[vorbis] xml stream formats

[robert at moon.eorbit.net]

On  9 Jul, Ralph Giles wrote: 
> Having taken a look at the spec, I'm really liking RDF, both as an
> interface to the online disc metadata database, and as a format for
> metadata *and* stream identification in Ogg. In fact, I think we can
> easily combine the two Ogg cases. RDF can say whatever we want about each
> included logical bitstream, about the collection as a whole, and by
> referencing a disc id or equivalent, describe the original work from which
> the streams come, neatly solving the album vs. track metadata issue.

I would agree with you there. However, the issue of how to handle
time-coded data is still up in the air. Do you have any feelings on
that? Personally I feel that RDF is too heavy-handed for dealing with
the time coded data. RDF chunks? XML chunks? Something completely
different?

If we decide to go with RDF, I think it makes sense to define an RDF
'vocabulary' that acts as the guideline for encoding the common pieces
of metadata. Even though RDF allows the user to make up the properies at
will, this probably isn't desired. The players will then have to deal
with the age old issue of 'what of this information do I really need?'.
If there is only one way to encode the name of the artist then the
players will know what data chunks to look for, no?

> In response to the "we won't get an xml parser into winamp" argument, I'd
> suggest that we don't have to. A simple, audio-only ogg player could just
> ignore the metadata stream; the info in the Vorbis comment header provides 

That's true -- however, do we really need to get an XML parser into
WinAmp? Wouldn't it suffice to get a small parser like expat into
ogg/vorbis plugin? Let the plugin deal with the XML/RDF parsing and then
hand the metadata to WinAmp in whatever format it wants it in.

> I would urge you to design your database to handle music and movie 
> metadata on equal footing in the next incarnation. AFAIK, the DVD format 
> encodes *no* textual metadata at all, so there's just as much of a need
> for that as for the CD database.

I see your point -- even if it is for completeness sake. The imdb
already does a good job of covering the metadata for the movies, so
another database that does the same time doesn't quite seem warranted.

--ruaok         Freezerburn! All else is only icing. -- Soul Coughing

Robert Kaye -- robert at moon.eorbit.net  http://moon.eorbit.net/~robert

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