[mythtv-users] tv guide line-up free

[Michael T. Dean]

On 09/05/2007 06:57 PM, Robert Current wrote:
> Ok, for the sake of discussion only, legality aside, it's just an
> idea.  I'll throw out an idea.  I'm sure this has been discussed
> before, but I don't remember, and I'm sure Chuck the original poster
> of the question hasn't heard this idea.
>
> So, there are multiple data sources…  just assume that for a moment,
> like people who pull complete 3, 7, 20 day EIT data from Dish Network.
>  People who pull data from scrapers.  People who download the data
> from Zap2It with a working UUID.  The already mentioned Yahoo to Go
> links…  Just assume there is data, from somewhere…
>
> Ok, If there was data, regardless of the source, a simple script could
> be written to export and import the data.  Pull it out of the
> mythconverg database and into a file, most logically, an sql file that
> can easily be re-imported by another user.
>
> Then (here comes the flame-bait), that file could very easily and
> quickly be distributed as a torrent, hopefully with some logical name.
>  For example:
> 2007-7-14-to-2007-7-21-Yahoo-Local-Boston-Cable-4myth.torrent
> I'd guess that torrent would be 7 days of mythconverg listing data
> that came from Yahoo listing data for local cable in Boston, wouldn't
> you?
>
> Import and export scripts would be easy…  Would the download rate of
> the torrent cripple this concept?
>
> Please, legality aside for the moment, because no one can assume the
> data source is legal or illegal, we are already assuming that this
> would work with ANY data source, so you can't claim it wouldn't work
> with legal data, or that it would only work with illegal data.
>
> If the basic scripts can be done, then surely this could become an
> automated plugin.  It may take interaction from the user to select the
> data they need, but other than that, the rest could be automated.

I think it would work with either legally- or illegally-obtained data. 
I also think that even if it's legally-obtained data, when you start
redistributing that data, you're opening a whole other legal can or worms.

Besides, you don't need to redistribute it.  Just let each person run
the program that gets the data in the first place.  That program simply
has to be able to output an XMLTV file, or, with XMLTV baseline
compliance could even be used directly by Myth 0.20.2 or above.

The "script" to import the data is mythfilldatabase (which just needs
XMLTV data).  There's no need for a script to export the data since
everyone can just retrieve the data using their chosen means ("people
who pull complete 3, 7, 20 day EIT data from Dish Network. People who
pull data from scrapers. People who download the data from Zap2It with a
working UUID. The already mentioned Yahoo to Go links…").

Oh--and sorry to say a bad word, but I just thought I'd mention even
though you did not propose it--redistributing Schedules Direct data is
explicitly forbidden in the subscription agreement (
http://www.schedulesdirect.org/sagreement ).  And, though you also
weren't discussing doing so, just for good measure, I'll mention that
sharing one SD account (which allows 4 lineups) with your 3 best friends
is also forbidden.

I'm not saying that you planned to do such.  I'm just showing you an
example of the difference between using data and redistributing data. 
(Not a personal attack...  No offense intended...)
 
Mike