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MasterCephus
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 156
Location: Hueytown, AL
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 Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 5:23 am Post subject: Metadata files |
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So I was sitting here wondering why we don't use xml files instead of flat text files? I assume that pyTivo just reads the files and pushes the data to the Tivo along with the video file...so why not use xml?
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stealthdave
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Santa Monica, CA
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 9:44 am Post subject: |
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Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like the current format is the same one used by the TiVo Desktop software
http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?p=5722528#post5722528
There is an xml format for this data out there using the "hacked" tivo formats (.tmf and .ty+; search the Deal Database forums for more details). If you have a hacked TiVo and install mfs_ftp, you can actually extract just the metadata xml file for a given program. Keeping the existing format probably makes a certain amount of sense because it allows you to use metadata provided by TiVo Desktop. XML would be nice because it's a fairly standard format and could also allow for some backwards compatibility with old Series 1 and Series 2 w/o HMO (i.e., DirecTV).
One possibility would be to support both formats, using the file extension (.xml or .txt) to determine how to process it. If both are present, use .txt as default.
All it takes is a developer with time on his hands. 
- Dave
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MasterCephus
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 156
Location: Hueytown, AL
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 10:49 am Post subject: |
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Well I was just thinking that it would make the metagenerator's life a lot easier if it were in an XML format...
And I have another metadata manager idea that I was tossing in my head that I would like to do so it would be a good time to switch if we did it...
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wmcbrine
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 444
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:02 am Post subject: |
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Eh? I'm not aware of any ability to use metadata with TiVo Desktop (unless you count the data inside .tivo files). That message is about tags that will work in pyTivo.
When I first added metadata to pyTivo, it was description-only, as a text file. As we discovered more useful tags, I suggested just passing through the XML, which is how it ends up anyway. But armooo had a different idea.
One reason might be that the XML served to the TiVo actually comes in two parts, with different sets of tags, both of which pyTivo generates from the same metadata file. Also, I suppose it saves typing (if you're making the metadata files by hand); and some validation is necessary anyway, since not all combinations of tags are valid. Anyway, what's done is done, and at this point, adding the ability to switch between text and XML would only add more code to pyTivo, for little benefit that I can see.
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Last edited by wmcbrine on Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:44 am; edited 1 time in total |
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danimal4326
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:33 am Post subject: |
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you can also extract XML from .tivo files as well that you transfer over with TivoDesktop or the pytivo web admin thingy..
the program "tdcat" comes with the tivodecode source..
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wmcbrine
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 444
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:43 am Post subject: |
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One thing that would be useful: a way to convert XML from the TiVo to pyTivo metadata files. I was going to add this to the TiVoToGo function in the admin module, but it could work as a standalone program, too.
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danimal4326
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:23 pm Post subject: |
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Hmm seems to be somewhat of a difference in the XML from .tivo files and the XML from files i transfer from pytivo to my TiVo, then back again to my pc.
| Description: |
| XML from pyTivo transferred file - chunk 1 |
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Download |
| Filename: |
Family Guy - pytivo - chunk 1.xml.txt |
| Filesize: |
4.83 KB |
| Downloaded: |
13 Time(s) |
| Description: |
| XML from .tivo file - chunk 2 |
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Download |
| Filename: |
Family Guy - .tivo - chunk 2.xml.txt |
| Filesize: |
5.75 KB |
| Downloaded: |
13 Time(s) |
| Description: |
| XML from .tivo file - chunk 1 |
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Download |
| Filename: |
Family Guy - .tivo - chunk 1.xml.txt |
| Filesize: |
5.04 KB |
| Downloaded: |
14 Time(s) |
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danimal4326
Joined: 14 Apr 2008
Posts: 20
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| Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2008 1:24 pm Post subject: |
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another file
| Description: |
| XML from pyTivo transferred file - chunk 2 |
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Download |
| Filename: |
Family Guy - pytivo - chunk 2.xml.txt |
| Filesize: |
5.55 KB |
| Downloaded: |
12 Time(s) |
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stealthdave
Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 16
Location: Santa Monica, CA
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| Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:42 pm Post subject: |
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| wmcbrine wrote: |
Eh? I'm not aware of any ability to use metadata with TiVo Desktop (unless you count the data inside .tivo files). That message is about tags that will work in pyTivo. |
On Mac OS X, TiVo Desktop will generate a properties file with the same name as the mpg, but with .properties as the extension. I guess I made the assumption that these were compatible. I don't know which parameters are accepted, but here's a sample file that's autogenerated when you drop a compatible file into the folder:
| Code: | #Sun Aug 17 19:37:16 PDT 2008
description=
title=Terminator- The Sarah Connor Chronicles - The Turk.mpg
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If you edit this file, whatever you enter shows up on the TiVo.
- Dave
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philhu
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 121
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:49 am Post subject: Re: Metadata files |
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| MasterCephus wrote: | So I was sitting here wondering why we don't use xml files instead of flat text files? I assume that pyTivo just reads the files and pushes the data to the Tivo along with the video file...so why not use xml? |
The flat text files is from Tivo. It is used internally to create their listing 'slices' of data, and a few user programs took it on to build their listings. The keyword fields are 98% the same as Tivo uses and the field formats, with one exception or two, are the same too.
Do a google on 'ParseXMLGuide'. This is/was the program that let a user create Tivo 'slices' to load up a program guide using Zap2It xml listings. All long gone. (I am the author of this 'work).
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wmcbrine
Joined: 04 Jan 2008
Posts: 444
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| Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:52 am Post subject: |
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| stealthdave wrote: | On Mac OS X, TiVo Desktop will generate a properties file with the same name as the mpg, but with .properties as the extension. |
Interesting! That's the first I've heard of it, but I admit, I've never been a big TiVo Desktop user. I wonder if there's any analog in the Windows version?
It appears they wouldn't quite be compatible, since that's using '=' as the separator, and pyTivo uses ':'.
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