Cisco Systems 5.2.x manual 26-4

Chapter 26 Electronic Program Guide

Concepts

Channel Descriptions from a CSV File

Channel Descriptions from a Data Subscription

You can enter descriptions into a CSV file for each program that a channel will show.

With this method, you can have and use an EPG without entering into a subscription contract. To populate an EPG completely, you must create and upload a separate CSV file for every channel that your EPG should include. EPG provider-related prerequisites do not apply if your channel will use programming data from a CSV file.

There are strict requirements for what constitutes a valid CSV file. It must use syntax and formatting that are perfectly consistent with output from a downloadable Microsoft Excel format template that we provide for your use. We strongly recommend that you derive your CSV files from the free template. Click Download the CSV Template to obtain a copy of the template, and start using it to define the EPG attributes for programs on one channel. You can define the attributes for only a few programs or for as many as 14 days of programs.

Populate fields in the template as follows, where each table row contains the attributes for one program in the EPG for the corresponding TV channel.

•Date — The date and time of day when one described program will start. Start times for programs in your CSV file must use the format MM/DD/YY HH:mm.

•Duration — The total running time for the described program. Duration values for programs must use numerals, which indicate the total duration in minutes.

•Title — The title that the program guide should show for the described program. Program titles are limited to a maximum of 23 characters. When the text to be displayed in a program title should show any visible quotation marks, you must enter exactly \" for each quotation mark that should be visible.

•Description — The actual description that the program guide should show for the program. Descriptions are limited to a maximum of 50 characters. When the text to be displayed in your program guide should show any visible quotation marks, you must enter exactly \" for each quotation mark that should be visible.

Define the attributes for programs on one channel, and then save and upload your CSV file.

You can negotiate with a vendor of programming data to establish a paid subscription, by which you will gain automatic access to current program schedules and descriptions for multiple channels. Before your channel can use any EPG data from a subscription provider, you must enter your subscription details and synchronize data on the EPG Providers tab. Then, you must configure the channel on the TV Channels tab. The supported data formats are:

• TMS — Your EPG will use Tribune Media Services data to describe the channel and its programs.

•<XMLTV> — Your EPG will use data in the XMLTV format to describe the channel and its programs. The provider name here is not necessarily “XMLTV.” Instead, it matches exactly what you entered for the provider name when you configured your subscription settings, assuming that you have an XMLTV data subscription.

	User Guide for Cisco Digital Media Manager 5.2.x
26-4	OL-15762-03