XMLTV Questions

[-Oz-]

I'm working on my app for taking the Yahoo Go TV listings and converting them to XMLTV and have run into a few questions.

For the channels part, which is the way it should be done:

Code:

<channel id="0047"><display-name lang="en">FX</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0048"><display-name lang="en">SPIKE</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0049"><display-name lang="en">BET</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0050"><display-name lang="en">MTV</display-name></channel>

or

Code:

<channel id="0047"><display-name lang="en">FX Networks Inc.</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0048"><display-name lang="en">Spike TV</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0049"><display-name lang="en">Black Entertainment Television</display-name></channel>
<channel id="0050"><display-name lang="en">Music Television (Pacific)</display-name></channel>

or something else?

Also, for programs?

1. Do the programs have to be in order by time, channels, any?
   
2. Are there any fields GB-PVR doesn't use?
   

I'm sure I'll have more as I do more work.

[sub]

Use the channel names you'd prefer to see in the app. I suspect that would be the former of those two examples.

Do the programs have to be in order by time, channels, any?

No, the programmes dont need to be listed in any order.

Are there any fields GB-PVR doesn't use?

I cant remember the exact names, but it doesnt use the actor fields and the only that says a show is in stereo. These are optional fields that arent used in many xmltv files I've seen.

[-Oz-]

Any idea where I would put original air date (which I know is useful for some programs) or genre?

[whurlston]

Any idea where I would put original air date (which I know is useful for some programs) or genre?

Save it in a <date> tag:

<programme start="20070623010000 +0000" stop="20070623020000 +0000" channel="I10035.labs.zap2it.com" clumpidx="0/1">
<title lang="en">CSI: Miami</title>
<sub-title lang="en">Free Fall</sub-title>
<desc lang="en">The CSI team must find whoever is trying to kill a couple, recently released from jail, whose misdeeds turned them into media darlings.</desc>
<date>20060410</date>
<category lang="en">Crime drama</category>
<category lang="en">Action</category>
<category lang="en">Suspense</category>
<category lang="en">Series</category>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">EP524061.0092</episode-num>
<episode-num system="onscreen">420</episode-num>

[-Oz-]

so whulston, how does the program know what channel exists if there isn't a channel number but rather some random code like the url thing above?

[sub]

Any idea where I would put original air date (which I know is useful for some programs) or genre?

I dont think I've ever seen an original air date in an xmltv file. GB-PVR will just ignore it if you put it in.

[whurlston]

so whulston, how does the program know what channel exists if there isn't a channel number but rather some random code like the url thing above?

<programme start="20070623010000 +0000" stop="20070623020000 +0000" channel="I10035.labs.zap2it.com" clumpidx="0/1">

And that corresponds to:

<channel id="I10035"><display-name>158 AETV</display-name></channel>

Notice that the "display-name" actually contains the channel number and name. The "channel id" is the very first field in the yahoo listings text file.

[whurlston]

I dont think I've ever seen an original air date in an xmltv file. GB-PVR will just ignore it if you put it in.

Good to know. Which field is used to determine whether the program is a repeat or not?

[Jim_]

Hi -OZ-
The US and Canada xmltv downloads have a large number of extra features that arent available in most other countries and aren’t used -by default- in GBPVR. Original Air Date is part of the download and listed in the <date> field.

If you want to look at a full xmltv download you can install xmlt or TVGuideSupercharger (I-xmltv) in my sig. I-xmltv will walk you through the xmltv download and setup, and save the original download as xmltv.xml so you can look at it. We have many extra features in the states that GBPVR does not use by default, but utilities like I-xmltv, ZapTools and EPG Extra are designed to add the extra info into the guide.

Hope this helps.

Jim

These are the major documents describing the format and fields available as downloaded by Yahoo Go TV and xmltv.

XMLTV definition
http://membled.com/work/apps/xmltv/xmltv.dtd.pdf

Data Dirrect definition
http://docs.tms.tribune.com/tech/tmsdata...nition.pdf

Code:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<!DOCTYPE tv SYSTEM "xmltv.dtd">

<tv source-info-url="http://labs.zap2it.com/" source-info-name="TMS Data Direct Service" generator-info-name="XMLTV" generator-info-url="http://www.xmltv.org/">

  <channel id="I10035.labs.zap2it.com">
    <display-name>41 AETV</display-name>
    <display-name>41 AETV IA65901:-</display-name>
    <display-name>41</display-name>
    <display-name>AETV</display-name>
    <display-name>A &amp; E Network</display-name>
    <display-name>Satellite</display-name>
  </channel>

  <programme start="20070627013000 UTC" stop="20070627020000 UTC" channel="I10035.labs.zap2it.com">
    <title lang="en">Dog the Bounty Hunter</title>
    <sub-title lang="en">The Last Call</sub-title>
    <desc lang="en">Fugitives surrender at Dog's office.</desc>
    [B][SIZE="4"]<date>20070626</date>[/SIZE][/B]
    <category lang="en">Reality</category>
    <category lang="en">Crime</category>
    <category lang="en">Law</category>
    <category lang="en">Series</category>
    <episode-num system="dd_progid">EP675082.0099</episode-num>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">85</episode-num>
    <subtitles type="teletext" />
    <rating system="VCHIP">
      <value>TV-PG</value>
    </rating>
  </programme>

</tv>

[Jim_]

Good to know. Which field is used to determine whether the program is a repeat or not?

The original air date field.
There’s also a repeat field (or something like it), but the oad was more reliable back when I set up my utility.

Jim