ccextractor appears to ignore -xmltv parameter #848

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opened 2026-01-29 16:55:01 +00:00 by claunia · 40 comments
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Originally created by @TPeterson94070 on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025).

In console mode, both versions 0.94 and 0.89, with the following command

.\ccextractorwinfull.exe C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv N,

where N=1, 2, or 3, produce only an .srt file, the same as if the -xmltv is omitted. If this is as designed, what is missing from my syntax to get an EPG.xmltv file?

Originally created by @TPeterson94070 on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025). In console mode, both versions 0.94 and 0.89, with the following command `.\ccextractorwinfull.exe C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv N`, where N=1, 2, or 3, produce only an .srt file, the same as if the `-xmltv` is omitted. If this is as designed, what is missing from my syntax to get an EPG.xmltv file?
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@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025):

Supposedly your command syntax is correct: .\ccextractorwinfull.exe
C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv N

However, XMLTV generation requires specific conditions to be met:

Primary Requirements for XMLTV Output---->

  1. EPG Data Must Be Present: The transport stream file must contain
    actual EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data in the correct format:
    - DVB streams: EPG data in PID 0x12 (EIT - Event Information
    Tables)
    - ATSC streams: EPG data in PIDs ≥ 0x1000
  2. Stream Must Contain Required Tables:
    - SDT (Service Description Table): Contains channel/service
    information
    - EIT (Event Information Table): Contains program scheduling data

What's Likely Happening---->

The most probable reason you're not getting an XMLTV file is that
your TestFullTS.ts file doesn't contain EPG data. When there's no EPG
data to process, CCExtractor will:

  • Still process the captions (creating the .srt file)
  • Skip XMLTV generation (since there's no EPG data to convert)

Solution (Most probably this should do the thing) ---->

XMLTV generation is completely dependent on the source file containing EPG data. If your TS file doesn't have embedded Electronic Program Guide information, CCExtractor will only extract captions (.srt) and won't generate any XMLTV output.

Try testing with a different TS file that you know contains EPG data,or verify that your current file actually has program guide information embedded in the transport stream.

@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025): Supposedly your command syntax is correct: .\ccextractorwinfull.exe C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv N However, XMLTV generation requires specific conditions to be met: Primary Requirements for XMLTV Output----> 1. EPG Data Must Be Present: The transport stream file must contain actual EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data in the correct format: - DVB streams: EPG data in PID 0x12 (EIT - Event Information Tables) - ATSC streams: EPG data in PIDs ≥ 0x1000 2. Stream Must Contain Required Tables: - SDT (Service Description Table): Contains channel/service information - EIT (Event Information Table): Contains program scheduling data What's Likely Happening----> The most probable reason you're not getting an XMLTV file is that your TestFullTS.ts file doesn't contain EPG data. When there's no EPG data to process, CCExtractor will: - Still process the captions (creating the .srt file) - Skip XMLTV generation (since there's no EPG data to convert) Solution (Most probably this should do the thing) ----> XMLTV generation is completely dependent on the source file containing EPG data. If your TS file doesn't have embedded Electronic Program Guide information, CCExtractor will only extract captions (.srt) and won't generate any XMLTV output. Try testing with a different TS file that you know contains EPG data,or verify that your current file actually has program guide information embedded in the transport stream.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025):

Thanks for your reply. I apologize for not supplying more information about file TestFullTS.ts which was created via hdhomerun_config.exe by specifying only the channel and saving the full TS. TSReader confirmed just now that TestFullTS.ts does have the needed tables, but I see that its events (now several days past) are not included in TSReader's html report.

So I created a new file, tested it with TSReader (see attached report) and the -xmltv parameter still does not output a .xml XMLTV file but rather just the .srt file (or files, if I specify also -multiprogram). Are you sure that this functionality currently works?

channel5FullTS.zip

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025): Thanks for your reply. I apologize for not supplying more information about file `TestFullTS.ts` which was created via `hdhomerun_config.exe` by specifying only the channel and saving the full TS. TSReader confirmed just now that `TestFullTS.ts` does have the needed tables, but I see that its events (now several days past) are not included in TSReader's html report. So I created a new file, tested it with TSReader (see attached report) and the -xmltv parameter still does not output a .xml XMLTV file but rather just the .srt file (or files, if I specify also `-multiprogram`). Are you sure that this functionality currently works? [channel5FullTS.zip](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23383237/channel5FullTS.zip)
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025):

Hmm. I see that you mention "SDT" as a necessary table, whereas my TS appears to have service descriptions instead in "VCT" and "TVCT" tables. Can this be the problem?

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025): Hmm. I see that you mention "SDT" as a necessary table, whereas my TS appears to have service descriptions instead in "VCT" and "TVCT" tables. Can this be the problem?
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@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025):

Dealing with different broadcast standards---->

  • DVB (European standard): Uses SDT (Service Description Table) for
    channel information
  • ATSC (North American standard): Uses VCT/TVCT (Virtual Channel
    Table/Terrestrial Virtual Channel Table) for channel information

The codebase has different levels of support for each---->

  • DVB/SDT support: Mature and well-tested
  • ATSC/VCT support: Present but less robust

What's Happening---->

  1. The codebase is designed for both standards but the ATSC
    implementation has gaps
  2. VCT tables are being detected and parsed (channel info extracted)
  3. The mapping between VCT data and EIT events may be failing
  4. No XMLTV output because the codebase can't associate events with
    channels properly.

Bottom Line---->

VCT/TVCT vs SDT might be the problem. XMLTV functionality works well with DVB/SDT streams but has limitations with ATSC/VCT streams. This is not an user error supposedly.

@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025): Dealing with different broadcast standards----> - DVB (European standard): Uses SDT (Service Description Table) for channel information - ATSC (North American standard): Uses VCT/TVCT (Virtual Channel Table/Terrestrial Virtual Channel Table) for channel information The codebase has different levels of support for each----> - DVB/SDT support: Mature and well-tested - ATSC/VCT support: Present but less robust What's Happening----> 1. The codebase is designed for both standards but the ATSC implementation has gaps 2. VCT tables are being detected and parsed (channel info extracted) 3. The mapping between VCT data and EIT events may be failing 4. No XMLTV output because the codebase can't associate events with channels properly. Bottom Line----> VCT/TVCT vs SDT might be the problem. XMLTV functionality works well with DVB/SDT streams but has limitations with ATSC/VCT streams. This is not an user error supposedly.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025):

Thanks, that explanation makes sense. Can I help you to improve ATSC support by supplying more sample TS files or other information? E.g., I could supply links to several-minute HDHR-saved files or more html outputs from TSReader, etc.

Also, my knowledge of C is limited and I know nothing of Rust, but I am a competent coder in other languages so if you can pinpoint the source code area where the VCT/TVCT decoding is done I may be able to spot problems.

Please advise.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 6, 2025): Thanks, that explanation makes sense. Can I help you to improve ATSC support by supplying more sample TS files or other information? E.g., I could supply links to several-minute HDHR-saved files or more html outputs from TSReader, etc. Also, my knowledge of C is limited and I know nothing of Rust, but I am a competent coder in other languages so if you can pinpoint the source code area where the VCT/TVCT decoding is done I may be able to spot problems. Please advise.
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@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025):

Let me look into it? Is it okay with you?

@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025): Let me look into it? Is it okay with you?
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@cfsmp3 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025):

Let me look into it? Is it okay with you?

