Curday.dat Data Format

Discuss the reverse engineering and emulation (as opposed to simulation) of any sort of Prevue hardware, including Atari-based and Amiga-based EPG channels and the Amiga-based Prevue/TV Guide channels.
20CenturyFan
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:36 pm

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by 20CenturyFan »

Sounds interesting. I would be concerned about the space constraints on the ADF though. However, I have noticed through my emulation experience that some files are primarily on the ADF and others on the virtual HD (Your method may instead prove useful for the files that need to be changed on the ADF rather than the HD to be shown, such as the logos/graphic ads for the top half of the screen). However, if your curday.dat and nxtday.dat aren't bloated like mine (which loops one behind the other in a span of 48 hours), it'll work for your listings as well ;)
Matthew Joseph
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:17 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Matthew Joseph »

Your right, 20CenturyFan. I'll make a new topic called "How to put curday.dat without making a startup sequence" for first time users to be more easier to put curday.dat on the ADF instead of virtual HD disk (or DH2).
I'm a guy who loves Prevue/TVGC and other stuff like Power Rangers etc.
Matthew Joseph
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:17 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Matthew Joseph »

20CenturyFan or Arix, how can I add blinking data on the curday.dat source using VPSE+Com Port Data Emulator?
I'm a guy who loves Prevue/TVGC and other stuff like Power Rangers etc.
Matthew Joseph
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:17 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Matthew Joseph »

Finally, I made it. After editing the curday.dat file on 0xED (and putting the current dates on XVI32), it worked. (And it features my data from a cable company.)
(NOTE: I posted a image like a real TVGC with the data blinking via my VPSE+Com Port Data Emulator, it looks like a real guide bought in 1999 but still used in their hotel (LOL). And I have a download link to see my listings on.)
Attachments
curday.zip
(3.8 KiB) Downloaded 766 times
picture1.png
picture1.png (50.91 KiB) Viewed 16212 times
I'm a guy who loves Prevue/TVGC and other stuff like Power Rangers etc.
Bolt96
Posts: 132
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 12:02 am

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Bolt96 »

Matthew Joseph wrote:Finally, I made it. After editing the curday.dat file on 0xED (and putting the current dates on XVI32), it worked. (And it features my data from a cable company.)
(NOTE: I posted a image like a real TVGC with the data blinking via my VPSE+Com Port Data Emulator, it looks like a real guide bought in 1999 but still used in their hotel (LOL). And I have a download link to see my listings on.)
Cool! Are these live listings from a data source or did you just edit the listings manually?
Matthew Joseph
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:17 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Matthew Joseph »

Bolt96 wrote: Cool! Are these live listings from a data source or did you just edit the listings manually?
Well, it is edited manually using 0xED for the Mac, then since the dates changes everyday, so I can't try to loop for 24-48 hours so I insert the dates on XVI32 (that tin answered) on Windows. The blinking data is from VSPE and Com Port Data Emulator and that is not a live data your thinking, my cable company has 67 channels (-2 channels) but this a fake cable company with my VPSE+Com Port using another. I do realize that it might take 30 to 70 days to finish 1 curday.dat file on a REAL cable company due to programming on international channels, lack of symbols that we found on the PrevueC.font (like Hindi or Chinese), and lack of time to do this. But for a fake cable company, like 10 to 40 channels, it might take 3-25 hours to finish.
I'm a guy who loves Prevue/TVGC and other stuff like Power Rangers etc.
kwest93
Posts: 221
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2011 2:47 am

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by kwest93 »

Matthew Joseph wrote:
Bolt96 wrote: Cool! Are these live listings from a data source or did you just edit the listings manually?
Well, it is edited manually using 0xED for the Mac, then since the dates changes everyday, so I can't try to loop for 24-48 hours so I insert the dates on XVI32 (that tin answered) on Windows. The blinking data is from VSPE and Com Port Data Emulator and that is not a live data your thinking, my cable company has 67 channels (-2 channels) but this a fake cable company with my VPSE+Com Port using another. I do realize that it might take 30 to 70 days to finish 1 curday.dat file on a REAL cable company due to programming on international channels, lack of symbols that we found on the PrevueC.font (like Hindi or Chinese), and lack of time to do this. But for a fake cable company, like 10 to 40 channels, it might take 3-25 hours to finish.
mine is kinda based on SkyPerfecTV in japan. it was formally DirecTV Japan when Primestar Prevue was on in America back in 1998.
Matthew Joseph
Posts: 104
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 4:17 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by Matthew Joseph »

kwest93 wrote: mine is kinda based on SkyPerfecTV in japan. it was formally DirecTV Japan when Primestar Prevue was on in America back in 1998.
@kwest93: Good. Cable guides are anywhere around the world depending in your area. Just try to buy a TV guide or look for the EPG in your SkyPerfecTV box. Anyway, if found in this Wikipedia article that there are more than 1,000+ channels on your SkyPerfecTV.

For now I am still half-done with my real cables curday.dat file. I am on channel 22 which is a Star Sports entry. I might be ending on Friday or next Friday if I can finish 68 channels for it (but due to lacking of characters we see on the PrevueC font and lacking of schedule in some networks, I prefer to skip some channels and add some personal channels).

I'll might try this week if I can insert the curday.dat file on my Com Port Data Emulator and insert some of the CTRL data formats (110-baud control feed) if AriX or tin is online. Also I might try the H download command that AriX said about the H download command to update the config.dat on the same program (Com Port Data Emulator).
I'm a guy who loves Prevue/TVGC and other stuff like Power Rangers etc.
tin
Posts: 567
Joined: Sat May 08, 2010 9:54 pm

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by tin »

I'd definitely work on some scripting to get listings into your emulated Amiga via serial :)
20CenturyFan
Posts: 93
Joined: Tue Sep 06, 2011 3:36 pm

Re: Curday.dat Data Format

Post by 20CenturyFan »

Matthew Joseph wrote:
kwest93 wrote: mine is kinda based on SkyPerfecTV in japan. it was formally DirecTV Japan when Primestar Prevue was on in America back in 1998.
@kwest93: Good. Cable guides are anywhere around the world depending in your area. Just try to buy a TV guide or look for the EPG in your SkyPerfecTV box. Anyway, if found in this Wikipedia article that there are more than 1,000+ channels on your SkyPerfecTV.

For now I am still half-done with my real cables curday.dat file. I am on channel 22 which is a Star Sports entry. I might be ending on Friday or next Friday if I can finish 68 channels for it (but due to lacking of characters we see on the PrevueC font and lacking of schedule in some networks, I prefer to skip some channels and add some personal channels).

I'll might try this week if I can insert the curday.dat file on my Com Port Data Emulator and insert some of the CTRL data formats (110-baud control feed) if AriX or tin is online. Also I might try the H download command that AriX said about the H download command to update the config.dat on the same program (Com Port Data Emulator).
Sounds like you've been emulating the Prevue Channel the same way I have been (VSPE+COM Emulator). I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else can get the serial to do something besides activate "blinky". I wish I had the time to do a whole cable lineup, but for now I am sticking with the broadcast lineup from my old hometown as well as some channels I made up as well. Have you tried KMPlayer to put videos and music, etc in a rotation on the top half of your screen? 8-)
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