Content Provider: How to publish XMLTV data?

[skoka123]

Hi,

I am from India. We do not have a good source of EPG. Microsoft supplies EPG for only 112 channels while there are over 250 channels.

I have convinced a content aggregator to provide their EPG to the general public in XMLTV format. They are currently working on it and it should be ready in a week's time.

The problem is that the EPG is over 30MB in XML format. While this is required for the initial load of the EPG data into PVR applications, later on all that is required is to load just the changes to the EPG data.

The changes could be change in Movie, Rescheduled Sports events and of course new guide data for future days. How can just this information be published by the provider?

How can I tell the provider that I need the following Guide information?

• Partial Guide
  

[INDENT]

1. Need only 130 of 250 channels
   
2. Need updates to the existing guide data
   
3. Need new guide data for future dates[/INDENT]
   

• Need the complete guide data
  

It is very important that the guide data has to be in XMLTV format so as to make it work with as many PVR applications as possible.

What are the available XMLTV download tools?

Any help / guidance is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Srikanth Koka

[whurlston]

The best method for delivery would probably be to provide a SOAP feed.

[skoka123]

The best method for delivery would probably be to provide a SOAP feed.

Thanks for that!

I have painstakingly followed up with them for the last six months and finally they have agreed to look at this. I have managed to get XMLs off their website and transform those XMLs to XMLTV format through the help of some friends and colleagues.

I am now looking for an easier and legal way of getting the EPG to the general public.

Off to do some research of SOAP, now!

[whurlston]

I'm sure if you talk to the XmlTv devs, I'm confident they can help you come up with a good solution. They're a good group of guys and were instrumental in setting up Schedules Direct here in the US and it uses a SOAP interface. sub here at GBPVR would help I'm sure, but he has been pretty swamped as of late.

[skoka123]

How do I get in touch with the developers of XMLTV?

[whurlston]

The project admins are listed at http://sourceforge.net/projects/xmltv/ under the "Details" tab. If you click on them, it should give you contact details. I've had some contact with Robert (rmeden) in the past when he was helping to set up Schedules Direct. Good guy.

[skoka123]

Thanks I will contact them.