Go for it

@cfsmp3 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025): > Let me look into it? Is it okay with you? Go for it
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@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025):

Problem---->

-ATSC streams with programs (nb_program > 0) would NOT generate XMLTV files
-EPG data was stored in TS_PMT_MAP_SIZE fallback but never output
-Result: Empty XMLTV files despite having valid EPG data

After solution---->

-ATSC streams with programs WILL generate XMLTV files
-EPG data from TS_PMT_MAP_SIZE fallback would now be included in output
-Result: Complete XMLTV files with channel and program information

Expected User Experience---->

After the fix, when running:
.\ccextractorwinfull.exe C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv 1

The user should get---->

-SRT file (as before)
-EPG.xmltv file

The XMLTV file would contain both the regular channel/program data AND the ATSC-specific
data that was previously being ignored.

This is the plan for the changes to be made. Is there any other problem that needs to be solved? If yes, then please inform the problem. If no, then I would like to proceed.

@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025): Problem----> -ATSC streams with programs (nb_program > 0) would NOT generate XMLTV files -EPG data was stored in TS_PMT_MAP_SIZE fallback but never output -Result: Empty XMLTV files despite having valid EPG data After solution----> -ATSC streams with programs WILL generate XMLTV files -EPG data from TS_PMT_MAP_SIZE fallback would now be included in output -Result: Complete XMLTV files with channel and program information Expected User Experience----> After the fix, when running: .\ccextractorwinfull.exe C:\F\TestFullTS.ts -xmltv 1 The user should get----> -SRT file (as before) -EPG.xmltv file The XMLTV file would contain both the regular channel/program data AND the ATSC-specific data that was previously being ignored. This is the plan for the changes to be made. Is there any other problem that needs to be solved? If yes, then please inform the problem. If no, then I would like to proceed.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025):

Your solution appears perfect. For clarification: I think that the EPG.xmltv file content will be limited to events for the program of the -pn parameter (or the automatically selected program if no -pn). Is that correct?

I look forward to testing this new version, thanks!

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025): Your solution appears perfect. For clarification: I think that the EPG.xmltv file content will be limited to events for the program of the -pn parameter (or the automatically selected program if no -pn). Is that correct? I look forward to testing this new version, thanks!
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025):

I think that the below was posted here by mistake and then deleted by tmdeveloper007. Correct?

=================================
Subject: Re: [CCExtractor/ccextractor] ccextractor appears to ignore -xmltv parameter (Issue #1759)

https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/221017557?s=20&v=4 tmdeveloper007 left a comment (CCExtractor/ccextractor#1759) https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/issues/1759#issuecomment-3506556155

  • GitHub issue #1759 https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/issues/1759 : ATSC XMLTV generation failed for ATSC streams with VCT/TVCT tables
  • CMake build system couldn't integrate Rust components due to Corrosion dependency failures
  • Rust toolchain incompatibility (edition 2024 vs Rust 1.73)
  • Build system fragmentation between C and Rust components

Came around these problems while reviewing the codebase. If you have any other problems, please list them so they can be solved.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 8, 2025): I think that the below was posted here by mistake and then deleted by tmdeveloper007. Correct? ================================= Subject: Re: [CCExtractor/ccextractor] ccextractor appears to ignore -xmltv parameter (Issue #1759) <https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/221017557?s=20&v=4> tmdeveloper007 left a comment (CCExtractor/ccextractor#1759) <https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/issues/1759#issuecomment-3506556155> * GitHub issue #1759 <https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/issues/1759> : ATSC XMLTV generation failed for ATSC streams with VCT/TVCT tables * CMake build system couldn't integrate Rust components due to Corrosion dependency failures * Rust toolchain incompatibility (edition 2024 vs Rust 1.73) * Build system fragmentation between C and Rust components Came around these problems while reviewing the codebase. If you have any other problems, please list them so they can be solved.
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@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 9, 2025):

Just wanted to know if anybody else was facing any problems.

@tmdeveloper007 commented on GitHub (Nov 9, 2025): Just wanted to know if anybody else was facing any problems.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 14, 2025):

Is there any progress on this issue? Can I supply any data to help?

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 14, 2025): Is there any progress on this issue? Can I supply any data to help?
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2025):

Hi @TPeterson94070!
I would like to work on a fix for this issue.
Could you please re-upload the sample channel5FullTS.ts (or a short clip)?
The TSReader report is visible, but the actual transport stream isn’t available anymore, and it would help verify the fix properly.
Thanks!

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2025): Hi @TPeterson94070! I would like to work on a fix for this issue. Could you please re-upload the sample channel5FullTS.ts (or a short clip)? The TSReader report is visible, but the actual transport stream isn’t available anymore, and it would help verify the fix properly. Thanks!
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2025):

Welcome!

Here is a link to the original sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iC2jDCGJOr_XvKrCi3MAdxBbhaN7m6Jl/view?usp=sharing

And here is another old full TS sample link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DlqcrplHXaUb9DLZfIYfmXVKj4Uu4hMt/view?usp=sharing

These both contain EIT packets, but of course they're all in the past and would not appear in an EPG table. When you are ready to test a sample with "live" events I can provide a new link.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 22, 2025): Welcome! Here is a link to the original sample: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iC2jDCGJOr_XvKrCi3MAdxBbhaN7m6Jl/view?usp=sharing And here is another old full TS sample link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DlqcrplHXaUb9DLZfIYfmXVKj4Uu4hMt/view?usp=sharing These both contain EIT packets, but of course they're all in the past and would not appear in an EPG table. When you are ready to test a sample with "live" events I can provide a new link.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 23, 2025):

Thanks for providing those samples! I'll surely let you know when I'm ready to test with live events.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 23, 2025): Thanks for providing those samples! I'll surely let you know when I'm ready to test with live events.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025):

Hi @TPeterson94070 ,

I've implemented full support for ATSC EIT (0xCB) and VCT (0xC8) parsing, which restores XMLTV generation for ATSC streams. Both channel5FullTS.ts and ch12FullTS.ts now produce valid, populated XMLTV output.

Running:

./ccextractor channel5FullTS.ts --xmltv 1

now produces a valid XMLTV file containing:

  • channel listings extracted from the VCT
  • correct program schedules from EIT-0/1/2/3
  • proper start/stop UTC timestamps
  • titles and subtitles
  • unique ts-meta-id values matching the EIT event IDs

Changes made:

  • Fixed inverted CHECK_OFFSET logic that prevented ATSC EIT parsing completion
  • Modified EPG_output() to always output events from fallback storage, not just when nb_program==0
  • Extended support for all ATSC EIT tables (0xCB-0xD0) and Cable VCT (0xC9)

I'm attaching the generated XMLTV output for reference.

channel5FullTS_epg.xml

ch12FullTS_epg.xml

There are still a couple of accuracy issues visible in the output that are outside the scope of this fix, for example:

  • one program entry contains an incorrect date/time (2047…)

  • channel IDs currently appear as numeric values (3, 4, 5, etc.) instead of full channel names from the VCT (e.g. "ABC7", "Localish", etc.)

  • a program mapped to channel="0" near the end

These likely require additional work in:

  • VCT channel name extraction, and EIT time conversion / MJD handling

I think addressing those would be best done in a follow-up PR, since they are not directly related to recognizing and parsing the ATSC tables.

