scope:

The present document is the sixth in a series of specification documents produced by the TV-Anytime Forum. These documents establish the fundamental specifications for the services, systems and devices that will conform to the TV-Anytime standard, to a level of detail that is implementable for compliant products and services.

Congruent with the structure initially defined by TV-Anytime, these specifications are parsed into three major areas: Metadata, Content Referencing, and Rights Management and Protection. Within these general areas, the following specifications have been developed: TS 102 822-3-1 [8], TS 102 822-3-2 [9], TS 102 822-3-3 [10], TS 102 822-3-4 [11], TS 102 822-4 [12], TS 102 822-5-1 [13], TS 102 822-5-2 [14], TS 102 822-6-1 (the present document), TS 102 822-6-2 [15], TS 102 822-6-3 [16], TS 102 822-7 [17], TS 102 822-8 [18] and TS 102 822-9 [19].

TS 102 822-1 [6] and TS 102 822-2 [7] define the context and system architecture in which these specifications would be implemented. TS 102 822-1 [6] provides benchmark business models against which the TV-Anytime system architecture is evaluated to ensure that the specification enable key business applications. TS 102 822-2 [7]) presents the TV-Anytime System Architecture. These two documents are largely informative documents, while the others in the series are normative.

The scope of the present document comprises the delivery of TV-Anytime metadata and content referencing information via a bi-directional network using a PDR's return path.

The requirements for this technology are outlined in TS 102 822-1 [6]. The following is an overview of the return path's use:

• "The consumer can get more information about the programme from either the content provider or from a programme information service offered by a third party. This could include programme specifications (such as source, duration, format, storage location, etc.), programme schedules, commentary, critiques, liner notes from the provider or third parties, etc."

• "A Return Path is a data connection from a consumer's home digital storage system (e.g. PDR) to one or more service providers. The return path gives the consumer access to interactive content, such as the Internet and interactive television. It also allows service providers to access consumer profile/preference information in order to make business decisions regarding content that is provided to the consumer."

The present document describes a client-initiated means for requesting metadata from, and submitting user-centric data to, IP based web services. In the present document, these web services are termed "metadata services". The present document also defines a means for describing and discovering such metadata services, but does not address the unidirectional delivery of metadata over IP networks, or the delivery of content over IP networks.