Dstv Viewer

Purpose & User Intent: The tool provides a programmatic interface to view DSTV channel lineups and schedules. Primary users are content researchers, broadcasters, media planners, and subscribers who need quick access to channel lists, show times, and program durations. It solves fragmentation by unifying multiple feeds into a consistent model and supports analysis and reporting. Example: a planner queries for all drama programs on a given date in a specific region.

Core Logic & Features: Ingestion of channel catalogs and schedules, normalization of times across time zones, and filtering by region, date, genre, and package. Required features include a stable data model, date input, region filter, and data provenance. Optional features include advanced search, export to CSV/JSON, and a live-now indicator for currently airing programs.

Inputs & Outputs: Inputs include region (string), date (YYYY-MM-DD), channel_filter (optional list), and format preference (grid or list). Outputs are structured: channel catalog, and a date-sliced schedule per channel, with times in local format, durations in minutes, and metadata. Exports include CSV and JSON.

Algorithms & Calculations: Timezone normalization uses IANA TZ data; times are converted to user locale; overlapping programs are resolved by start_time, duration, and defaulted to the earliest match. Data merging prioritizes primary feeds; sorting prioritizes channel order then schedule start_time.

Error & Edge Cases: Missing region or date triggers validation error; data source downtime falls back to cached data with a freshness indicator; ambiguous times near DST boundaries are flagged and adjusted using fallback offsets. Incomplete fields are tolerated if optional; otherwise defaults apply.
Industry/Region & Localization: Data aligns with regional DSTV feeds and local language metadata where available. Times use local user time zones; currencies are not involved; compliance reflects local broadcast data norms and data-provenance rules.
Assumptions & Exclusions: Assumes feeds are trusted and licensing allows data reuse; tool does not stream content, nor verifies rights in real time; no UI semantics are described; not a player or decoder.