In integrating proper country support for the grabber for MythTV, we came across a confusing issue with regards to release date. When searching for results, we include the release year with the title, to help the user properly identify the correct version. The release information is currently a 1:1 mapping, and taking Star Wars A New Hope as an example, nearly every country has listed the re-release of the Special Edition in 1997, as opposed to the original theatrical release in the '70s or early '80s. Ideally, both would be stored and returned, and the application would be left to choose which was the more appropriate information to display to the user.

As an alternative, since these re-releases are only worth noting in the data when they are substantively different from the original, the better solution might be to include whole alternate versions of the movie, allowing runtimes, release dates, certifications, and other such data for additional cuts.