Updates to the iTunes Package TV Specification.

The following updates have been added to the iTunes Package TV Specification.

Preview Clips and Images
You can now specify a preview clip of up to 120 seconds by using the new <previews> block with a start and end time. You can also specify a preview image using the image_time attribute within the <previews> block. The minimum clip duration is 30 seconds. If you don’t specify the image_time, the first frame of the preview will be the default image. The new <previews> block and <preview> tag replace the existing <preview starttime=“”/> tag. The existing tag will still be supported, but if you want to have longer clips and choose the preview images, you must use the new preview tags.

Support for EIDR
EIDR (Entertainment Identifier Registry) values are now supported as an optional field to include with your TV seasons and TV episodes. Any level of EIDR value is supported per Season and Episode Vendor ID. For episodes, EIDR values can be provided by XML delivery, as referenced in the updated iTunes Package TV Specification. For seasons, EIDR values can be included when creating a new season in iTunes Connect. After you’ve delivered EIDR values for your TV shows, you can see them in iTunes Connect. You can also obtain a list of EIDR values you’ve delivered for your TV shows by downloading a Catalog Report.

Deprecation of Outdated XML Schemas
On September 1, 2016, we’ll no longer support deliveries that use 4.x and earlier XML schemas. To ensure that your TV episodes are delivered successfully, make sure that the tags and requirements conform to an XML 5.0 schema or higher. We recommend using the latest published specification version, which is currently tv5.2.

QC Code Revisions
To make it easier to manage your TV seasons and episodes, we’re updating our Video Quality action codes. The new codes provide more detail and help improve reporting. Look for changes within future QC notification emails.