I have been successfully using EPG collector with Windows Media Centre for about two months, but have suddenly experienced a failure, which I don't understand. Last night the run failed with exit code 5 for no apparent reason. The failure part of the log looks like this:
6:53:08:499 Deleting any existing version of output file
16:53:08:515 Import name set to 'EPG Collector'
16:53:08:562 Creating output file: C:\ProgramData\Geekzone\EPG Collector\TVGuide.mxf
16:53:13:959 <E> The program has failed with an exception of type ArgumentException
16:53:13:975 <E> Exception: '', hexadecimal value 0x13, is an invalid character.
16:53:14:069 <E> Location: at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.InvalidXmlChar(Int32 ch, Byte pDst, Boolean entitize)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.WriteAttributeTextBlock(Char pSrc, Char* pSrcEnd)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriterIndent.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlWellFormedWriter.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlWriter.WriteAttributeString(String localName, String value)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.processProgram(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Int32 programNumber, EPGEntry epgEntry)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.processPrograms(XmlWriter xmlWriter)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.Process()
at DomainObjects.OutputFile.Process()
at EPGCollector.Program.processTunerCollection()
at EPGCollector.Program.runNormalCollection()
at EPGCollector.Program.Main(String[] args)
16:53:14:100 <E> Exiting with code = 5
I am not sure if I should be looking at EPG collector for the source of the problem or my media centre guide file. I read a report that said I may need to set my location on the tuning advanced tab (UK). I have done this and run the guide capture a couple of times, but still with the same result. The only thing I am aware of which may have no relation to the problem, is that there was a MS quality update, which I installed the evening before. Any advice would be appreciated.
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The problem is with EPG Collector. For some reason it is trying to put an invalid character into the xml format file that is then loaded into WMC.
It is likely that it is related to the data that is being broadcast so can you use EPG Centre to create a transport stream dump of the frequency you are collecting from. The standard 60 secs should be enough. Upload the file somewhere and post the link.
It would also be useful to see your log file which you can attach to your next post.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I am also getting this error. I am using WMC and EPG Collector with a HDHomeRun HDHR4-DT2 i.e. DVB-T2 for receiving UK terrestrial TV. The log is attached.
I have seen similar things before and it is often a program with a title with a character in the name giving the EPG tool - in this case EPG Collector indigestion.
Hopefully this now has the TS capture for you as well. For the future, is there a particular PID to capture?
Hi ,
I have attached my log file and run the dump stream process. It would not accept the PIDs given saying the format was wrong. Me doing something wrong no doubt. I dumped the entire stream, or thats what it said it was doing.
Thank you for your efforts in producing this EPG Collector. You have given us back a complete guide which is something I had not experienced for a long time, until I installed your software.
Sorry - no joy with posting the transport stream - too big a file? over 200mbytes
Collector log has uploaded.
The problem occured in decoding the Huffman text used for titles and descriptions for HD channels.
There are control codes embedded in the text such as line feed which are not a problem for xml output but there was one occurrence of 0x19 which is not a normal control code. I can only think that an STB would interpret it in some way maybe as emphasis.
Anyway, none of these control codes are really relevant to the data extracted by EPGC so they are now stripped out.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for putting me right on how to define the 'PIDS'
I have been away for the weekend, so have just updated my programme files with the msi provided and run EPG Collector manually. It completed with exit code '0' so all is working fine.
Thank you again!
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I discovered that I had the invalid character problem on UK Freeview only yesterday and in my setup meant no EPG. Luckily Freesat EPG still works so I mapped the important channels to the Freesat EPG. Was just about to post the problem when I found this thread and also the Update which cured the problem! Thanks Steve.
If you would like to refer to this comment somewhere else in this project, copy and paste the following link:
I have been successfully using EPG collector with Windows Media Centre for about two months, but have suddenly experienced a failure, which I don't understand. Last night the run failed with exit code 5 for no apparent reason. The failure part of the log looks like this:
6:53:08:499 Deleting any existing version of output file
16:53:08:515 Import name set to 'EPG Collector'
16:53:08:562 Creating output file: C:\ProgramData\Geekzone\EPG Collector\TVGuide.mxf
16:53:13:959 <E> The program has failed with an exception of type ArgumentException
16:53:13:975 <E> Exception: '', hexadecimal value 0x13, is an invalid character.