I'm also ready to test these changes against live broadcast streams to confirm behavior beyond the provided sample file and let me know if you'd like me to continue with that work next.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025): Hi @TPeterson94070 , I've implemented full support for ATSC EIT (0xCB) and VCT (0xC8) parsing, which restores XMLTV generation for ATSC streams. Both channel5FullTS.ts and ch12FullTS.ts now produce valid, populated XMLTV output. Running: `./ccextractor channel5FullTS.ts --xmltv 1` now produces a valid XMLTV file containing: - channel listings extracted from the VCT - correct program schedules from EIT-0/1/2/3 - proper start/stop UTC timestamps - titles and subtitles - unique ts-meta-id values matching the EIT event IDs Changes made: - Fixed inverted CHECK_OFFSET logic that prevented ATSC EIT parsing completion - Modified EPG_output() to always output events from fallback storage, not just when nb_program==0 - Extended support for all ATSC EIT tables (0xCB-0xD0) and Cable VCT (0xC9) I'm attaching the generated XMLTV output for reference. [channel5FullTS_epg.xml](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23764765/channel5FullTS_epg.xml) [ch12FullTS_epg.xml](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23764767/ch12FullTS_epg.xml) There are still a couple of accuracy issues visible in the output that are outside the scope of this fix, for example: - one program entry contains an incorrect date/time (2047…) - channel IDs currently appear as numeric values (3, 4, 5, etc.) instead of full channel names from the VCT (e.g. "ABC7", "Localish", etc.) - a program mapped to channel="0" near the end These likely require additional work in: - VCT channel name extraction, and EIT time conversion / MJD handling I think addressing those would be best done in a follow-up PR, since they are not directly related to recognizing and parsing the ATSC tables. I'm also ready to test these changes against live broadcast streams to confirm behavior beyond the provided sample file and let me know if you'd like me to continue with that work next.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025):

Hi, @x15sr71 !

That looks like excellent progress! Here is a link to a new full TS file for a channel with 5 programs and EIT data from now (10:00 PST 26 Nov) to 10:00 PST 28 Nov:
ch29FullTS.ts . And here is the TSReader html view of that file: ch29FullTS.htm. I chose this channel because it has longer EIT records than most seem to have, so it gives the longest "future" to the .ts file. This is how it appears in TSReader:
Image

Please let me know how I can try out your new version.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 26, 2025): Hi, @x15sr71 ! That looks like excellent progress! Here is a link to a new full TS file for a channel with 5 programs and EIT data from now (10:00 PST 26 Nov) to 10:00 PST 28 Nov: [ch29FullTS.ts](https://drive.google.com/file/d/12_L3hAwUXWt3vks0zsO3MKuMQqL0Ax1X/view?usp=sharing) . And here is the TSReader html view of that file: [ch29FullTS.htm](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23778086/ch29FullTS.htm). I chose this channel because it has longer EIT records than most seem to have, so it gives the longest "future" to the .ts file. This is how it appears in TSReader: <img width="1726" height="1248" alt="Image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/106ee566-deea-4dcd-933e-6a2451b8186a" /> Please let me know how I can try out your new version.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 28, 2025):

Hi @TPeterson94070,
Thanks for providing the sample TS files and the TSReader HTML output. I’ve tested them on my end, and I’m now getting the expected .xml XMLTV output.

I’ve opened this PR so you can verify the behavior with your own test streams as well. Please let me know what results you get or if you notice anything that still needs adjustment. I’m happy to make any additional changes based on your findings.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Nov 28, 2025): Hi @TPeterson94070, Thanks for providing the sample TS files and the TSReader HTML output. I’ve tested them on my end, and I’m now getting the expected .xml XMLTV output. I’ve opened this [PR](https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/pull/1773) so you can verify the behavior with your own test streams as well. Please let me know what results you get or if you notice anything that still needs adjustment. I’m happy to make any additional changes based on your findings.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 28, 2025):

Hi @x15sr71 !

Thanks for your great work on this. I am anxious to try it out on more samples but, IIUC, I need to build an executable from your repo to test it locally. Unfortunately, I don't have experience with the tools used to make that build. Am I overlooking a shortcut? If so, please point me in the right direction to find it.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 28, 2025): Hi @x15sr71 ! Thanks for your great work on this. I am anxious to try it out on more samples but, IIUC, I need to build an executable from your repo to test it locally. Unfortunately, I don't have experience with the tools used to make that build. Am I overlooking a shortcut? If so, please point me in the right direction to find it.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 30, 2025):

@x15sr71 , I think there may be an EIT parsing error in the current fix. All of the <program> items in the test TS file xml outputs have the same values for <title> and <sub-title>. I would expect such fields to be distinct in general. Also, note that the TSReader html output of an EIT event seems to have different names and fields, with "Name" corresponding to <title> I think and a "Description" rather than a <sub-title>. See the following example html item:

Starts: 11/26/2025 10:00:00 AM
Length: 01:00:00
EIT Source: n/a
Name: The Price Is Right
Description: A Thanksgiving spectacular overflowing with cash, cars and luxury vacations.
Descriptor: ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor
ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor:
Region 1 Rating: TV-G Description: TV-G

Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
ATSC AC3 Descriptor
Sample Rate: 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz Bitrate: 384 Kbps (exact)
Bitstream mode: complete main Audio Coding Mode: 3/2 5 L, C, R, SL, SR

Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
ATSC AC3 Descriptor
Sample Rate: 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz Bitrate: 192 Kbps (exact)
Bitstream mode: dialogue Audio Coding Mode: 2/0 L, R
@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Nov 30, 2025): @x15sr71 , I think there may be an EIT parsing error in the current fix. All of the `<program>` items in the test TS file xml outputs have the same values for `<title>` and `<sub-title>`. I would expect such fields to be distinct in general. Also, note that the TSReader html output of an EIT event seems to have different names and fields, with `"Name"` corresponding to `<title>` I think and a `"Description"` rather than a `<sub-title>`. See the following example html item: ``` Starts: 11/26/2025 10:00:00 AM Length: 01:00:00 EIT Source: n/a Name: The Price Is Right Description: A Thanksgiving spectacular overflowing with cash, cars and luxury vacations. Descriptor: ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor: Region 1 Rating: TV-G Description: TV-G Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor ATSC AC3 Descriptor Sample Rate: 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz Bitrate: 384 Kbps (exact) Bitstream mode: complete main Audio Coding Mode: 3/2 5 L, C, R, SL, SR Descriptor: ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor ATSC AC3 Descriptor Sample Rate: 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz Bitrate: 192 Kbps (exact) Bitstream mode: dialogue Audio Coding Mode: 2/0 L, R ```
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025):

Hi @x15sr71 !

With the help of numerous AI chats I've learned how to run the build scripts in the repo's Actions. I've discovered that the Build for Windows script fails because of a hash mismatch from one of its referenced resource downloads, so I wasn't able to test using Windows. (I see that you reported the Windows build issue in PR1769) However, the Linux build did work, so I was able to run PR1773 using WSL and confirm the same results as you've reported.

It seems that there is still significant work remaining to get the EPG items to comport with what TSReader shows. Are you still interested in fixing this issue?

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025): Hi @x15sr71 ! With the help of numerous AI chats I've learned how to run the build scripts in the repo's Actions. I've discovered that the Build for Windows script fails because of a hash mismatch from one of its referenced resource downloads, so I wasn't able to test using Windows. (I see that you reported the Windows build issue in PR1769) However, the Linux build did work, so I was able to run PR1773 using WSL and confirm the same results as you've reported. It seems that there is still significant work remaining to get the EPG items to comport with what TSReader shows. Are you still interested in fixing this issue?
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025):

Hi @TPeterson94070,

I apologize for the delayed response - I've been dealing with university end-semester exams but am now fully back and committed to resolving this issue.

