show-formats
Show Brainstorming
Authors
Introduction
What is a show? Think TV show. Although it doesn't have to be a TV show.
This page brainstorms microformat usage applied to what is called: Internet TV, IPTV, NewTube, vlogging, vidblogging, etc.
Current Practice
Any show microformat should be guided by current practice, in the wild, for specifying a show. Below are a list of known show formats currently found on the web.
Show Strawman #1
Single clip with a preview image. The clip is the full show.
<a href="clip.mpeg"><img src="preview.png" /></a>
Show Strawman #2
Single clip with a preview image. The clip is the teaser of the full show. And there is a link that you can go to pay to see the full show.
<a href="teaser.mpeg"><img src="preview.png" /></a>
<a href="http://example.com/go">Pay to View</a>
Show Strawman #3
A show divided up in multiple clips, each with a preview image. Together the clips make up the show.
<a href="clip-1.mpg"><img src="preview-1.png" /></a>
<a href="clip-2.mpg"><img src="preview-2.png" /></a>
<a href="clip-3.mpg"><img src="preview-3.png" /></a>
Show Strawman #4
A set of teasers for a show. Together they don't make up the full show. And the may or may not overlap in time. There's a "Pay to View" link there too.
<a href="clip-blue.mpg"><img src="preview-blue.png" /></a>
<a href="clip-red.mpg"><img src="preview-red.png" /></a>
<a href="clip-green.mpg"><img src="preview-green.png" /></a>
<a href="http://example.com/go">Pay to View</a>
Show Strawman #5
A single clip that comes in different formats. (Could be a teaser, a clip, or a full show.)
<img src="preview.png" />
<a href="clip.mpg">MPEG</a>
<a href="clip.ogm">Ogg</a>
<a href="clip.avi">AVI</a>
Show Strawman #6
A single preview image with the show given in 2 different methods. The first is the show broken up into a series of pieces (which makes it easier to download.) And the second is the full show in one file
<img src="preview.png" />
<a href="part-1.mpg">[1]</a>
<a href="part-2.mpg">[2]</a>
<a href="part-3.mpg">[3]</a>
<a href="full.mpg">full</a>
Show Strawman #7
A single clip with a preview image. The title of the show is given with an image (and thus the actual machine-readable title is the alt attribute of the image) and is linked with the main URL for the show. There's also a link to older episodes of the show.
<a href="..."><img src="the-name-of-the-show-png" alt="The Name of the Show" /></a>
<a href="episode123-clip.mpeg"><img src="episode123-preview.png" /></a>
<a href="older-shows">older shows</a>
Show Strawman #8
A series of clips with preview images. The title of the show is given with an image (and thus the actual machine-readable title is the alt attribute of the image) and is linked with the main URL for the show. There's also a links to older and news episodes of the show.
<a href="..."><img src="the-name-of-the-show-png" alt="The Name of the Show" /></a>
<a href="episode123-clip.mpeg"><img src="episode123-preview.png" /></a>
<a href="episode122-clip.mpeg"><img src="episode122-preview.png" /></a>
<a href="episode121-clip.mpeg"><img src="episode121-preview.png" /></a>
<a href="episode120-clip.mpeg"><img src="episode120-preview.png" /></a>
<a href="newer-shows">[next]</a>
<a href="older-shows">[previous]</a>
Show Strawman #9
A series of preview images. The title of the show is given in text. A link to all the show's files via a torrent. (Other meta data is also typically included too, in plain text, but not shown here.)
The Name of the Show
<img src="preview1.png" />
<img src="preview2.png" />
<a href="show.torrent">...</a>
Orthogonal Concepts
Based on the strawman models above, we can derive the following orthogonal concepts:
- there's the concept of a "show"
- there's the concept of a "clip"
- there's the concept of a "preview" image. (maybe thumbnail would
be a better name.) there can be more than one of these. and this could be attributed to either the whole show, or to individual clips in the show.
- there's the concept of a "teaser"
- there's the concept of the "media file". (What the <a> tag's
"href" points to)
- If it is a teaser there is a "Pay to View" link
- show can divided up into multiple contiguous files
- teaser can be made up of multiple files
- alternatives of the same media
- you can combine all these
Discussion
Discussion for the show Microformat took place on the mailing list here:
- http://microformats.org/discuss/mail/microformats-discuss/2005-December/002292.html (original post)
- http://microformats.org/discuss/mail/microformats-discuss/2005-December/thread.html#2292 (thread)