Problems with v 1.8.2018.0318

[Jamie]

Paul,

I tried to attach the sync error log, but get an error stating that the txt file generated in the log folder is an "invalid file extension" - let me know what else I need to do.

That said, I updated to 1.8.2018.0401 and took care of most of the problems that I was experiencing before (mostly I did not have TV programs categorized and the error report shows that I still have a couple that still need to be done, although I'm confused why certain discs within a season are fine but others get an error message when they're coming from the same MyMovies title, so the tag should be universal - I'm certain there is something I've done wrong and will go back and figure it out). Specifically (when I can get the error file to you) see Bewitched Season 1, Bob Newhart Season 4, and Quantum Leap Season 4.

The problem here might be due to old xml data sticking around. I fine if I am working with a series that it best to remove the old xml files from that series folder and have mymovies recreate the meta data for that series by doing a meta data update on that series specifically. This feature is done by the update metadata button at the top of the screen next to the yellow triangle..

I see that you may have already fixed the issue but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents worth.

Jamie

[Jamie]

I just did some more testing, trying to force My Movies to export the TV Series meta-data, and discovered something new.

In My Movies Collection Management, a Title can be expanded in the left column to drill down to the Episodes. The tree structure is like this:

Title > TV Series > Seasons > Episodes

With Zappiti enabled in the Meta-data options, when you select the TV Series level, and click the Save-Meta button, My Movies writes the <Series> meta-data file (named Zappiti.xml).

But if you then click the Title level and click Save-Meta again, My Movies overwrites the <Series> meta-data file with a <Title> meta-data file (also named Zappiti.xml).

Perhaps there is another meta-data file format that doesn't overwrite the different file types. So far, all I've learned is that TV Series meta-data files don't ever get written as mymovies.xml files, and while they do get written as Zappiti.xml files, they also get overwritten by <Title> meta-data files.

I haven't played with any of the other meta-data file formats. I guess I need to turn them on and see what happens. If anyone else has experience with other meta-data file formats, specifically knowing which ones generate the TV Series meta-data, I would appreciate feedback.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I tried to use the method of setting up my series folders as follows and logically it should work as it does for Box sets, but doesn't.

Game of thrones the complete series. Point this folder in mymovies as a online folder for the series title
Complete season 1 - I setup mymovies to display a title for each season and put the season one disks in the season 1 title
disk 1 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 2 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 3 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
complete season 2 - I setup mymovies to display a title for each season and put the season two disks in the season 2 title
disk 1 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 2 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 3 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
Complete season 3 - I setup mymovies to display a title for each season and put the season three disks in the season 3 title
disk 1 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 2 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
disk 3 - contains iso or Video_ts folder
so forth...................................................

Mymovies places the artwork in Game of thrones the complete series but no xml. MMBrowser doesn't use the jpgs for this folder as it does the Box sets. I get randomly a seasonal cover for the series. Why does this work for box sets but not tv series?

Jamie

[Jamie]

Here's a screenshot from mymovies

[Jamie]

Here's windows explorer. It does have xmls

[Pauven]

Mymovies places the artwork in Game of thrones the complete series but no xml. MMBrowser doesn't use the jpgs for this folder as it does the Box sets. I get randomly a seasonal cover for the series. Why does this work for box sets but not tv series?

That's a very interesting idea you tried, but I don't think it is the right direction. My Movies already has a TV Series parent feature, and I think we need to use it as designed rather than trying to fake a TV Series parent as a pseudo Box Set.

I'm not sure why My Movies didn't create an XML file for the Online Folder, it should have. Maybe there was a processing delay?

Also, for Box Sets, My Movies makes a distinction between Box Set Parents (the box itself) and the assigned Titles. And regardless of whether the item is a Box Set Parent or an individual Title, a <Title> meta-data file is written.

For TV Series, My Movies completely changes the rules. The parent is a <Series> meta-data file, a season is typically a <Title> meta-data file, and the individual Episodes are individual <Episode> meta-data file. And the files all get the exact same names! (which is why we have to jump through hoops on the episodes with the e##.txt files).

And which type of meta-data file that gets written depends upon what level you have selected in the tree when you hit the Save Meta-data button. And if you do the Update All Meta-Data function in My Movies, I think a lot of the data files gets overwritten by other data files using the exact same names but with different internal data.

I know Binnerup says that the metadata files are not for this purpose, and that they serve a different purpose, but I don't see how they can be doing whatever that other purpose is correctly with the data overwrite issue. It is either really buggy, or poorly thought out, or just not fully developed.

MM Browser typically will only use artwork from a folder with playable media in it. The exception is when a Box Set Parent <Title> mymovies.xml meta-data file is found, it will use the artwork found with it.

