Auto channel mapping using emby guide data

[FightingIrish 4]

Hi Emby Team,

Is there a way to have emby auto map channels from my iptv provider to the emby epg data?  I'm using m3u4u to weed out extra channels and would rather not have a static m3u file but would do that if that was the only way.  If not doable, do you think it would be possible to add a feature that we could upload a csv file that contains all the mapping information in it such as the guide source and channel numbers?

Thanks!

[Luke 39838]

Hi, we already automatically map. If this is not happening then it's likely because the data in the m3u is different from the guide data, and therefore matches cannot be found.

Did you try manually mapping some channels using the channel management screen?

[FightingIrish 4]

yes, manual mapping works great.  how does emby know what epg provider to map to and what is it looking for exactly?  Thanks!!!

[Luke 39838]

8 minutes ago, FightingIrish said:

yes, manual mapping works great.  how does emby know what epg provider to map to and what is it looking for exactly?  Thanks!!!

You add the guide sources, and then it compares the channel id's, names and numbers on both sides, one side being the tuner and the other side being the guide data. Then it tries to find matches based on those values.

[FightingIrish 4]

unfortunately iptv data from the source differs so a match may never happen like in my case.  it would be great to allow us to upload a csv to emby to "help" it determine how to match.

As usual Luke, thanks for your help and wisdom!

[MimiWee 0]

To add on to this, would there be a way to implement a search for the channel name when mapping guide data to channels?  

In my screenshot below, rather than figuring out it's channel 298, it would be nice to search (with auto-complete) for "Boomerang" and it pull a channel back with that name (if it exists for that given guide data source).

[hayrund 14]

@Luke Any update on this? I'm experiencing the same issue.

[Luke 39838]

On 1/2/2023 at 10:32 PM, MimiWee said:

To add on to this, would there be a way to implement a search for the channel name when mapping guide data to channels?  

In my screenshot below, rather than figuring out it's channel 298, it would be nice to search (with auto-complete) for "Boomerang" and it pull a channel back with that name (if it exists for that given guide data source).

HI, we already search for the channel by name if it can't be found by number.

[Luke 39838]

1 hour ago, hayrund said:

@Luke Any update on this? I'm experiencing the same issue.

Hi there @hayrund can you please describe your issue in more detail? Thanks.

[hayrund 14]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

Hi there @hayrund can you please describe your issue in more detail? Thanks.

Basically to have the guide data channel above changed from a dropdown list to an autocomplete.  This would allow me to search for a channel without having to lookup the actual channel number.  So, in the above example, I would start typing "Boom" and it would autocomplete (or give me a narrowed down list) "Boomerang" and I could select it.

[Luke 39838]

1 hour ago, hayrund said:

Basically to have the guide data channel above changed from a dropdown list to an autocomplete.  This would allow me to search for a channel without having to lookup the actual channel number.  So, in the above example, I would start typing "Boom" and it would autocomplete (or give me a narrowed down list) "Boomerang" and I could select it.

OK yes that is planned for future updates. Thanks.

[hayrund 14]

49 minutes ago, Luke said:

OK yes that is planned for future updates. Thanks.

Sounds great, thank you!  If it could search across ALL guide data sources, that would be great.

[hayrund 14]

@LukeAny ETA for this update?  I keep checking for updates weekly as this is preventing me from mapping channels.

[Luke 39838]

16 hours ago, hayrund said:

@LukeAny ETA for this update?  I keep checking for updates weekly as this is preventing me from mapping channels.

It's going to take a bit of time because we currently don't have this user interface pattern anywhere, so being that this is first one, it's not something that's just going to be thrown in quickly. But it is on our to do list.

[scott46953 17]

So SO would be nice to get this issue fixed.  this has been going on with me as well since day one...  Yes OTA channels map fine,  but out of the thousands and thousands of

m3u files and changing providers thru the years, channel mapping the guides manually can take weeks of work... 

I just checked and it did find 1 channel on its own...  Looks like it is looking for exact matches vs wild carding close matches or its is being too picky.

If a channel has 3 letters and it is sports, it should auto channel map, then if its incorrect it should be changed manually.

If a channel has 4 letters and it is a local channel, it should auto map all the time and it does not....

Maybe I can find the file guide information emby downloads so I can adjust something simple in the m3u to make it find channels,

even if it is a 1000 of 6000 that would be amazing.

Edited September 22, 2023 by scott46953

[Luke 39838]

On 9/22/2023 at 10:59 AM, scott46953 said:

So SO would be nice to get this issue fixed.  this has been going on with me as well since day one...  Yes OTA channels map fine,  but out of the thousands and thousands of

m3u files and changing providers thru the years, channel mapping the guides manually can take weeks of work... 

I just checked and it did find 1 channel on its own...  Looks like it is looking for exact matches vs wild carding close matches or its is being too picky.

