XMLTV

eXtensible Markup Language for TeleVision (commonly abbreviated as XMLTV) is an emerging open source data markup standard for describing the contents of TV Program Listings. It has gained a reputation as the defacto markup language for modeling TV Listings, Live programming and TV viewing histories which commonly feed into or are the product of EPGs Programme Listing grids. XMLTV allows developers to repurpose a viewer's TV scheduling information (TV line-up) and perform additional features such as sending reminder notifications, providing previews or "in case you missed it" updates and playbacks, linking to the official website of a given TV show (called a programme in XMLTV), and more, on data that is traditional only displayed in a flat and boring, mostly non user-friendly list or grid format.

Service

SchedulesDirect - DataDirect (DD) XMLTV Web Service: http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2614 | WSDL | [http://dd.schedulesdirect.org/schedulesdirect/tvlistings/xtvdService WEB SERVICE} (REPLACES TMS)
Tribune Media Services (TMS): http://www.tribunemediaservices.com/products-and-services/television/ | TMS SOAP Web Service - WSDL (formerly powered SchedulesDirect, now simply redirects to it)^[1]
SchedulesDirect - Offical Documentation and Sample Programs (for TMS Web Service): http://forums.schedulesdirect.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=568

Structure

To summarize the structure, XMLTV looks like the following:

 tv
 |
 |- channel
 |     |
 |      - display-name
 |
 |- programme
 |     |
 |     |- title
 |     |
 |     |- desc
 |     |
 |     |- credits
 |     |    |
 |     |    |- actor
 |     |    ...
 |     |
 |     |- episode-num
 |     |       |
 |     |      ...
 |     |- date
 |     |
 |     |- country
 |     |
 |     |- video 
 |     |
 |     |- star-rating
 |     |      |
 |     |     ...
 |     |
 |     |- rating
 |     |    |
 |     |   ...
 |    ...

Examples

Generic EPG (prime-time): http://bcmoney-mobiletv.com/epg/
UK -- XMLTV EPG: http://www.xmltv.co.uk/ | FEEDS | VIEWER
Personalized (day-by-day) with iCal reminders: http://bcmoney-mobiletv.com/epg/xsltv/tv.php

XML

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
 <!DOCTYPE tv SYSTEM "xmltv.dtd">
 <tv generator-info-name="BCmoney MobileTV EPG">
        <channel id="das-erste.de">
          <icon src=""/>
          <url/>
          <display-name lang="en">ARD</display-name>
          <display-name lang="de">Das Erste</display-name>
        </channel>
           ...
 	<programme channel="3sat.de" start="200006031633" end="200006042798">
          <title/>
          <sub-title/>
          <desc>
              Blah Blah Blah.
          </desc>
          <desc lang="ar">
              Dirka Dirka Dirka.
          </desc>
          <credits>
               <actor>a</actor>
               <actor>b</actor>
                     ...
               <writer/>
                     ...
               <director>blah</director>
                     ...
               <adapter/>
                     ...
               <producer/>
                     ...
               <presenter/>
                     ...
               <commentator/>
                     ...
               <guest/>
                     ...
          </credits>		
          <category/>
               <language/>
               <orig-language/>
               <length units=""/>
               <icon src=""/>
               <url/>
               <date>19901011</date>
               <country>ES</country>
               <episode-num system="xmltv_ns">2 . 9 . 0/1</episode-num>
               <video>
                     <present/>
                     <colour/>
                     <aspect>16:9</aspect>
                     <quality/>
               </video>
               <audio>
                     <present/>
                     <stereo/>
               </audio>
               <previously-shown/>
               <premiere/>
               <last-chance/>
               <new/>
               <subtitles>
                     <language/>
               </subtitles>
               <rating system="MPAA">
                     <value>PG</value>
                     <icon src="pg_symbol.png" />
               </rating>
               <star-rating>
                     <value>3/3</value>
                     <icon src=""/>
               </star-rating>
       </programme>
        ...
 </tv>

Generated from the official XMLTV DTD. A (possibly slightly out of date) mirror is available at: http://bcmoney-mobiletv.com/epg/xsltv/xmltv.dtd^[2]

JSON

 {
   "jsontv" : {
      "programme" : [
         {
            "credits" : {
               "actor" : [
                  "Michael J Reynolds",
                  "Shauna Macdonald",
                  "Jessika Williams"
               ],
               "director" : [
                  "Jon Harris"
               ]
            },
            "video" : {
               "aspect" : "4:3"
            },
            "stop" : "1300069800",
            "date" : "2009",
            "channel" : "action.canalplus.se",
            "desc" : {
               "sv" : "N\u00e4r Sarah kommer ut ur det outforskade grottsystemet \u00e4r hon nedblodad och skr\u00e4ckslagen men minns inget av den mardr\u00f6m hon varit med om. Hennes v\u00e4nner har \u00e4nnu inte \u00e5terfunnits och f\u00f6r att ha st\u00f6rre chans att hitta dem tvingar man Sarah tillbaka ner i grottorna f\u00f6r att guida r\u00e4ddningsexpeditionen."
            },
            "title" : {
               "sv" : "Inst\u00e4ngd 2"
            },
            "category" : {
               "en" : [
                  "movie",
                  "Movies"
               ]
            },
            "start" : "1300064400"
         }
      ]
   }
 }

^[3]