EPG Collector can collect EPG data. It is a Windows command line utility for collecting the EPG data from DVB streams in EIT, MHEG5 or OpenTV format and creating an XMLTV file. It can help you collect the EPG data from DVB streams in EIT, MHEG5 or OpenTV format and creating an XMLTV file. It can retrieve the data using terrestrial (DVB-T), satellite (DVB-S) or cable (DVB-C) tuners.

There are 2, mutually exclusive, command line parameters. The first parameter (/tuners) is needed if multiple tuners are available and causes the program to lists the tuners it can find along with an identifying number before terminating. The tuner number
is then specified in the ini file to force the utility to use a specific tuner. If you do not specify a tuner ini the initialization file in a configuration that has multiple tuners the program will use the first one that is available.

Note that the program requires exclusive access to any tuner that it uses.

The second command line parameter (/ini=filename) identifies the initialization file to be used by the program. It is optional and the default is "EPG Collector.ini". If the filename contains spaces it must be enclosed in quotes (eg /ini="a file name.ini").

The initialization file defines the necessary DVB parameters (eg frequencies, dish parameters) and other parameters that control the processing of the received data.

Each frequency defined in the initialization file is scanned until all data is collected or the timeout period defined in the initialization file expires. The XMLTV file contains the aggregation of all the data collected. For most situations only one frequency is required. EIT and MHEG5 data is normally the same on every frequency for a particular broadcaster and OpenTV is normally broadcast on a single 'base' frequency'. If the 'base' frequency is not known run the program with all possible frequencies and the log produced by the program will show which frequencies contain OpenTV data.

A number of initialization files are supplied in the 'Samples' directory as examples covering the various combinations of data. They will require editing for specific configurations (eg dish parameters) before they are usable. If they are edited ensure that they are also renamed otherwise future installs will overwrite them. The default file supplied with the installation collects MHEG5 data from New Zealand satellite Freeview frequencies.

The output file is created each time the utility is run. The full name of the file can be specified in the initialization file. The default name if one is not specified in the initialization file is XMLTV.xml created in the executable directory. The name must NOT be enclosed in quotes if it contains spaces.

Extensive logging information is output to the console window and a log file (EPG Collector.log). The log rolls round when it reaches 8MB and is written to the executable directory. Other log files may be created by the different protocols. An easy to read list of EPG data is also created in the file EPG Data.log.

The program can be abandoned at any time by pressing the 'Q' key. No output file will be produced.

An exit code is set prior to terminating which can be tested for in a command file. The values are as follows:
0 = run successful, all data collected
1 = no DVB tuners detected
2 = failed to open the initialization file
3 = the initialization parameters are incorrect
4 = the command line is incorrect
5 = a program exception has occurred
6 = run completed but data incomplete
7 = cancelled by user
8 = the initialization parameters do not match the tuner configuration or there is a parameter conflict.

Note that as the program writes to the executable directory it will need write access to be available. This is not normally the case.

The license of this software is Free, you can free download and free use this video utility software.