PiGS: The CM-7500 DVR+ EP Guide Server Replacement
FLASH (5-12-22) PiGS V1.38 Update Required! See this Post.
Table of Contents / Topic Index Post
Send inquiries to [email protected] if you wish, but just watch this thread for updates. Visit pigs.goihl.com to download the application.
Here is the Shared Google Sheet with the Pi Setup and lots of reference information. Don't be intimidated by the setup. It's step-by-step and not too difficult. It's long because every little step is documented. Over time, the installation and Setup will likely be simplified.
PiGS was approved for use with Schedules Direct data on June 17, 2020.
What is PiGS? PiGS is an application (a program) that allows your DVR+ to use Guide data (the EPG) from Schedules Direct instead of the Channel Master provided guide data. It works by redirecting DVR+'s guide requests from Channel Master's servers to your personal server using a simple DNS redirection technique.
How much does it cost? The PiGS application is FREE, a requirement of the licensing agreement with Schedules Direct. You will need an account with Schedules Direct ($25/yr), less than a cup (a good cup) of coffee a month! SD provides excellent data and has support if you ever have guide data issues. You will also need something to run the PiGS application on, like a $35 Raspberry Pi computer, but PiGS can also run on other platforms, like Windows Desktop computers.
PiGS features
Schedules Direct gets daily updates from GraceNote, so you will get the most current schedule data.
SD has a support email if you have lineup / schedule concerns (and they respond!)
PiGS accomodates up to 4 lineups (multiple zipcodes) so you should be able to get guide data on any channel you can tune
PiGS goes out to CM/Rovi to get the pretty channel Icons (but none of their other garbage data)
PiGS can also use channel Icons from Schedules Direct or you can even create your own Icon artwork
PiGS puts the word (New) in front of the description of any programs that are considered 'new'
(This overcomes a bug in the DVR+ popup guide where 'New Episode' is not displayed on some channels)
PiGS can supply the Guide to older DVR+ firmware versions (1.34R tested, works).
Provides enhanced guide data with Episode, Season, and Cast info, e.g.:
PiGS was developed in the Python programming language on a Raspberry Pi computer - the name PiGS stands for Pi Guide Server.
Python code can run on different machines. At present, PiGS is running on a Pi 3B-1GB, a Pi 4, and even Pi Zero's, desktop Linux Machine, and Windows.
The PiGS application was coded in Python 3.7 and javascript (for the configuration webpage). As of June 15, 2020, it consisted of 4142 lines of code and comments.
Research on the project started in November 2019 when Channel Master had a complete EPG outage. Since then the CM guide data has been marginal at best. You can follow the history and progress on this chain of posts.
The research and development information can be found on the Channel Master DVR Owners Thread here on this forum, but please post comments on this thread if your question is about the Channel Master Guide and PiGS, even if you are responding to a post over there, copy the Quote and text here - members are likely following this thread also.
About the CM/Rovi Guide... Did you know:
CM guide data is only updated like 1 time per week! (Update: as of Jan 1, 2022 CM says the guide is discontinued )
You will notice that the end date of your guide does not advance each day, then all at once, there will be another week of data.
That means every day your DVR+ gets the same bad data for a whole week.
At the time I write this, the CM/Rovi data for 53593 ends on 6/24 and:
FLASH (5-12-22) PiGS V1.38 Update Required! See this Post.
Table of Contents / Topic Index Post
Send inquiries to [email protected] if you wish, but just watch this thread for updates. Visit pigs.goihl.com to download the application.
Here is the Shared Google Sheet with the Pi Setup and lots of reference information. Don't be intimidated by the setup. It's step-by-step and not too difficult. It's long because every little step is documented. Over time, the installation and Setup will likely be simplified.
PiGS was approved for use with Schedules Direct data on June 17, 2020.
What is PiGS? PiGS is an application (a program) that allows your DVR+ to use Guide data (the EPG) from Schedules Direct instead of the Channel Master provided guide data. It works by redirecting DVR+'s guide requests from Channel Master's servers to your personal server using a simple DNS redirection technique.
How much does it cost? The PiGS application is FREE, a requirement of the licensing agreement with Schedules Direct. You will need an account with Schedules Direct ($25/yr), less than a cup (a good cup) of coffee a month! SD provides excellent data and has support if you ever have guide data issues. You will also need something to run the PiGS application on, like a $35 Raspberry Pi computer, but PiGS can also run on other platforms, like Windows Desktop computers.
PiGS features
Schedules Direct gets daily updates from GraceNote, so you will get the most current schedule data.
SD has a support email if you have lineup / schedule concerns (and they respond!)
PiGS accomodates up to 4 lineups (multiple zipcodes) so you should be able to get guide data on any channel you can tune
PiGS goes out to CM/Rovi to get the pretty channel Icons (but none of their other garbage data)
PiGS can also use channel Icons from Schedules Direct or you can even create your own Icon artwork
PiGS puts the word (New) in front of the description of any programs that are considered 'new'
(This overcomes a bug in the DVR+ popup guide where 'New Episode' is not displayed on some channels)
PiGS can supply the Guide to older DVR+ firmware versions (1.34R tested, works).
Provides enhanced guide data with Episode, Season, and Cast info, e.g.:
(New)"Raging Bulls." S6, E8. Aired: 1998-12-15. Tension between Sipowicz and Fancy explodes after a white patrolman shoots a black undercover officer. Cast List: Dennis Franz, Rick Schroder, James McDaniel, Nicholas Turturro, Gordon Clapp, Kim Delaney, Andrea Thompson, Sharon Lawrence, Kevin Dillon, Lola Glaudini, Scott Allan Campbell, Christopher Stanley, Sterling Macer, Scott Klace, James McBride, Joe Sabatino, David-Jean Thomas, Leontine Guilliard, Kingston DuCoeur.(469)"
PiGS was developed in the Python programming language on a Raspberry Pi computer - the name PiGS stands for Pi Guide Server.
Python code can run on different machines. At present, PiGS is running on a Pi 3B-1GB, a Pi 4, and even Pi Zero's, desktop Linux Machine, and Windows.
The PiGS application was coded in Python 3.7 and javascript (for the configuration webpage). As of June 15, 2020, it consisted of 4142 lines of code and comments.
Research on the project started in November 2019 when Channel Master had a complete EPG outage. Since then the CM guide data has been marginal at best. You can follow the history and progress on this chain of posts.
The research and development information can be found on the Channel Master DVR Owners Thread here on this forum, but please post comments on this thread if your question is about the Channel Master Guide and PiGS, even if you are responding to a post over there, copy the Quote and text here - members are likely following this thread also.
About the CM/Rovi Guide... Did you know:
CM guide data is only updated like 1 time per week! (Update: as of Jan 1, 2022 CM says the guide is discontinued )
You will notice that the end date of your guide does not advance each day, then all at once, there will be another week of data.
That means every day your DVR+ gets the same bad data for a whole week.
At the time I write this, the CM/Rovi data for 53593 ends on 6/24 and:
- has 69 programs (1.1%) that do not have titles (unknown events), may of them ABC,NBC type shows
- has 938 programs (15.3%) that do not have program descriptions!
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