Time frequency of EPG updates from Icetv servers?

Started by dddp, September 04, 2016, 08:31:40 PM

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dddp

Curious as to what the time interval is between the Icetv server sending out info to my Beyonwiz PVRs.

If I go into settings on one of them and use the "check user info", after the initial check, it always says wait 15 mins to get EPG data so is fresh data always sent out every 15mins during normal operation?
Two Wizzs, a P2 and a P1

IanL-S

As I understand it, data is not sent unsolicited; the PVR asks for the data (does a fetch) and it is then made available.

The frequency of the fetch depends on the firmware used by the PVR. As far as I can work out, 15 minutes is now common (although some devices have alternating EPG data and Timer fetches). I think the SKIPPA does a fetch every 5 minutes.

Ian
IceTV: IceBox + BYOB IceBox + 2xTRF-2400 + 2xTF7100HDPVRtPlus + SKIPPA [RIP] + T2 + U4 + V2
No IceTV: a few Toppys and T2
Synology NAS
Check out the oztoppy wiki and oztoppy Forum for Toppy help

prl

Quote from: dddp on September 04, 2016, 08:31:40 PM
Curious as to what the time interval is between the Icetv server sending out info to my Beyonwiz PVRs.

If I go into settings on one of them and use the "check user info", after the initial check, it always says wait 15 mins to get EPG data so is fresh data always sent out every 15mins during normal operation?
That sounds like a DP series Beyonwiz (incl FV-L1). They have fixed 15-minute updates, though the server can respond with "I'm too busy now, contact me again in XX minutes", though I don't think that's used much these days.

T series Beyonwizes can be configured to update in various steps between 5 min and 24 hours. They default to 15 min.
Peter
Beyonwiz T4 in-use
Beyonwiz T2, T3, T4, U4 & V2 for testing

Daniel Hall at IceTV

Quote from: prl on September 05, 2016, 11:01:30 AM
Quote from: dddp on September 04, 2016, 08:31:40 PM
Curious as to what the time interval is between the Icetv server sending out info to my Beyonwiz PVRs.

If I go into settings on one of them and use the "check user info", after the initial check, it always says wait 15 mins to get EPG data so is fresh data always sent out every 15mins during normal operation?
That sounds like a DP series Beyonwiz (incl FV-L1). They have fixed 15-minute updates, though the server can respond with "I'm too busy now, contact me again in XX minutes", though I don't think that's used much these days.

T series Beyonwizes can be configured to update in various steps between 5 min and 24 hours. They default to 15 min.

The only other point to note is that with the older DP series Beyonwiz firmwares, while the timer information is updated every 15 minutes, the EPG information is only updated once every 24 hours.
Regards,

Daniel.
CTO.

prl

Quote from: Daniel Hall at IceTV on September 05, 2016, 11:21:59 AM
... with the older DP series Beyonwiz firmwares ... the EPG information is only updated once every 24 hours.
Do you mean that the server EPG data is only updated once every 24 hours? I'm pretty sure the Beyonwiz asks for both EPG and timer updates each time it contacts IceTV, but I don't have one active at the moment to check that.
Peter
Beyonwiz T4 in-use
Beyonwiz T2, T3, T4, U4 & V2 for testing

Dave at IceTV

#5
Quote from: prl on September 06, 2016, 11:05:27 AM
Quote from: Daniel Hall at IceTV on September 05, 2016, 11:21:59 AM
... with the older DP series Beyonwiz firmwares ... the EPG information is only updated once every 24 hours.
Do you mean that the server EPG data is only updated once every 24 hours? I'm pretty sure the Beyonwiz asks for both EPG and timer updates each time it contacts IceTV, but I don't have one active at the moment to check that.

Amazing. After more than a decade of using IceTV with a DP Beyonwiz PVR as my primary PVR I always thought the DP Beyonwiz PVRs updated the EPG every 15 minutes. You get this impression when you enable Ice Guide, or disable then enable Ice Guide, because it does an EPG fetch and a Schedule fetch then starts counting down from 15 minutes in 1 minutes steps until the next EPG fetch while also counting down from 15 minutes to the next schedule fetch. After the 15 minute countdown it does fetch the EPG and schedules again... but from then on it only counts down to the next schedule fetch (in 5min steps: 14min, 9min, 4min).

The DP series Beyonwiz PVRs do often fail at replacing or updating changed shows in the EPG so a once per day EPG update would explain that.

