the next version of eyetv3 may support XMLTV

I recently had the chance to get my hands on a beta version of elgato eyetv (v3.0.1b31). The cool thing about it? It will read TV listings from XMLTV files!

XMLTV is very important for users that live in areas for wich titanTV or tvtv has few or no information -like Greece, where I live.

I created an XMLTV file with the greek TV stations and their listings for the next couple of days. Then I drag'n'dropped it on eyetv, and... wow! For the first time in the last 3 years that I have been using eyetv, I was able to have a TV guide on it!

Once eyetv reads the XML file, you can go to the "Channels" listing and map your existing channels with the ones in the XML file. The "EPG" column will have one more option now, "xmltv". Just click on it and eyetv it will try and match the TV station name you have set manually with the ones in XML. If it can't you are presented with a list of all the channels in the XML file, and you pick the one you want.

I wish they added some more features in the final release, like the ability to subscribe to a remote XMLTV URL -in the same way you can manually subscribe to a podcast in iTunes by entering the feed URL. This would allow advanced users (it may require some hackery) to make their XMLTV files public for the less tech savvy.

The bottom line: I love it!