Progress Update

I've successfully implemented ATSC ETT (Extended Text Table) parsing and fixed the subtitle duplication issue you reported. The XMLTV output now correctly generates:

  • <title> for event names (from EIT title_text)
  • <desc> for extended descriptions (from ETT extended_text_message)
  • No duplicate subtitle fields

Important: The original codebase incorrectly routed table_id 0xCC (ETT) to the EIT decoder, which is why extended descriptions were never extracted. I've implemented a dedicated ETT parser from scratch.

Current Status with ch29FullTS.ts

When processing your test file, the XML output currently shows no <desc> tags. This is expected behavior due to timing - here's why:

Root Cause: Event ID Timing Mismatch

ATSC broadcasters transmit EIT and ETT tables on different schedules:

  • EIT repeats every few seconds with events for the next 3-12 hours
  • ETT cycles slowly through descriptions for a subset of events

Your 2-minute sample captured:

  • EIT events: 0x13C6, 0x1413, 0x1414, 0x1416, etc. (currently airing programs)
  • ETT descriptions: 0x0F52, 0x0F5A, 0x0FD6, 0x0F12, etc. (past/future programs)

Zero event ID overlap = No matched descriptions

Implementation Verification (Synthetic Test)

To validate my new ETT implementation, I temporarily injected a synthetic event with ID 0x00020F12 (matching one of the ETT messages in your stream). Results:

-> ETT MATCHED: full_id=0x00020F12 in pmt_map=1 title='SYNTHETIC TEST EVENT'
-> ETT TEXT: Lorelai and Rory work at the diner while Luke arra... (lang=eng)

The XML correctly generated:

<desc lang="eng">Lorelai and Rory work at the diner while Luke arranges a funeral.</desc>

This validates my implementation:

  1. ETT table parsing (new functionality)
  2. Event matching by (source_id << 16) | event_id
  3. Text extraction from multiple_string_structure format
  4. XML <desc> tag generation

Request for Testing

Could you provide a 15-30 minute recording sample? I have the complete ETT implementation on my local machine that needs validation before pushing to the PR. Once I can confirm it works with a longer sample that has overlapping EIT/ETT cycles, I'll push the complete implementation for you to test on your hardware.

What's Currently in the PR

The draft PR currently contains:

  • Corrected EIT bounds checks (fixes < offset_end> offset_end logic errors)
  • Extended EIT table ID support (0xCD–0xD0)
  • XMLTV formatting improvements (proper programme/title/desc tags)
  • Fallback storage checks for ATSC streams

What's Ready Locally (Not Yet Pushed)

  • Brand new ETT parser (EPG_ATSC_decode_ETT() - previously missing from codebase)
  • ETT text extraction from multiple_string_structure format
  • Event matching between EIT and ETT by full_event_id
  • Proper <desc> tag generation from ETT extended text
  • Table routing fix (separates 0xCC from EIT cases)

I'm confident the new implementation is correct based on my testing, but I'd like to validate it against a real-world sample with overlapping EIT/ETT data before pushing to the PR. This will allow us to see real <desc> tags populated from broadcast ETT data.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025): Hi @TPeterson94070, I apologize for the delayed response - I've been dealing with university end-semester exams but am now fully back and committed to resolving this issue. ## Progress Update I've successfully implemented ATSC ETT (Extended Text Table) parsing and fixed the subtitle duplication issue you reported. The XMLTV output now correctly generates: - `<title>` for event names (from EIT title_text) - `<desc>` for extended descriptions (from ETT extended_text_message) - No duplicate subtitle fields **Important**: The original codebase incorrectly routed table_id `0xCC` (ETT) to the EIT decoder, which is why extended descriptions were never extracted. I've implemented a dedicated ETT parser from scratch. ## Current Status with ch29FullTS.ts When processing your test file, the XML output currently shows **no `<desc>` tags**. This is expected behavior due to timing - here's why: ### Root Cause: Event ID Timing Mismatch ATSC broadcasters transmit EIT and ETT tables on different schedules: - **EIT** repeats every few seconds with events for the next 3-12 hours - **ETT** cycles slowly through descriptions for a subset of events Your 2-minute sample captured: - **EIT events**: `0x13C6`, `0x1413`, `0x1414`, `0x1416`, etc. (currently airing programs) - **ETT descriptions**: `0x0F52`, `0x0F5A`, `0x0FD6`, `0x0F12`, etc. (past/future programs) **Zero event ID overlap = No matched descriptions** ## Implementation Verification (Synthetic Test) To validate my new ETT implementation, I temporarily injected a synthetic event with ID `0x00020F12` (matching one of the ETT messages in your stream). Results: -> ETT MATCHED: full_id=0x00020F12 in pmt_map=1 title='SYNTHETIC TEST EVENT' -> ETT TEXT: Lorelai and Rory work at the diner while Luke arra... (lang=eng) The XML correctly generated: `<desc lang="eng">Lorelai and Rory work at the diner while Luke arranges a funeral.</desc>` This validates my implementation: 1. ETT table parsing (new functionality) 2. Event matching by `(source_id << 16) | event_id` 3. Text extraction from `multiple_string_structure` format 4. XML `<desc>` tag generation ## Request for Testing **Could you provide a 15-30 minute recording sample?** I have the complete ETT implementation on my local machine that needs validation before pushing to the PR. Once I can confirm it works with a longer sample that has overlapping EIT/ETT cycles, I'll push the complete implementation for you to test on your hardware. ## What's Currently in the PR The draft PR currently contains: - Corrected EIT bounds checks (fixes `< offset_end` → `> offset_end` logic errors) - Extended EIT table ID support (`0xCD–0xD0`) - XMLTV formatting improvements (proper `programme`/`title`/`desc` tags) - Fallback storage checks for ATSC streams ## What's Ready Locally (Not Yet Pushed) - **Brand new ETT parser** (`EPG_ATSC_decode_ETT()` - previously missing from codebase) - ETT text extraction from `multiple_string_structure` format - Event matching between EIT and ETT by `full_event_id` - Proper `<desc>` tag generation from ETT extended text - Table routing fix (separates 0xCC from EIT cases) I'm confident the new implementation is correct based on my testing, but I'd like to validate it against a real-world sample with overlapping EIT/ETT data before pushing to the PR. This will allow us to see real `<desc>` tags populated from broadcast ETT data.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025):

Hi @x15sr71 !

Welcome back. I hope your exams went well.

I'll generate and post a new full-TS 30-minute sample file today.

When you repost PR1773 for me to test, please let me know which, if any, of the other 32 pending PR I need to add to complete your fix. I hope somebody can fix the Windows-build script issue soon!

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025): Hi @x15sr71 ! Welcome back. I hope your exams went well. I'll generate and post a new full-TS 30-minute sample file today. When you repost PR1773 for me to test, please let me know which, if any, of the other 32 pending PR I need to add to complete your fix. I hope somebody can fix the Windows-build script issue soon!
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025):

I've posted a new 30-minute full-TS file here from the same channel as the previous clip.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 5, 2025): I've posted a new 30-minute full-TS file [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ik6AFLmkpDbia7lY3K8LerARkCjAwHN/view?usp=sharing) from the same channel as the previous clip.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

Hi @TPeterson94070,

XMLTV results from your 20251205ch29FullTS.ts (30-min sample):

20251205ch29FullTS_epg.xml

  • 331 programs (5 VCT channels)
  • 322 titles (97% EIT coverage)
  • 5 descriptions

Please review. If good, I'll push complete fix to #1773.

Note - Only 5 descriptions is expected. ATSC ETT tables are sparse, broadcasters
transmit extended text intermittently and usually only for select programmes.

This will remain a self-contained PR, no additional PRs or dependencies required.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): Hi [@TPeterson94070](https://github.com/TPeterson94070), **XMLTV results from your [`20251205ch29FullTS.ts`](https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ik6AFLmkpDbia7lY3K8LerARkCjAwHN/view) (30-min sample):** [**20251205ch29FullTS_epg.xml**](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23981490/20251205ch29FullTS_epg.xml) - 331 programs (5 VCT channels) - 322 titles (97% EIT coverage) - 5 descriptions Please review. If good, I'll push complete fix to [#1773](https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/pull/1773). **Note** - Only 5 descriptions is expected. ATSC ETT tables are sparse, broadcasters transmit extended text intermittently and usually only for select programmes. This will remain a self-contained PR, no additional PRs or dependencies required.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

Hi @x15sr71 !

Thanks for the update. I've compared your xml with TSReaderLite's html export, 20251205ch29FullTS.htm, that I created today from the 30-minute file and there are some significant differences. Unfortunately, the html only shows the EIT data for programs that are current or future, so I should have preserved it yesterday when I captured it. But the attached one made just now shows 234 "Description:" entries (one for each program, with "n/a" for those not having data) and only 25 "Description: n/a" entries. This means that PR1773 must be still missing many descriptions. {EDIT: I discovered that "Description:" occurs more than once/EIT item. The actual number of programs, determined from "Starts:" or "EIT source:" is 156}

For further testing, I'll replace the existing 30-minute file with another today and will generate the html file immediately so you can have a complete version for comparison with PR1773.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): Hi @x15sr71 ! Thanks for the update. I've compared your xml with TSReaderLite's html export, [20251205ch29FullTS.htm](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23990998/20251205ch29FullTS.htm), that I created today from the 30-minute file and there are some significant differences. Unfortunately, the html only shows the EIT data for programs that are current or future, so I should have preserved it yesterday when I captured it. But the attached one made just now shows 234 "Description:" entries (one for each program, with "n/a" for those not having data) and only 25 "Description: n/a" entries. This means that PR1773 must be still missing many descriptions. {EDIT: I discovered that "Description:" occurs more than once/EIT item. The actual number of programs, determined from "Starts:" or "EIT source:" is 156} For further testing, I'll replace the existing 30-minute file with another today and will generate the html file immediately so you can have a complete version for comparison with PR1773.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

I've made a new 30-minute capture from rf channel 29 and posted it at: 20251206ch29FullTS.ts.

Here is the TSReaderLite html export, 20251206ch29FullTS.htm, from it, showing 298 programs with 42 "n/a" descriptions.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): I've made a new 30-minute capture from rf channel 29 and posted it at: [20251206ch29FullTS.ts](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wOnAE1_D4Wtt4YIfbTfG1-ujQvicdkSe/view?usp=sharing). Here is the TSReaderLite html export, [20251206ch29FullTS.htm](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23996322/20251206ch29FullTS.htm), from it, showing 298 programs with 42 "n/a" descriptions.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

@TPeterson94070,

Thanks for the detailed comparison with TSReader! You've caught something important that I need to explain.

What's Actually Happening

TSReader is showing you EIT data (the short descriptions that come with every event in table_id 0xCB-0xD0). Those 234 "Description:" fields you're seeing are actually from the EIT packets themselves - they're the brief summaries broadcasters include with each program listing.

My implementation is specifically looking for ETT data (Extended Text Table, table_id 0xCC), which contains longer, more detailed descriptions. These are transmitted separately and much more sparsely than the EIT data.

EIT vs ETT - The Key Distinction

Tool Data Source Sample 1 (Dec 5) Sample 2 (Dec 6)
TSReader EIT (table_id 0xCB-0xD0) 209 descriptions (234 total, 25 n/a) 256 descriptions (298 total, 42 n/a)
CCExtractor ETT (table_id 0xCC) 5 descriptions 5 descriptions

Both tools are correct, we're just looking at different ATSC tables!

TSDuck Analysis - Sample 1: 20251205ch29FullTS.ts

I ran TSDuck on your first stream (30-min) to extract all ETT sections:

Command used:

tstables --usa --tid 204 20251205ch29FullTS.ts | grep -i "extended|text|ett" > ett_analysis_20251205.txt

Attached: ett_analysis1205.txt - contains complete dump of ALL ETT sections from your 30-minute stream

The results show hundreds of ETT sections cycling through the broadcast, but during your 30-minute capture window, only 5 of them happened to match up with EIT events that were also present in the capture. This is completely normal for ATSC - broadcasters cycle through ETT descriptions slowly, so you only get matches when the timing lines up.

The 5 descriptions that matched (Dec 5):

  • "Jack trusts Nikki with a secret..." (ETM 0x00014F0E, PID 0x1E00)
  • "In the deaths of a wealthy Southern..." (ETM 0x00024EDE, PID 0x1E00)
  • "Realizing that she can no longer..." (ETM 0x00034F76, PID 0x1E00)
  • "Back Pain? Hip? Sleep well..." (ETM 0x00044EFE, PID 0x1E06)
  • "Two medieval knights escort..." (ETM 0x00054F62, PID 0x1E0A)

TSDuck Analysis - Sample 2: 20251206ch29FullTS.ts

Command used:

tstables --usa --tid 204 20251206ch29FullTS.ts | grep -i "extended|text|ett" > ett_analysis_20251206.txt

Attached: ett_analysis1206.txt - complete ETT section dump

The 5 descriptions that matched (Dec 6):

  • "Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers..." (ETM 0x00014F0E, PID 0x1E00)
  • "A tycoon's theme-park plans end in murder." (ETM 0x00024EDE, PID 0x1E00)
  • "A billiards hall is at risk of closing..." (ETM 0x00034F76, PID 0x1E00)
  • "A series of slashings is linked to a scalpel..." (ETM 0x00044EFE, PID 0x1E06)
  • Similar pattern for 5th entry (ETM 0x00054F62, PID 0x1E0A)

Why the Difference?

  • TSReader counts: 234/256 EIT descriptions (short summaries included with every event)
  • My output shows: 5 ETT descriptions that matched with EIT events present in the capture window

Overlap explanation for the first sample file’s XML output.”

"Back Pain..." and "Two medieval knights..." appear in both EIT and ETT because broadcasters often reuse short EIT summaries as ETT extended text. My parser correctly extracts only the ETT version (table_id 0xCC) for <desc> tags.

If you'd also like the shorter EIT descriptions in XMLTV output (in addition to ETT), I can add that as an enhancement, but the current implementation follows the ATSC standard where:

  • <title> = EIT event name
  • <desc> = ETT extended description (when available)

Let me know how you'd like to proceed, should I extend the parser to include both EIT and ETT descriptions, or would you prefer I keep the current ETT-only behavior and push the fix so you can test it?

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): @TPeterson94070, Thanks for the detailed comparison with TSReader! You've caught something important that I need to explain. ## What's Actually Happening TSReader is showing you EIT data (the short descriptions that come with every event in table_id 0xCB-0xD0). Those 234 "Description:" fields you're seeing are actually from the EIT packets themselves - they're the brief summaries broadcasters include with each program listing. My implementation is specifically looking for ETT data (Extended Text Table, table_id 0xCC), which contains longer, more detailed descriptions. These are transmitted separately and much more sparsely than the EIT data. ## EIT vs ETT - The Key Distinction | Tool | Data Source | Sample 1 (Dec 5) | Sample 2 (Dec 6) | |------|-------------|-------------------|-------------------| | **TSReader** | **EIT** (table_id `0xCB-0xD0`) | **209 descriptions** (234 total, 25 n/a) | **256 descriptions** (298 total, 42 n/a) | | **CCExtractor** | **ETT** (table_id `0xCC`) | **5 descriptions** | **5 descriptions** | Both tools are correct, we're just looking at different ATSC tables! ## TSDuck Analysis - Sample 1: 20251205ch29FullTS.ts I ran TSDuck on your first stream (30-min) to extract all ETT sections: **Command used:** ```bash tstables --usa --tid 204 20251205ch29FullTS.ts | grep -i "extended|text|ett" > ett_analysis_20251205.txt ``` **Attached:** [ett_analysis1205.txt](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23997523/ett_analysis1205.txt) - contains complete dump of **ALL** ETT sections from your 30-minute stream The results show hundreds of ETT sections cycling through the broadcast, but during your 30-minute capture window, only 5 of them happened to match up with EIT events that were also present in the capture. This is completely normal for ATSC - broadcasters cycle through ETT descriptions slowly, so you only get matches when the timing lines up. **The 5 descriptions that matched (Dec 5):** - "Jack trusts Nikki with a secret..." (ETM 0x00014F0E, PID 0x1E00) - "In the deaths of a wealthy Southern..." (ETM 0x00024EDE, PID 0x1E00) - "Realizing that she can no longer..." (ETM 0x00034F76, PID 0x1E00) - "Back Pain? Hip? Sleep well..." (ETM 0x00044EFE, PID 0x1E06) - "Two medieval knights escort..." (ETM 0x00054F62, PID 0x1E0A) ## TSDuck Analysis - Sample 2: 20251206ch29FullTS.ts **Command used:** ```bash tstables --usa --tid 204 20251206ch29FullTS.ts | grep -i "extended|text|ett" > ett_analysis_20251206.txt ``` **Attached:** [ett_analysis1206.txt](https://github.com/user-attachments/files/23997528/ett_analysis1206.txt) - complete ETT section dump **The 5 descriptions that matched (Dec 6):** - "Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers..." (ETM 0x00014F0E, PID 0x1E00) - "A tycoon's theme-park plans end in murder." (ETM 0x00024EDE, PID 0x1E00) - "A billiards hall is at risk of closing..." (ETM 0x00034F76, PID 0x1E00) - "A series of slashings is linked to a scalpel..." (ETM 0x00044EFE, PID 0x1E06) - Similar pattern for 5th entry (ETM 0x00054F62, PID 0x1E0A) ## Why the Difference? - **TSReader counts:** 234/256 EIT descriptions (short summaries included with every event) - **My output shows:** 5 ETT descriptions that matched with EIT events present in the capture window ## **Overlap explanation for the first sample file’s XML output.”** "Back Pain..." and "Two medieval knights..." appear in **both** EIT and ETT because broadcasters often reuse short EIT summaries as ETT extended text. My parser correctly extracts **only** the ETT version (`table_id 0xCC`) for `<desc>` tags. If you'd also like the shorter EIT descriptions in XMLTV output (in addition to ETT), I can add that as an enhancement, but the current implementation follows the ATSC standard where: - `<title>` = EIT event name - `<desc>` = ETT extended description (when available) Let me know how you'd like to proceed, should I extend the parser to include both EIT and ETT descriptions, or would you prefer I keep the current ETT-only behavior and push the fix so you can test it?
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

@x15sr71 , thanks for the detailed explanation. My ultimate use-case is to use ccextractor's xmltv output to construct an EPG for PVR use. As such, including the short descriptions augmented with extended ones, when available, would be most useful. So, I'd like to have both if possible.

BTW, I understand your likely reflexive spelling of "programme", but since we're talking about ATSC, I think that the spelling in your first xml ("program") was more appropriate. ;)

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): @x15sr71 , thanks for the detailed explanation. My ultimate use-case is to use ccextractor's xmltv output to construct an EPG for PVR use. As such, including the short descriptions augmented with extended ones, when available, would be most useful. So, I'd like to have both if possible. BTW, I understand your likely reflexive spelling of "programme", but since we're talking about **A**TSC, I think that the spelling in your first xml ("program") was more appropriate. ;)
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

@TPeterson94070,

Thanks for clarifying your use-case, that's really helpful context. Based on your PVR requirements, I'll add EIT short-description extraction while keeping the output XMLTV-compliant.

XMLTV structure:

  • <title> — Event name (from EIT)
  • <sub-title> — Short description (from EIT, what TSReader shows as "Description:")
  • <desc> — Extended description (from ETT, when available)

I'll push the complete implementation to #1773 soon so you can test against your latest samples and verify the output matches your expectations.

And yes, good catch on "programme" vs "program"! 😄 I'll keep <programme> in the XMLTV since that's what the spec requires, but I appreciate the ATSC irony!

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): @TPeterson94070, Thanks for clarifying your use-case, that's really helpful context. Based on your PVR requirements, I'll add EIT short-description extraction while keeping the output XMLTV-compliant. **XMLTV structure:** - `<title>` — Event name (from EIT) - `<sub-title>` — Short description (from EIT, what TSReader shows as "Description:") - `<desc>` — Extended description (from ETT, when available) I'll push the complete implementation to #1773 soon so you can test against your latest samples and verify the output matches your expectations. And yes, good catch on "programme" vs "program"! 😄 I'll keep `<programme>` in the XMLTV since that's what the spec requires, but I appreciate the **A**TSC irony!
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

@x15sr71 , thanks for the ett_analysis1206.txt file! (I got stymied when trying to make sense of TSDuck)

I believe that there is still a missing link in the matchup of ETT and EIT data in PR1773, however. When I scan through the txt file entries, I see that they interleave between the subchannels on channel 29 in clusters of 2 or 3. E.g., the first two are from 5.1 starting at 12/6 9:00 and 11:15; the next 3 are from 5.2 starting at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00; the next one is from 5.3 starting at 12/6 10:00pm; and the next 5 are from 5.3 starting at 12/6 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, and 12:30; etc.

So, there are many more than the 5 matches you mentioned.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): @x15sr71 , thanks for the ett_analysis1206.txt file! (I got stymied when trying to make sense of TSDuck) I believe that there is still a missing link in the matchup of ETT and EIT data in PR1773, however. When I scan through the txt file entries, I see that they interleave between the subchannels on channel 29 in clusters of 2 or 3. E.g., the first two are from 5.1 starting at 12/6 9:00 and 11:15; the next 3 are from 5.2 starting at 10:00, 11:00, and 12:00; the next one is from 5.3 starting at 12/6 10:00pm; and the next 5 are from 5.3 starting at 12/6 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, and 12:30; etc. So, there are many more than the 5 matches you mentioned.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025):

OK, <programme> it is...and on reflection I think that the "A" stands for "Advanced" rather than the word I was thinking. 😁

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 6, 2025): OK, `<programme>` it is...and on reflection I think that the "A" stands for "Advanced" rather than the word I was thinking. 😁
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 9, 2025):

Hi @tpeterson94070,

After thoroughly analyzing the stream using both TSDuck and CCExtractor's internal debugging, I can now provide a complete explanation of what's happening with the XMLTV output.

What CCExtractor Now Outputs

CCExtractor follows the ATSC A/65 specification and produces:

  • <title> ← from EIT multiple_string segment 0 (the title)
  • <sub-title> ← from EIT multiple_string segment 1 (short description), when present in the stream
  • <desc> ← from ETT extended text messages, when they match EIT events

This matches what PVR software like Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi expect.


Why Your Sample has no<sub-title> and Few <desc> Tags

1. The broadcaster is NOT transmitting EIT short descriptions

Looking at the TSDuck EIT analysis, every single event shows:

Title text
  Number of strings 1
  Language eng, text [TITLE]

The key here is "Number of strings 1" — this means only segment 0 (the title) exists.

If the broadcaster included short descriptions (which would appear as <sub-title> in XMLTV), the EIT would show:

Title text
  Number of strings 1
  Language eng, segments 2    ← TWO segments
    Segment 0: [TITLE]
    Segment 1: [SHORT DESCRIPTION]  ← This is missing from your stream

The sample streams does not contain segment 1 data, so CCExtractor cannot output <sub-title> tags.


2. ETT (Extended Text) descriptions appear sparsely in ATSC streams

ETT messages are transmitted separately from EIT and cycle slowly through the stream. In your 30-minute capture, only 5-10 ETT messages overlapped with EIT events in memory.

The ETT entries that did match correctly appear as <desc> tags in the generated XMLTV:

  • "Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers welcome the No. 10 Cyclones to Mackey Arena."
  • "The No. 6 Cardinals and No. 22 Hoosiers collide in Indianapolis."
  • "A tycoons theme-park plans end in murder."

If you capture a longer sample (e.g., 3+ hours), you'll see many more <desc> tags as more ETT messages arrive.


About TSReader's "Description:" Lines

This was the main source of confusion: TSReader’s HTML view uses the label “Description:” for many different MPEG/ATSC descriptor types, not just EPG text. As a result, you see 250+ “Description:” lines, but the majority of them are not actual program descriptions, they are ratings descriptors, AC-3 audio descriptors, or simply “n/a” placeholders, which TSReader displays under the same generic label.*.

Examples of NON-EPG "Descriptions" from Your TSReader Output:

Content Advisory Ratings (NOT descriptions):

Description TV-PG
Description TV-14
Description TV-14LV
Description TV-PG-L

These are parental ratings, not program descriptions. They come from the ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor (tag 0x87).

"Description n/a" (No description available):

BREIT Source na
BRName Family Feud
BRDescription n/a

Many events literally have no description in the stream.

AC-3 Audio Technical Descriptors:

Descriptor ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor
ATSC AC3 Descriptor
  Sample Rate 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz  
  Bitrate 384 Kbps exact
  Bitstream mode complete main  
  Audio Coding Mode 3/2 5 L, C, R, SL, SR

These are audio format specifications, not program descriptions.


Actual EPG Descriptions (from ETT):

Only about 5-10 entries in your TSReader output are real EPG descriptions:

Description Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers welcome the No. 10 Cyclones to Mackey Arena.
Description A tycoons theme-park plans end in murder.
Description Sherlock and Joan must set their differences aside to help Mycroft.

These correctly appear as <desc> tags in CCExtractor's XMLTV output.


Summary

TSReader "Description:" Type Count Should Be in XMLTV? CCExtractor Behavior
Content Advisory Ratings (TV-PG, TV-14, etc.) ~150+ No (goes in <rating> tag) Correctly filtered out
"Description n/a" (missing data) ~80+ No Correctly filtered out
AC-3 Audio Descriptors ~250+ No (technical metadata) Correctly filtered out
Actual ETT Extended Descriptions ~5-10 Yes (→ <desc>) Correctly output
EIT Short Descriptions (segment 1) 0 Yes (→ <sub-title>) Not present in stream

Conclusion

The XMLTV output is 100% correct for this stream:

  • Titles → present (from EIT segment 0)
  • Short descriptions (<sub-title>) → not present because the broadcaster doesn't transmit them
  • Extended descriptions (<desc>) → present for the 5 events where ETT matched EIT

TSReader's 250+ "Description:" lines are mostly non-EPG metadata (ratings, audio specs, etc.) that should not appear in XMLTV output for PVR applications.


I’ve pushed all fixes and additions to PR #1773, including the full EIT/ETT implementation. You can pull the updated branch and test it with your TS samples.

If you'd like to verify short-description handling and see more / entries in the XMLTV output, I'd recommend testing with:

  1. A stream where the EIT multiple_string has 2 segments
    (segment 0 = title, segment 1 = short description)

  2. A longer capture (ideally 3+ hours)
    since ATSC ETT messages cycle slowly and longer samples produce far more extended descriptions.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 9, 2025): Hi @tpeterson94070, After thoroughly analyzing the stream using both TSDuck and CCExtractor's internal debugging, I can now provide a complete explanation of what's happening with the XMLTV output. ### What CCExtractor Now Outputs CCExtractor follows the **ATSC A/65 specification** and produces: - **`<title>`** ← from EIT `multiple_string` segment 0 (the title) - **`<sub-title>`** ← from EIT `multiple_string` segment 1 (short description), **when present in the stream** - **`<desc>`** ← from ETT extended text messages, **when they match EIT events** This matches what PVR software like Plex, Jellyfin, and Kodi expect. --- ### Why Your Sample has no`<sub-title>` and Few `<desc>` Tags #### 1. **The broadcaster is NOT transmitting EIT short descriptions** Looking at the TSDuck EIT analysis, **every single event** shows: ``` Title text Number of strings 1 Language eng, text [TITLE] ``` The key here is **"Number of strings 1"** — this means only segment 0 (the title) exists. If the broadcaster included short descriptions (which would appear as `<sub-title>` in XMLTV), the EIT would show: ``` Title text Number of strings 1 Language eng, segments 2 ← TWO segments Segment 0: [TITLE] Segment 1: [SHORT DESCRIPTION] ← This is missing from your stream ``` The sample streams does not contain segment 1 data, so CCExtractor cannot output `<sub-title>` tags. --- #### 2. **ETT (Extended Text) descriptions appear sparsely in ATSC streams** ETT messages are transmitted separately from EIT and cycle slowly through the stream. In your 30-minute capture, only **5-10 ETT messages** overlapped with EIT events in memory. The ETT entries that **did match** correctly appear as `<desc>` tags in the generated XMLTV: - "Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers welcome the No. 10 Cyclones to Mackey Arena." - "The No. 6 Cardinals and No. 22 Hoosiers collide in Indianapolis." - "A tycoons theme-park plans end in murder." If you capture a longer sample (e.g., 3+ hours), you'll see many more `<desc>` tags as more ETT messages arrive. --- ### About TSReader's "Description:" Lines This was the main source of confusion: TSReader’s HTML view uses the label “Description:” for many different MPEG/ATSC descriptor types, not just EPG text. As a result, you see 250+ “Description:” lines, but the majority of them are not actual program descriptions, they are ratings descriptors, AC-3 audio descriptors, or simply “n/a” placeholders, which TSReader displays under the same generic label.*. #### **Examples of NON-EPG "Descriptions" from Your TSReader Output:** **Content Advisory Ratings (NOT descriptions):** ``` Description TV-PG Description TV-14 Description TV-14LV Description TV-PG-L ``` These are **parental ratings**, not program descriptions. They come from the ATSC Content Advisory Descriptor (tag 0x87). **"Description n/a" (No description available):** ``` BREIT Source na BRName Family Feud BRDescription n/a ``` Many events literally have no description in the stream. **AC-3 Audio Technical Descriptors:** ``` Descriptor ATSC AC-3 audio Descriptor ATSC AC3 Descriptor Sample Rate 48 or 44.1 or 32 KHz Bitrate 384 Kbps exact Bitstream mode complete main Audio Coding Mode 3/2 5 L, C, R, SL, SR ``` These are **audio format specifications**, not program descriptions. --- **Actual EPG Descriptions (from ETT):** Only about **5-10 entries** in your TSReader output are **real EPG descriptions**: ``` Description Braden Smith and the No. 1 Boilermakers welcome the No. 10 Cyclones to Mackey Arena. Description A tycoons theme-park plans end in murder. Description Sherlock and Joan must set their differences aside to help Mycroft. ``` **These correctly appear as `<desc>` tags in CCExtractor's XMLTV output**. --- ### Summary | TSReader "Description:" Type | Count | Should Be in XMLTV? | CCExtractor Behavior | |------------------------------|-------|---------------------|----------------------| | Content Advisory Ratings (TV-PG, TV-14, etc.) | ~150+ | No (goes in `<rating>` tag) | Correctly filtered out | | "Description n/a" (missing data) | ~80+ | No | Correctly filtered out | | AC-3 Audio Descriptors | ~250+ | No (technical metadata) | Correctly filtered out | | **Actual ETT Extended Descriptions** | **~5-10** | **Yes** (→ `<desc>`) | **Correctly output** | | EIT Short Descriptions (segment 1) | **0** | Yes (→ `<sub-title>`) | **Not present in stream** | --- ### Conclusion The XMLTV output is **100% correct** for this stream: - **Titles** → present (from EIT segment 0) - **Short descriptions (`<sub-title>`)** → not present **because the broadcaster doesn't transmit them** - **Extended descriptions (`<desc>`)** → present for the 5 events where ETT matched EIT TSReader's 250+ "Description:" lines are mostly **non-EPG metadata** (ratings, audio specs, etc.) that should **not** appear in XMLTV output for PVR applications. --- I’ve pushed all fixes and additions to PR #1773, including the full EIT/ETT implementation. You can pull the updated branch and test it with your TS samples. If you'd like to verify short-description handling and see more <sub-title> / <desc> entries in the XMLTV output, I'd recommend testing with: 1. A stream where the EIT multiple_string has 2 segments (segment 0 = title, segment 1 = short description) 2. A longer capture (ideally 3+ hours) since ATSC ETT messages cycle slowly and longer samples produce far more extended descriptions.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 9, 2025):