After reading Dan's comment I ran some tests and checked my own account and think the following is correct:

  • If the Beyonwiz DP is left on it will only do an EPG update once every 24 hours (and schedule updates every 15 minutes).
  • If the Beyonwiz DP is turned on, or turns itself on, from standby it will do both an EPG update and a schedule update.
  • If you 'Check User Info' from the Ice Guide menu it will do an EPG update, or wait up to 15 minutes if it has just done an EPG update in the last 15 minutes, then start a countdown to the next schedule update. It will also ping icetv and do a schedule update.
  • If you select 'Clear EPG Disk Cache' from the Initialise menu it will do a full EPG update (which is how I update my DP wiz's EPG when I know or suspect a show in the EPG has changed).
  • If you Disable then Enable Ice Guide it will do an EPG update, then start a 15 minute countdown to the next EPG update (and also start counting down to the next schedule update). After the countdown gets to 0 it will update the EPG again but then the countdowns will only be for schedule updates.
Note: The only way to update the channel list is to 'Clear EPG Disk Cache' from the Initialise menu.
cheers

Dave
Customer Service

prl

Thanks for the clarification, Dave. That's certainly not the impression the IceTV status box gives!
Peter
Beyonwiz T4 in-use
Beyonwiz T2, T3, T4, U4 & V2 for testing

dddp

Many thanks for the detailed responses.

On of the units, this one is my other halfs P2, is connected to an AP and I wasn't sure if the AP was sensing when the Icetv fetch was happening and passing on the network connection or not (the port LED stays unlit giving the impression it isn't actually on). Turns out that it is functioning even if the port LED doesn't light up when the P2 is on standby as it does when the P2 is fully powered on
Two Wizzs, a P2 and a P1

raymondjpg

Quote from: dddp on September 10, 2016, 07:38:53 PM
Many thanks for the detailed responses.

On of the units, this one is my other halfs P2, is connected to an AP and I wasn't sure if the AP was sensing when the Icetv fetch was happening and passing on the network connection or not (the port LED stays unlit giving the impression it isn't actually on). Turns out that it is functioning even if the port LED doesn't light up when the P2 is on standby as it does when the P2 is fully powered on
My P2 won't update anything from IceTV if it is on standby.
Beyonwiz T2, Beyonwiz U4, IceBox BYO with Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD (x2), Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD

prl

Quote from: raymondjpg on September 12, 2016, 10:17:47 AM
Quote from: dddp on September 10, 2016, 07:38:53 PM
Many thanks for the detailed responses.

On of the units, this one is my other halfs P2, is connected to an AP and I wasn't sure if the AP was sensing when the Icetv fetch was happening and passing on the network connection or not (the port LED stays unlit giving the impression it isn't actually on). Turns out that it is functioning even if the port LED doesn't light up when the P2 is on standby as it does when the P2 is fully powered on
My P2 won't update anything from IceTV if it is on standby.
That's because in the DP series "standby" pretty much means "off" (with the exception of the front panel).
Peter
Beyonwiz T4 in-use
Beyonwiz T2, T3, T4, U4 & V2 for testing

raymondjpg

Quote from: prl on September 12, 2016, 12:09:47 PM
Quote from: raymondjpg on September 12, 2016, 10:17:47 AM
Quote from: dddp on September 10, 2016, 07:38:53 PM
Many thanks for the detailed responses.

On of the units, this one is my other halfs P2, is connected to an AP and I wasn't sure if the AP was sensing when the Icetv fetch was happening and passing on the network connection or not (the port LED stays unlit giving the impression it isn't actually on). Turns out that it is functioning even if the port LED doesn't light up when the P2 is on standby as it does when the P2 is fully powered on
My P2 won't update anything from IceTV if it is on standby.
That's because in the DP series "standby" pretty much means "off" (with the exception of the front panel).

Indeed. I couldn't understand dddp's comment that ".. it is functioning even if the port LED doesn't light up when the P2 is on standby as it does when the P2 is fully powered on" I have a similar setup. If the AP port LED is unlit, it is because the P2 is on standby. In this state there is no IceTV fetch possible, and in any case, even if the P2 were powered up, the AP would not under any circumstances sense an IceTV fetch, only data transfer. Likely I have misinterpreted the comment.
Beyonwiz T2, Beyonwiz U4, IceBox BYO with Hauppauge WinTV-dualHD (x2), Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD