MacProgramGuide Quick Start Guide

Version: 1.00

Date: 1 October 2012

This guide will help you get MacProgramGuide up and running and introduce you to some of the main features of the program.   MacProgramGuide uses program and schedule data provided by Tribune Media Services via Schedules Direct.  CoolMacSoftware/MacWoodworking LLC have no affiliation to Tribune Media Services.

The guide is divided into 2 sections, the first guides you through the setup process and the second reviews the screens and features of MacProgramGuide.

Setup

Overview

The steps involved.

1) Signup for the Schedules Direct service

2) Create a channel lineup.

3) Launch MacProgramGuide and enter your Schedules Direct username and password.

Signing up for the Schedules Direct Service

Schedules Direct is a Web Service that provides television schedules and program information for US and Canadian zipcodes.  The cost and policies of the Schedules Direct service can be found at http://www.schedulesdirect.org

To sign up for the Schedules Direct  go to https://www.schedulesdirect.org/signup 

Enter the required information, see below:

After completing the form and agreeing to the Subscriber Agreement and Terms of Service remember to indicate your using MacProgramGuide.  Remember the email and password values entered on the form you will need to enter these later into MacProgramGuide.

Click the continue button to create the account.

See Below:

Once you have completed your registration you will define a lineup.  This is where you define the channels that you’d like MacProgramGuide to receive data for.  The first step is enter your zipcode and select the lineup:

Once a lineup is selected, then you select the channels in the lineup:

Once this is complete the Schedule Direct setup is complete.

Launch MacProgramGuide, if this is the first time it has been run after the license agreement, you will be presented with a dialog to enter the Schedules Direct username and password.  Alternately, you may enter the Schedules Direct username and password in the preferences window.  

MacProgramGuide Overview

Main Window

Main Window Parts

Toolbar

Navigation Control 

The navigation control is the primary tool for selecting what schedule data is displayed in the schedule view.  The navigation control consists of forward or back buttons which move the schedule display ahead or back 1 hour at a time.  

The Navigation Control also consists of Day and Time Navigation Buttons.

The Day Navigation Button serves 2 purposes, first allows you to jump to any days schedule data that is loaded locally.  Second, it indicates the number of days of schedule data that is downloaded locally in the menu.  The Day Navigation Button is shown below.

The Time Navigation Button allows you to jump to a specific time  The Time Navigation Button is shown below.

Download Control 

The Download Control initiates the download of 1 days worth of schedule data.  This control can be used multiple times to load data locally.  The number of days worth of data that can be downloaded is limited by the value set in the preferences.

View Selection Control 

The view selection control is used to switch between the schedule view and the search view.

Search Control 

The Search Control hold the text used for search functions.  The search function locates programs with the search term anywhere in the title.

Program Info Panel and Status Bar

Status Text

This area contains the status of the most recently performed function.  

Current Time

Contains the current time, clicking on this will change the schedule view to the current time.

Program Information

The program Information area displays details of the currently selected program, see the part descriptions below.

Broadcast Features

This area contains icons for broadcast features of the currently selected programs, these include the TV Rating, if Closed Captioning is available, if the program is broadcast in stereo or if the program is High Definition.

Crew Icon

This icon indicates if crew data is present, clicking on the icon will display the crew information.  See below.

Action Commands 

This control contains operations that can be performed on the currently selected program.  The current version of the software contains four built-in operations plus the ability to extend these commands by adding your own scripts.  The following commands are built-in:

Add selection to iCal

Schedule Recording in EyeTV

Lookup on Amazon

Google Selection

Scripts Menu

 The scripts menu is shown below

Schedule with EyeTV adds a record event with EyeTV and includes the Program and Episode information.

Add To iCal add the selected program event to the iCal Calendar MacProgramGuide.

Find on Amazon does a search on Amazon for DVDs matching the program title.  The results are displayed as shown below.

 Search View

The search view is shown below.