You are here

How to grab tv.com listings?

24 posts / 0 new
Last post
golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years
How to grab tv.com listings?

Hi

I'm new to this forum, and I have a question. In looking at the instructions for siteini file usa and tv.com, (see attachment), I see that we are supposed to "1. In your browser goto http://www.tv.com/listings/". Unless I am mistaken, this website no longer exists! From what I can find, it was closed down around 2016. The directions are dated 2015 and it probably worked then.

So, how do you get listings for tv.com? How do you get the required cookie?

I do not know how to search the forum, except manually, and I didn't see any post addressing this issue. Maybe I missed it.

Thanks in advance for your time and efforts in replying to this post.

I have webgrabplus version 3.2 and windows 10. TV.com instruction file is attached.

I don't see any point in sending xml files when the issue is a dead web site.

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

Siteini has been removed, from what i see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV.com site is no longer active. So you need to use an alternative. Which channels in particular are you looking for ?

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Thank you for your reply.

I'm so new to this, I don't have specific channels in mind. I just picked some stuff at (more or less) random, just to see if I could get it to work. It's going to take some time for me to get comfortable using webgrab++.

One more question please; I just donated yesterday. How do I know when my donor license is available for me to use? Do they send me an email notification, or what?

Thank you again for your help.

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Thank you for your reply.

I'm so new to this, I don't have specific channels in mind. I just picked some stuff at (more or less) random, just to see if I could get it to work. It's going to take some time for me to get comfortable using webgrab++.

One more question please; I just donated yesterday. How do I know when my donor license is available for me to use? Do they send me an email notification, or what?

Thank you again for your help.

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

you have the piggy icon so you are a donator and of course you license is enabled.
use the sample here https://github.com/SilentButeo2/webgrabplus-siteinipack/blob/master/site...
add you license data (licese password in you user panel) and do a force update license see FAQ, then second run just add channels you want.

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

I thank you again for your assistance.

I was wondering, since the tv.com site is no longer available to "grab" from, what are we supposed to use for an alternate site? It seems that the majority of channels were on the tv.com site. If we pick a more or less random channel from tv.com "Rocks TV (ROCKS)", where would I find that on any of the sites that are available? I don't really care about the Rocks channel, I am just using that as an example.

Do the other members of the forum have their own private site ini files from other providers like MAZETV or TITAN TV? I'm still very new to this and am trying to see how I am going to get an EPG for several channels that are no longer available from TV.com .

Any enlightenment would be much appreciated.

Thanks

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

There are several siteini and channels which can be grabbed using zip code or provider. Exaample directv.com, tvpassport.com, etc etc specially for US

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

OK, I tried getting a channel list from tvpassport.com using zip code 85635 and selecting provider as Broadcast. I managed to get a channel list, but it doesn't look like the channels are right. I then tried using a provider as Cox cable digital tv. Got the same channel list (which by the way includes mostly Canadian channels). I then tried a provider of Direct Tv and once again got the same channel list, which still isn't right. Since this is a two part operation, the files attached will start with 1 or 2, for the two parts of generating the channel list.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Let me know what I'm doing wrong. Thanks in advance.

jbetbetbet
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

I get the same results with tvpassport. Try using the directv ini. Works great.

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

just updated siteini tvpassport attached list for your zip code.
There is also tvguide.com runs very fast and as@jbetbetbet said also directv.com

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

I'm looking at https://github.com/SilentButeo2/webgrabplus-siteinipack/tree/master/site... and I find no directv.ini file. There is a directv for sports.ini and I don't think you meant that.

Can you give me a link to where you found it?

Thanks!

jbetbetbet
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

http://www.webgrabplus.com/content/usa-directvcom-rev-19
read instructions in site ini, USE FIREFOX to export COOKIE. Doesnt create error.

using tvguide.com ini doesnt require cookie, little easier to use (check international folder in site pack)
READ tvguide.com_info.txt

It'll all make sense soon man, this forum has lots of information. just keep reading.

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Thank you for your assistance. I still have a problem with the 2nd pass. It still gives me the canadian channels, instead of the Tucson channels (as you were able to do). I went out to https://github.com/SilentButeo2/webgrabplus-siteinipack/tree/master/site... and got the tvpassport.ini (noting that it had been updated).