If a channel has 3 letters and it is sports, it should auto channel map, then if its incorrect it should be changed manually.

If a channel has 4 letters and it is a local channel, it should auto map all the time and it does not....

Maybe I can find the file guide information emby downloads so I can adjust something simple in the m3u to make it find channels,

even if it is a 1000 of 6000 that would be amazing.

HI there, can you please provide a specific example? Thanks.

[EODCrafter 181]

I believe "automapping" would require channel numbers in epg vs m3u to be exact. Not ideal for mapping but that is how it works in Emby.

[scott46953 17]

I'm tell you,,, my butt hurts in real life... from sitting in a chair yesterday, programming a channel guide.

My provider gave me 2 links to try one was xml file, it failed

the second was a xml.gz file... it also failed.

I unpacked the gz file and inserted the xml file directly and still it failed to make the guide work.

I spent 4-5 hours manually programming epg... when emby can do it it minutes...

The only epg that does automatically work is the OTA?

Luke, I am not sure what part you are not understanding,  the text is not broken on my screen.

the so so ,,, should would have... not sure how it got to be so so.. 

Anyways, this has been going on since 2021 with nothing done to help?

I only programed 100 channels to show a epg or tv guide and i had to stop..  as fast as i could be, looking up what channel number and matching them, then manually selecting

the channels one at a time is great for a channel that was incorrect... but to do every channel is not a good thing on some ones butt health.

anyways... i'll just get a new chair.  

 

[EODCrafter 181]

IPTV Boss does a more comprehensive EPG Mapping, if you want to invest in that prior to uploading Playlist and EPG into Emby.

Edited September 25, 2023 by EODCrafter

[scott46953 17]

I'm all over it, thank you..

Wish emby had that built in.

what about the channel numbers when i try to use them again years later and older information shows up?

How can i clear all tv stuff and start over with a fresh plate without redoing the rest of my emby?

I want normal use of my channel numbers?

are you saying iptv boss will fix that as well?

[EODCrafter 181]

Just "AutoMapping"

[scott46953 17]

Well, it didn't go as i expected.  the Boss is not very user friendly.  I did figure it out, however after automapping and wondering why emby cant automap,

I still had to go through and manually fix some channels. after again hours of sitting in that chair... I thought I had it, then i found out it wanted money

to save the output using their xml.  Took a break and went back and the program was gone.  had to delete all the files in that boss folder and start over.

Some things i could not figure out,  I want to use directv xml standard file to lineup the m3u file to so all i have to do is use the already loaded directv xml

that is built into emby. but the problem is... i can not find a way to get the file, so I tried to search the net and i found a few, but the xml file format seems

to be invalid type and nothing seems to read it expect notebook or wordpad.. how am i supposed to automap directv in emby using any editor if i cant

find a matching file that emby uses?  I will search the net more and see what i can find...  My providers xml file is all chopped up and they do not have a

time frame on when they plan to fix it or update it..  I have never used the providers xml, i have always used embys directv and manually set the epg.

If i had used this time to manually map more channels... 

[scott46953 17]

I was able to remedy the issue.  iptvboss may have worked but i opted to use cloud.iptveditor as it seems to be friendlier and I Have used it for years just for channel numbering.

It does have a EPG however the main goal is to get it done free since the information is on the web, we just need to know how to use the information given to us.

I loaded my m3u file that i use in emby, checked the channel numbers to ensure everything was in tact.

Then went to epgshare01 online, copied the links to xml's that i needed, imported them into cloud.iptveditor, adjusted the (Custom: Epg will be assigned with a match of: %20)

Went through and checked all channels EPG and made minor adjustments

Then saved the m3u, opened it with editor, checked to ensure channel numbers was not changed and to ensure EPG info was corrected.

Then I HOT SWAPED the m3u file in Emby, then added all of the XML links one at a time in Emby Guide from the epgshare01 online

Refreshed Live Tv guide and Internet Channels one at a time in Emby...

Walla, tv guide working, wish it could be simpler done inside Emby?  is this possible, i think i seen somewhere awhile back when ideas was requested..

just wanted to make sure the proccess was here for everyone.  we dont know unless we say how or it takes longer to figure out.

couldnt find a complatible xml for directv that was the same as emby to match it up that way.

 

[EODCrafter 181]

Great!

[bruor 35]

I just figured out I can search for the channel number in the guide channel data list by right clicking the field, choosing inspect, expanding the element, CTRL+F.  Once I find the station I need in that list it's much easier to find and map. 
 

On 1/2/2023 at 10:32 PM, MimiWee said:

To add on to this, would there be a way to implement a search for the channel name when mapping guide data to channels?  

In my screenshot below, rather than figuring out it's channel 298, it would be nice to search (with auto-complete) for "Boomerang" and it pull a channel back with that name (if it exists for that given guide data source).

 

Edited July 19, 2024 by bruor