Introduction

Icareus Playout can ingest EPG data in the CanalPlus EPG XML format (an EPGServices-rooted schema used by some EPG data providers). Using this source requires the CanalPlus Data Source license feature, in addition to the base EPG Server license feature.

Supported Datasources

1. Local Drop Folder
2. Http

CanalPlus Format

A CanalPlus EPG file has one EPGServices root element containing a ListingsProvider element (identifies the feed's originating vendor/batch) and one or more Service elements, each identified by a ChannelTag attribute. Each Service may contain a DeleteEventSection (event IDs to remove) and one or more BroadcastSchedule blocks (one per date, with a UTCOffset attribute), each holding the day's EventSection entries (individual programme events).

Fields currently used by Playout from each event:

• Start time and duration - Start (Date + Time) and Duration, adjusted by the enclosing BroadcastSchedule's UTCOffset
• Name - EPG/Title
• Short description - EPG/ShortSynopsis
• Long description - EPG/LongSynopsis (falls back to the short description if empty)
• Language - the EPG element's Language attribute (assumed English if not present)
• Parental rating - one Rating Country="..." value per country

The format defines a good deal of additional metadata per event - genres, artwork/images, series and sport information, keywords, technical flags, and more - that Playout does not currently map into its EPG database or EIT output.

Example of CanalPlus EPG XML:

1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <EPGServices SchemaVersion="1.1">
   <ListingsProvider FeedBatchID="1" CompileDateTime="2026-09-14T08:00:00">Sample Provider</ListingsProvider>
   <Service ChannelTag="EX1" Description="Example Channel HD">
   <DeleteEventSection>
       <DelEventID>EX10000000001</DelEventID>
   </DeleteEventSection>
   <BroadcastSchedule UTCOffset="+2" Date="2026/09/14">
       <EventSection>
           <EventID>EX10000000123</EventID>
           <Start>
               <Date>2026/09/14</Date>
               <Time>20:00:00</Time>
           </Start>
           <Duration>00:30:00</Duration>
           <EPG Language="eng">
               <Title>Evening News</Title>
               <ShortSynopsis>The day's top stories.</ShortSynopsis>
               <LongSynopsis>A roundup of the day's top national and international stories, with weather and sport.</LongSynopsis>
               <LogLine>News</LogLine>
           </EPG>
           <Rating Country="ZAF">0</Rating>
       </EventSection>
   </BroadcastSchedule>
   </Service>
   </EPGServices>
   

CanalPlus Configuration for a service

1. Login to Playout Web and select the service to configure
2. Select the service that is meant to provide EPG information
3. Select "EIT source" tab
4. Select CanalPlus Data Source in the "EIT source" combo box
5. Unselect the "Use default" check box
6. Type the path where the CanalPlus XML files are dropped, e.g. /opt/playout/ftp/update/canalplus/1 (here number 1 is the service id), into "Remote source folder"
7. Type the value of the file's Service element's ChannelTag attribute (e.g. EX1) into the "Channel alias" edit field - this is how Playout matches events in the file to this service
8. If downloading the CanalPlus files from the web, select the "Update from the web site" check box
9. If the vendor requires one, type the API key
10. If fetching over HTTP, type the correct URL into the "URL" edit field; if instead uploading the file via FTP/SFTP, type just "-" into "URL"
11. If the vendor's HTTP endpoint requires authentication, type the Username and Password
12. Select the "Update periodically" check box and type a suitable period into "How often to update (seconds)" - or, to update once per day instead, unselect "Update periodically" but leave a value in that field and set the clock time the EPG data should be read
13. Select "Overwrite existing events"