Attached are my files, and I hope you can figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Thank you for your assistance. I still have a problem with the 2nd pass. It still gives me the canadian channels, instead of the Tucson channels (as you were able to do). I went out to https://github.com/SilentButeo2/webgrabplus-siteinipack/tree/master/site... and got the tvpassport.ini (noting that it had been updated).

Attached are my files, and I hope you can figure out what I am doing wrong. Thanks

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Thank you for the information and the kind words of encouragement.

Right now, this stuff is like staring at a bowl of Alphabet soup!!!! Hopefully it gets better soon.

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

OK, so I tried to follow the extremely terse instructions in the site ini file. They say "ATTENTION: Add the cookie with your zip code, remove from cookie the lines in error (see WebGrab++.log.txt)
*
* - new creation
* @Remarks: set your zip code and copy the cookie data in directv.com.cookies.txt".

No mention of WHERE in the cookie you put the zip code, nor does it mention anything about how to create the cookie. Maybe it's obvious to those who are experienced with this stuff, but to a newbie it is so lacking in detail as to be nearly useless.

Can you shed any light on this? I assume the cookie is required to generate a channel listing for my zip code.

Are there some directions somewhere on how to create a cookie with zip code?

Thank you so much for your patience with a newbie.

BTW, I tried using some channels from the 90001 channel list, but they didn't work. I think it may require a cookie.

jbetbetbet
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

https://www.directv.com/guide?lpos=Header:1
enter zip, let site completely load. Export cookie, save in same location as webgrab config.

Use tvguide.com ini for easier use
read tvguide info.txt detailed instructions.
here's a bone.

Attachments: 
golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

I really appreciate your efforts. Unfortunately TV guide doesn't have the channels I need. What I really need is either tvpassport.com or directv.com to work. And there I'm stuck.

Earlier today I posted my files for the second pass of tvpassport.com and I would be most grateful if one of the wizards can take a look at them and tell me what I am doing wrong, and why I keep getting canadian channels instead of Arizona listings. It's probably something simple, but I've looked at it until I'm crosseyed and lack the expertise to diagnose the problem.

Any positive and constructive suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

jbetbetbet
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Yea man i get the same Canadian channels when i run tvpassport. id stop messing with it. TVguide and Tvpassport search the same providers(Directv and others) Not sure what channels your after, that wouldnt be in there

heres channel for DirecTV Tucson

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

@golfzulu1 please update siteini.pack and follow instruction, all those site works fine.
If you do not update siteini it will not work. So tvpassport, tvguide have been updated, for ditect tv look at http://www.webgrabplus.com/content/usa-directvcom-rev-19 set that suggested user agent first, save cookie directv.com.cookies.txt (if on 1st run gives error remove the entire line) and also that should work fine.

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min

Also updated zap2it, if you find something wrong let me know.

jbetbetbet
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

Hey Mat, ran site.ini update. Tvpassport c2 update still getting Canadian channel results.

golfzulu1
Offline
Donator
Joined: 2 years
Last seen: 2 years

This stuff is mostly working. I'm still hitting occasional potholes in the road, but THANKS to you guys, the light bulb seems to have come on. I have more questions and I think I'll post them as a separate listing.

One thing I'd like to see if somebody has; a m3u playlist for a free TV station KOVA in Tucson AZ. If you look at 85635 zip code Over The Air (OTA) channels you will see that it is broadcast. If I had a super-duper antenna, I could get it reliably. But the reception is sporadic, and so I would like to include it in my playlist. I have the channel info for it, so I can get the EPG for it. If someone has it and can share, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

mat8861
Offline
WG++ Team memberDonator
Joined: 8 years
Last seen: 32 min
jbetbetbet wrote:

Hey Mat, ran site.ini update. Tvpassport c2 update still getting Canadian channel results.

Update siteini.pack, site now use login and cookie is needed again also new siteini

Log in or register to post comments

Brought to you by Jan van Straaten

Program Development - Jan van Straaten ------- Web design - Francis De Paemeleere
Supported by: servercare.nl