Program Identifiers [was Re: Where are we?]

From: Michael A. Dolan (miked@tbt.com)
Date: Mon, Oct 11 1999 

Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19991011072409.009e08c0@cts.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 07:24:09 -0700
To: www-tv@w3c.org
From: "Michael A. Dolan" <miked@tbt.com>
Subject: Program Identifiers [was Re: Where are we?]

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Ahah.  Yes, these are opaque program identifiers and reused over time 
(small namespace).  I'm not sure if they will make it into the 
digital transports as tagged program meta-information or not 
(certainly not as a standard, but perhaps by convention over time).  
The studios are thinking UMID for this same basic purpose, but these 
are unique over time and space.

Either way, however the world starts to unambiguously identify 
programs, as Harold notes, we should have a scheme for handling them. 
 It is not tv: as currently contemplated, though....

	Mike

At 07:55 AM 10/11/99 -0400, Jim Carruthers wrote:
>Michael/Harald:
>
>ShowView is the European name for Gemstar's VCR Plus+ system.
>
>Cheers
>Jim
>
>Harald Tveit Alvestrand wrote:
>> 
>> > >2) As a TV watcher, when I've identified a channel, the next 
level
>> >of
>> > >identification is commonly a timeslot, as is done by the 
ShowView
>> > >bizarre-digit scheme here in Norway, for instance.
>> > >I would regard content as being an orthogonal identifier, but
>> >timeslot
>> > >seems intrinsically channel-bound.
>> >
>> >Can you forward the syntax of the scheme you refer to?
>> 
>> 1*9DIGIT, unfortunately.
>> 
>> The ShowView system uses a proprietary algorithm to compress date, 
time and
>> channel number into something that's compact enough to be printed 
in
>> program listings, and that can be punched with reasonable 
reliability on a
>> videorecorder's remote control.
>> 
>> They earn royalties from both the VCR recorder people and the 
people who
>> use their stuff in program listings, and have NOT made the 
algorithm public.
>> 
>> Unfortunately.
>> 
>>                        Harald
>> 
>> --
>> Harald Tveit Alvestrand, Maxware, Norway
>> Harald.Alvestrand@maxware.no
>
>
>
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Michael A. Dolan, Representing DIRECTV,  (619)445-9070   
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