16:53:14:069 <E> Location: at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.InvalidXmlChar(Int32 ch, Byte pDst, Boolean entitize)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.WriteAttributeTextBlock(Char pSrc, Char* pSrcEnd)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriter.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlUtf8RawTextWriterIndent.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlWellFormedWriter.WriteString(String text)
at System.Xml.XmlWriter.WriteAttributeString(String localName, String value)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.processProgram(XmlWriter xmlWriter, Int32 programNumber, EPGEntry epgEntry)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.processPrograms(XmlWriter xmlWriter)
at DomainObjects.OutputFileMXF.Process()
at DomainObjects.OutputFile.Process()
at EPGCollector.Program.processTunerCollection()
at EPGCollector.Program.runNormalCollection()
at EPGCollector.Program.Main(String[] args)
16:53:14:100 <E> Exiting with code = 5
I am not sure if I should be looking at EPG collector for the source of the problem or my media centre guide file. I read a report that said I may need to set my location on the tuning advanced tab (UK). I have done this and run the guide capture a couple of times, but still with the same result. The only thing I am aware of which may have no relation to the problem, is that there was a MS quality update, which I installed the evening before. Any advice would be appreciated.
The problem is with EPG Collector. For some reason it is trying to put an invalid character into the xml format file that is then loaded into WMC.
It is likely that it is related to the data that is being broadcast so can you use EPG Centre to create a transport stream dump of the frequency you are collecting from. The standard 60 secs should be enough. Upload the file somewhere and post the link.
It would also be useful to see your log file which you can attach to your next post.
I am also getting this error. I am using WMC and EPG Collector with a HDHomeRun HDHR4-DT2 i.e. DVB-T2 for receiving UK terrestrial TV. The log is attached.
I have seen similar things before and it is often a program with a title with a character in the name giving the EPG tool - in this case EPG Collector indigestion.
Hopefully this now has the TS capture for you as well. For the future, is there a particular PID to capture?
Last edit: John Lockwood 2018-04-12
You are correct in that the data in the ts file you attached has a title that contains invalid XML characters.
I'll investigate further tomorrow and come up with a fix.
For EIT dumps the pid string needs to be x00,x10,x11,x12 and tick the hexadecimal box.
Hi ,
I have attached my log file and run the dump stream process. It would not accept the PIDs given saying the format was wrong. Me doing something wrong no doubt. I dumped the entire stream, or thats what it said it was doing.
Thank you for your efforts in producing this EPG Collector. You have given us back a complete guide which is something I had not experienced for a long time, until I installed your software.
Last edit: Malcolm Perry 2018-04-12
My mistake.
The pids should be entered with a leading zero before the 'x' so 0x00,0x10,0x11,0x12
Try the attached version.
The problem occured in decoding the Huffman text used for titles and descriptions for HD channels.
There are control codes embedded in the text such as line feed which are not a problem for xml output but there was one occurrence of 0x19 which is not a normal control code. I can only think that an STB would interpret it in some way maybe as emphasis.
Anyway, none of these control codes are really relevant to the data extracted by EPGC so they are now stripped out.
Let me know how it goes.
I can also confirm this version fixes the problem.
Thanks Steve, This appears to have fixed the problem for me. Just ran a collection in dvblink and worked no problem, Thank you.
Last edit: Mark F 2018-04-14
Hi Steve,
Thanks for putting me right on how to define the 'PIDS'
I have been away for the weekend, so have just updated my programme files with the msi provided and run EPG Collector manually. It completed with exit code '0' so all is working fine.
Thank you again!
I discovered that I had the invalid character problem on UK Freeview only yesterday and in my setup meant no EPG. Luckily Freesat EPG still works so I mapped the important channels to the Freesat EPG. Was just about to post the problem when I found this thread and also the Update which cured the problem! Thanks Steve.
I had the same problem and this fixed it - many thanks!!