[mythtv-users] Let's get our heads straight here on listings solutions

Mattias Holmlund mattias.holmlund at gmail.com
Fri Jun 22 18:30:34 UTC 2007


On 6/22/07, jedi at mishnet.org <jedi at mishnet.org> wrote:
> They're already giving it away for free. We're only asking them to
> provide it in a slightly different format.

Let me give you some perspective from Sweden. I run the tv.swedb.se
backend that provides listings for MythTV users in Sweden via xmltv.
We have contracts with all major tv-stations in Sweden (currently 13)
which gives us access to TV-listings via their press-services. I
aggregate this data and publish it in xmltv-format.

The format and quality of this data varies wildly. Some provide data
in CSV-format. Some in html. A few in XML. But the most common format
is Microsoft Word. Someone at the TV-station manually types their
schedule into Microsoft Word and sends it out via e-mail!

Asking the TV-stations to provide data in a common format is useless.
I know because I have tried. They have no idea how to generate another
format. I am happy as long as they provide data in a consistent format
that doesn't change every week.

I don't know if TV-stations in the US have more technical knowledge,
but I doubt it. That's why TMS has a business converting all these
formats into a common format that everyone can use.

/Mattias

-- 
Mattias Holmlund
http://www.holmlund.se/mattias/


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