I haven't programmed any <Series> logic yet, so you shouldn't expect your test to work the same as a Box Set. But in the example you provided, you only had artwork, no playable media and no <Series> meta-data (or any other kind of meta-data either). Random artwork orphaned in a folder... Not sure how I would program to use it.

Now I see in your last screenshot that you have a tvshow.nfo meta-data file. I got a few of those to generate this morning, and they look very interesting to me. Based upon the name alone, I think this might solve the file overwriting problem. I also see the poster.jpg and banner.jpg files in the same folder, but my concern is that they have different dates. I need these files, along with the tvshow.nfo, to build the complete TV Series package. I haven't been able to reliably get these files, but I feel I am getting closer.

Paul

[Jamie]

If you look at the stargate windows explorer screenshot you can see a mymovies.xml file and a folder.jpg file. Why isn't mmBrowser not using these? They are the correct data files for the series title? I know it's a kludge but the files are there and they are the correct files. What I'm doing is creating a fake parent and it might be hard to do for every series. The game of thrones folder was pointing at the wrong folder in mymovies. That is why I didn't see the xml files before.

[Jamie]

Hi Paul,
I think that situations might different between your TV series and mine. Most of my series were bought as one season at a time, whereas other series were bought as an entire series collection. I do have some series that were bought as a TV series box set. They look fine unless I am missing something. I want the top cover to appear as a series cover and the 9 - 10 seasons to show their individual cover for each season on the child level.

I wonder if for the fake parent on my game of thrones and stargate series, If I create a fake video_ts folder that it will trick mmBrowser to show the parent cover and title information?

I'll give it a shot.

Jamie

[Jamie]

It mostly worked with the fake VIDEO_TS folder. The problem is that it shows the parent cover with the child covers as well.

[Pauven]

I see you mostly got it figured out.

I programmed MM Browser to be media centric. What that means is that the Sync scan primarily searches for playable media, and when it finds something playable it then finds the meta-data and artwork to go with it. Even if the meta-data and/or artwork is missing, the media will still be shown in the GUI to be playable.

That also means that if there is artwork or meta-data sitting by itself in a folder, with no playable media, MM Browser mostly ignores it. This relates back to Michael's request for Offline Titles - I will have to modify MM Browser with an option to not ignore these orphaned meta-data files when playable media is missing.

The only exception to this logic is for Box Sets. When MM Browser finds meta-data by itself, it will queue it until later in the processing to check if it is a Box Set Parent. If it is a Box Set Parent meta-data file, it will process the xml file. Otherwise it skips it.

However you set it up, apparently you didn't get all the settings right for the Stargate SG-1 collection Title to appear as a Box Set Parent, so MM Browser refused to process it. Then when you added the VIDEO_TS folder, you tricked MM Browser into thinking that there was playable media, so it finally processed the xml file. You had enough right to make it link all the other Seasons as part of the Box Set, but by adding the VIDEO_TS folder, you also forced MM Browser to display the fake title as part of the collection.

Long story short here, you are trying to trick MM Browser into doing things I simply haven't programmed it to do, at least not the way you want it to do it. I think there is still a combination of settings that better simulate a Box Set that would have behaved more like what you expected, but right now I can't think of what setting you got wrong.

While your approach is interesting, and looks like it could work with the way MM Browser currently handles TV Series, you should keep in mind that I am continuing to improve TV Series support. Eventually, TV Series will display very similar to how WMC displays them. You will be able to see artwork, synopsis and cast for the TV Series itself, plus browse individual episode information. There are still limits in how closely I can mimic WMC, mainly because My Movies fails to export some of the data, but the current display of TV Series in MM Browser is really just a placeholder.

The reason I explain this is that the approach you are taking may let you get a nicer TV Series name and a different cover artwork, but I don't think it addresses some of the additional data gaps that exist to properly display TV Series info.

For right now, I think the best path forward is to find a way to get My Movies to generate the meta-data we need without resorting to creating fake Box Sets, which in the long run is probably going to be a lot of extra effort. I think this may be possible with the .NFO meta-data files that are generated for the Popcorn Hour YAMJ Add-On. I have some more testing to do to see if the Popcorn meta-data will work, and if it will, then I have some programming to do to support it.

I've also been looking at different online services, and it might be possible for me to query the TV Series data and artwork from a service even if My Movies refuses to export it.

But if for some reason these options don't pan out, I do like your idea about creating fake box sets, and I think that could be used as a last resort.

Paul

[Jamie]

Hi Paul,

I will wait to see what you come up with before exploring this further. I'm a hacker of sorts and it got me some negative feedback in prior jobs

I was also wonder whether we could set the TV series up as a real box set by moving the individual season titles under the parent title as in the screenshot

I don't know whether a tv series structure would work with this method.

Jamie