Sunday 14 October 2012

DVBStreamExplorer export to Web Services

The next release of DVBStreamExplorer Professional edition will introduce new features for exporting data to Web Services.
  • Service WS export
  • EIT WS export
Service WS export
This feature will export the same data as when exporting to CSV file. The difference being that it will export directly to a server that implements a WS that can be consumed by DVBStreamExplorer.
This could be used by users who are using DVBStreamExplorer to produce data for an on-line DTV service list.
For information on how to develop a WS that can be consumed by DVBStreamExplorer visist http://developer.dvbstreamexplorer.com
The WS export is invoked from export menu.

Endpoint URL of Web Service has to be entered. There is also an ID field. The meaning of this is defined by WS implementation. It is not used internally by DVBStreamExplorer. This could for instance be a unique DTV service list instance, so that multiple DTV service lists could be hosted.

EIT WS export
This feature will export EIT event data to a Web Service. DVBStreamExplorer could then be used to provide event data for an on-line TV guide.
For information on how to develop a WS that can be consumed by DVBStreamExplorer visist http://developer.dvbstreamexplorer.com
This feature is part of the DVB TS Monitor EIT page.


Before starting TS Monitor session, export to WS must be configured. Configuration of EIT WS export can be invoked from Options -> Preferences EIT export tab.


Endpoint URL of Web Service has to be entered. There is also an ID field. The meaning of this is defined by WS implementation. It is not used internally by DVBStreamExplorer.
EIT module will cache events in memory. When a sufficient number of events have been cached they will be exported to Web Service. This will happen either when 'Upload interval (minutes)' has passed or count of events has exceeded 'Event threshold', depending on which of these two events occurs first.
A maximum number of 'Max events per request' events will be sent in one request to Web Service. If number of cached events exceeds this value multiple requests to Web Service will be made.


Thursday 11 October 2012

Using Google Drive with DVBStreamExploerer exported CSV files

Service information files exported from DVBStreamExplorer in CSV format can be uploaded to Google Drive and converted to Google Spreadsheets. Service information can then be shared easily with other users and you can access information from everywhere including handheld and mobile devices.
You will need either a Google Account or a Google Apps Account.

Below is a DVBStreamExplorer scan of local DVB-T channels (Malta) exported to Google Docs spreadsheet.



Direct link to spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlzKD8F--RuTdDJpUWlRYXF3WFpiT3pRdUxRWFgxUUE

Below is a DVBStreamExplorer scan of 'Astra 19.2°E' exported to Google Docs spreadsheet.



Direct link to spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AlzKD8F--RuTdHhqcVJNWmdTRDVoNVdhM1ZESWphLXc

Once service CSV file has been converted to spreadsheet one could apply Google Apps Script to add special features. This could for instance be extraction of certain information which would normally be difficult to spot when looking at a large spreadsheet. Or it could be used to spot service changes over time. For instance if 'Astra 19.2°E' was scanned one day and then scanned again a week after a script could generate a report of service changes. Such a report could include added and removed services, and list of services where one or more properties changed.

Follow +DVBStreamExplorer to keep up to date with DVBStreamExplorer  related news.

Wednesday 10 October 2012

NorDig support in DVBStreamExplorer

The next release of DVBStreamExplorer will introduce decoding of NorDig logic_channel_descriptor and content_protection_descriptor private descriptors.
This might be of interest to users in Nordic region (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) and Éire.
For logic_channel_descriptor, both Version 1 (descriptor_tag 0x83) and Version 2 (descriptor_tag 0x87) are decoded.
Below is a screenshot of logic_channel_descriptor (Version 1) decoding in DVB PSI/SI scanning.


And below is screenshot of decoding of same descriptor in DVB Transport Stream Monitor.