What "URI" identifier for local TV resources?

Applications which are _local_ to a particular cable
infrastructure, such as EPGs, often need to designate explicit
channel number (and sometimes tuner) to the settop client in a
web page.  Similarly, the settop itself may generate HTML
content with explicit channel numbers.  Under the tv: scheme,
this would be done with tv:<chan#>.
   
Just as many desktop applications require "file:" to identify
local file resources, some STB content and appliations need a
scheme to identify local TV resources.

So are local, client-relative channels specifiable under the
current URI proposal?  I didn't see any examples.  By analogy
with "file:" (which has an optional hostname in RFC1738:
http://www.w3.org/Addressing/rfc1738.txt, see also
http://www.w3.org/Addressing/URL/4_1_File.html), it might be
something like btv://localhost/5 or dropping the hostname,
just btv:/5.  Or has the intention been to leave this sort of
identification to the "tv:" scheme?

[By way of introduction, I work at Network Computer (previously
Navio) on our nextgen client architecture.  Until now, I've been
too busy with product to participate on www-tv.  But I have been
impressed with the work the group has accomplished, and I look
forward to participating.]

-jim

Jim Helman
Network Computer
jim@nc.com
650.631.4638

Received on Friday, 26 March 1999 15:45:12 UTC