLTV download just now. The download I was looking at was from 1:00 AM this morning. The new version now shows your listings, matching FoodTV, etc. I’ll check the HBC box tomorrow and see if that listing has updated.
Stay tuned to this bat channel for further developments…
The missing channels have been successfully downloaded into the EPG and have been successfully tested through the tuner.
This having to work for a living got in the way of monitoring this afternoon. About all I was able to determine is that Beat Bobby Flay was being shown, just didn’t have the opportunity to validate that the episode & description was right.
Here’s an example of a new vs repeat airing issue. Latest recorded NCIS:Los Angeles is tagged as S9E8, with a broadcast date of November 19, 2017.
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6933629504 Apr 8 03:00 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E08 - This Is What We Do.ts
Actually…
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6932205592 Mar 30 06:59 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E03 - Assets.ts
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6932931648 Mar 30 08:59 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E04 - Plain Sight.ts
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6935028788 Mar 30 10:00 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E05 - Mountebank.ts
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6934695276 Mar 30 10:59 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E06 - Can I Get a Witness .ts
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6933402776 Apr 1 03:00 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E07 - The Silo.ts
-rw-r--r--. 1 plex plex 6933629504 Apr 8 03:00 NCIS Los Angeles (2009) - S09E08 - This Is What We Do.ts
The recording schedule for this TV series is set to new airings only.
Primary issue here is that the “New” flag is set for S9E8, yes.
From the XML file for the episode, it looks like it showed on Channel 223 (channelIdentifier=“223”,) Oxygen (syndication, for sure, not new.) You can see the timestamp is 3:00 AM Central, April 8, 2020. It was shown from 1-2 AM, due to sports conflicts and overruns, the season recording is configured to record for an extra 1 hour. Unfortunately, my logs have well overrun the size and rotated the necessary data out.
Ha… watched the first minute or so, definitely shown on the Oxygen channel (banner in lower right hand screen corner,) and the content appears to match description from IMDB.
Science Channel (channel 262, HBCI, 55009) is running a Good Eats: The Return marathon, 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM Central, today, and apparently, all of them are tagged as new (recording is set to new episodes only.) These are all in syndication, new episodes are starting on Monday on the Cooking Channel.
Channel 183, Cooking Channel, 8:00-9:00 PM, Iron Chef America. In Plex’s EPG, it’s listed as Season 8, Episode 21. However, according to FoodTV.com, it’s actually Season 8 Episode 7 (based on content, Plex’s EPG text description is accurate, but episode number is wrong.)
Channel 182, FoodTV, 9:00 AM April 18, to 10:00 AM, April 18 (Central,) Zipcode 55009, HBCI (Hiawatha DigitalPlus.) 2 episodes of The Pioneer Woman, I believe both are repeats, not new (I may be wrong about the 2nd.) Edit: I was wrong, but it was the 9:00 AM airing that is new. The 9:30 AM airing is a repeat.
Channel 182, FoodTV, 1:00 PM April 18, until 1:00 AM, April 19 (Central,) Zipcode 55009, HBCI (Hiawatha DigitalPlus.) Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. This is a marathon airing, all repeats,and the EPG as downloaded from Plex shows them all as new.
Last night’s Good Eats Reloaded, Monday, April 20, 8:00-8:30 PM Central, listed as Season 2 Episode 3, Raising the Steaks, is actually Season 2 Episode 13, True Brew. The description in Plex matches the EPG’s season & episodes.
Edit: The stored filename is a combination of the wrong episode but the proper name: Good Eat
s Reloaded (2018) - S02E03 - True Brew The Reload.ts
Edit: I’m still not sure what the proper episode number is, Cooking Channel lists S02E13, and I’m also seeing references to S02E02.
In all candidness, this is really getting old. I don’t always get to watching recorded episodes until several days later, well away from when Plex would probably be willing to contact the data provider. I know this isn’t your issue in particular, and I’m really trying to not shoot the messenger, but somebody at Plex needs to lean on the provider to get this fixed.
I’m done screwing around with the EPG from Plex. Plex’s provider flat out needs to be punted due to incorrect air times, new vs. repeat airs, and other invalid data. The new provider simply does not have data integrity.
I have initial response from our provider. I am told that the station “Oxygen” is setting the New flag for airings that are new on their station. They will try to approach them and see if they can change that.
If you have any evidence of repeats on their own channel showing as New then please give me the details
The Science Channel appears to be a similar issue to “Oxygen” where I am told the station is setting the “New” indicator for new airings on their channel.
Our provider is checking with the station if this can be changed.
As per the other example, if you have evidence of New being set for repeats on the channel itself, do let me know