Thank you for your further analysis. I agree that the broadcaster is not including EIT <sub-title> strings. I also understand that TSReader uses "Description:" in several contexts. (I apologize for introducing that red herring) However, it is clear from comparison of of your TSDuck ETT analysis of the 30-minute capture with the TSReader output html that there are hundreds of matches between the ETT strings and TSReader's "EIT" table "Description:" strings that are program descriptions, not just the half-dozen that you've pointed out. Therefore, it's clear that TSReader is finding some way to pair the EIT and ETT entries that PR1773 does not, and that there is no need for a much longer capture to find those ETT strings.

My use case (generating an EPG table for a user from the broadcast TS) depends upon using TSReader's approach, whether that conforms strictly to ATSC A/65 or not. I have no control over what the U.S. broadcasters do, so can't PR1773 also adopt TSReader's method of matching EIT and ETT entries?

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 9, 2025): Thank you for your further analysis. I agree that the broadcaster is not including EIT `<sub-title>` strings. I also understand that TSReader uses "Description:" in several contexts. (I apologize for introducing that red herring) However, it is clear from comparison of of your TSDuck ETT analysis of the 30-minute capture with the TSReader output html that there are hundreds of matches between the ETT strings and TSReader's "EIT" table "Description:" strings that are program descriptions, not just the half-dozen that you've pointed out. Therefore, it's clear that TSReader is finding some way to pair the EIT and ETT entries that PR1773 does not, and that there is no need for a much longer capture to find those ETT strings. My use case (generating an EPG table for a user from the broadcast TS) depends upon using TSReader's approach, whether that conforms strictly to ATSC A/65 or not. I have no control over what the U.S. broadcasters do, so can't PR1773 also adopt TSReader's method of matching EIT and ETT entries?
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

@x15sr71 , thank you for sticking with this and getting the ATSC XMLTV output working with EIT-ETT linkage corrected. Well done.

For me, the cherry on the top would be to have also the actual channel names linked to the channel_ID values somehow in the XMLTV output. But if that's too hard to implement I can work around this when building an EPG table for the user.

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): @x15sr71 , thank you for sticking with this and getting the ATSC XMLTV output working with EIT-ETT linkage corrected. Well done. For me, the cherry on the top would be to have also the actual channel names linked to the `channel_ID` values somehow in the XMLTV output. But if that's too hard to implement I can work around this when building an EPG table for the user.
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

Thanks, @TPeterson94070, for validating the ETM_id linkage and the XML output.

You’re right about the channel naming. Currently the XMLTV output uses the numeric source_id as the , even though the TVCT provides richer information like major/minor numbers and short names (e.g. KTVU-HD). Exposing those would be more useful and closer to XMLTV expectations.

That said, mapping TVCT channel metadata cleanly into XMLTV probably deserves a focused follow-up rather than expanding the scope of this PR. I think keeping this change set limited to restoring correct XMLTV generation and fixing EIT–ETT linkage makes review and maintenance easier.

I’ve pushed the final fixes to the PR, so you should be able to try them with your sample streams now.

Thanks again for the detailed testing, analysis, and suggestions — they’ve been very helpful.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): Thanks, @TPeterson94070, for validating the ETM_id linkage and the XML output. You’re right about the channel naming. Currently the XMLTV output uses the numeric source_id as the <display-name>, even though the TVCT provides richer information like major/minor numbers and short names (e.g. KTVU-HD). Exposing those would be more useful and closer to XMLTV expectations. That said, mapping TVCT channel metadata cleanly into XMLTV probably deserves a focused follow-up rather than expanding the scope of this [PR](https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/pull/1773). I think keeping this change set limited to restoring correct XMLTV generation and fixing EIT–ETT linkage makes review and maintenance easier. I’ve pushed the final fixes to the [PR](https://github.com/CCExtractor/ccextractor/pull/1773), so you should be able to try them with your sample streams now. Thanks again for the detailed testing, analysis, and suggestions — they’ve been very helpful.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

@x15sr71 , should I open a new issue for the channel naming or will you undertake a new PR based on the current issue?

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): @x15sr71 , should I open a new issue for the channel naming or will you undertake a new PR based on the current issue?
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

@TPeterson94070 , I’ll be happy to address the channel naming as a follow-up once this PR is merged, so there’s no need to open a separate issue for now. If it turns out to need broader discussion, we can always spin one up later.

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): @TPeterson94070 , I’ll be happy to address the channel naming as a follow-up once this PR is merged, so there’s no need to open a separate issue for now. If it turns out to need broader discussion, we can always spin one up later.
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@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

@x15sr71 , since @cfsmp3 has closed this issue, I guess we need a new one for the channel naming after all. 😉

@TPeterson94070 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): @x15sr71 , since @cfsmp3 has closed this issue, I guess we need a new one for the channel naming after all. 😉
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@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025):

@TPeterson94070, Sure, please go ahead and open a new issue for the channel naming. 🙂

@x15sr71 commented on GitHub (Dec 15, 2025): @TPeterson94070, Sure, please go ahead and open a new issue for the channel naming. 🙂
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Reference: starred/ccextractor#848