Use sd api for metadata (not EPG) lookup?

[dlflannery]

I'm wondering how suited the sd API is for general metadata lookup, not in conjunction with an EPG, i.e., for any TV show ever aired, not just those showing now or scheduled for broadcast. For example: Gunsmoke, Bewitched, I Love Lucy, Friends, Limitless.

Looking briefly at the API documentation, it appears one has to have a "programId" to do a metadata retrieval. I didn't see an API function for obtaining the programId for a given episode of a given series, or for getting a list of all programId's for an entire series along with episode titles for each episode, or something similar.

I author a free program called Metagenerator 3 which currently uses the theTVDB.com API to search for this info:
http://pytivo.sourceforge.net/forum/met ... t1786.html
I'm wondering if sd would offer advantages?

[rmeden]

program-ids are usually obtained from the schedule, which wouldn't work in your case.

If you had a series-id (the beginning of a program-id), the lookups may work. RobertK may be able to speak to that. You could get that if an episode was currently scheduled.

There's a good chance it won't work, because our contract prohibits building a historical archive. Gracenote sells a historical service, which we don't subscribe to.

Robert