Re: Resolving btv URLs

From: Michael A. Dolan (miked@tbt.com)
Date: Wed, May 12 1999 

Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990512142336.00a81640@cts.com>
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 14:23:36 -0700
To: www-tv@w3.org
From: "Michael A. Dolan" <miked@tbt.com>
Subject: Re: Resolving btv URLs

Gomer-

I understand all these non-opaque scenarios are possible, and while
skeptical, will go along with the idea they could be defined.

But, I think more work needs to be done to define exactly how these URI's
would be parsed and resolved unambiguously by a receiver, and in a
transport-independent manner (i.e. noone on this list probably even knows
what a DST is).

Otherwise, their construction and resolution is by author-receiver mutual
convention only, and thus not really normative to the basic URI spec.

Or worse, it becomes transport-dependent.

	Mike

At 05:12 PM 5/12/99 -0400, Gomer Thomas wrote:
>Also, the URIs would not be entirely opaque. For example, a URI referring to
>a data item in a data carousel being broadcast as part of a data event could
>consist of a leading portion identifying the data event, followed by a path
>which defines how to navigate the Data Service Table and the Carousel
>directory to get to the data item. Moreover, for program events which are
>developed by a broadcaster for its own channel, such as local evening news,
>the event URI may often consist of the channel URI followed by terms. In
>this case the database may only need to contain the channel URI, and the
>receiver can tune to the channel to pick up the "DNS" records to resolve a
>reference to the specific event.
>
>Craig A. Finseth wrote:
>
>>         ...
>>    My guess is that it would look something like:
>>
>>      1) The content developer, e.g. Disney, must define a set of
>>         btv: URLs for the TV networks and/or shows which it wishes
>>         to access.
>>
>> Correct.  They're the ones that know what resources they want to access.
>>
>>      2) It must specify the TV network and/or show associated with each
>>         btv: URL.
>>
>> or other information, correct.
>>
>>      3) It must provide the resulting database to the network
>>         operators (cable, DSS, ISP, etc.).
>>
>> Yes, this information will be carried as part of the data content.
>>
>>      4) The network operator must convert the database into a
>>         proprietary format which its STB clients can understand
>>         (e.g. ATSC channels and times).
>>
>> Yes, except for the "proprietary" part (unless it's a propriatary
>> broadcast format).  The format for conveying the information to the
>> broadcaster should be a standard.  We are working on an ATSC table
>> definition to carry the mappings (and this same table should pretty
>> much work on DVB, too).
>>
>>    Is this correct?  Has there been any discussion as to how these
>>    mappings are maintained, communicated and translated?
>>
>> Huge amounts, mainly within ATSC.
>>
>> Craig
>
>
>
>--
>Gomer Thomas
>LGERCA, Inc.
>40 Washington Road
>Princeton Junction, NJ 08550
>phone: 609-716-3513
>fax: 609-716-3503
>
>
>
>
------------------------------------------------------
Michael A. Dolan, Representing DIRECTV,  (619)445-9070   
PO Box 1673 Alpine, CA 91903        FAX: (619)445-6122