Episode list download doesn't work anymore
Kay.one
18-09-2008 14:51:48
TV.com just changed their html layout and I think that broke the episode list download, when i go to the guide its all empty. can someone else confirm this?
sstteevvee
18-09-2008 14:58:16
Yeah.. I got an email from tv.com saying they were going to be changing their layout. Its broken things for me too. All the functionality of tvrename will be busted until I fix it.
I should have some time this weekend to look into it. If its not too hard, I'll fix up the tv.com page reading code. My other plan was to change over to using thetvdb.com (the code for which is about 40% done so far), so I might have to just hurry that along a bit. thetvdb.com is a better solution anyway, as they give nice XML data feeds and want you to use their data.
Kay.one
19-09-2008 12:18:06
I'm sure it would be alot faster too, as i have said before, i would be more than happy to help out.
nc88keyz
20-09-2008 13:31:58
Stevve,
Perhaps its time to embrace the very open platform of thetvdb.com
Great work they do over there.
Thanks for this very very useful program.
sstteevvee
20-09-2008 23:33:40
Yeah.. I've become quite a fan of thetvdb.com - its very very easy to get the data from it. I'm in the middle of the process of gluing it into tvrename, which is going fairly well so far. (Famous last words!
)
primüs
21-09-2008 15:21:26
*waits* i got a fair few episodes to organise
And it wants to download a lot of information
sstteevvee
23-09-2008 16:39:38
Just a progress report... I've got thetvdb.com stuff working well. Its definitely quicker and easier than tv.com was. I've decided to do the reorganisation of the Shows&Folders tab (as per another thread), with a nice tree structure or something like that. I'll hopefully have a beta version for testing by the end of this coming weekend, as I'll be less busy with other work by then.
I figured that since this tvdbcom changeover would be breaking a lot of stuff, I might as well thoroughly break it with the new shows and folders structure, as well.
Worst case is that you'll have to use the "Auto" feature of the "Folder Monitor" tab to re-add all your shows.
ScoopD
23-09-2008 18:54:50
Regarding the tree structure for the Shows & Folders tab, I was thinking that there appears to be a huge amount of underutilised real estate on that tab anyway (at least on my widescreen with window maximized) so I was thinking that the Episode Guide Tab could potentially migrate to the Shows & Folders tab on the right hand side in another frame? Thinking that if a season is highlighted then the all episode summaries for the season are there, but if a single episode is highlighted then the summary for that episode is displayed - don't want spoilers for later in the season.
Just a thought.
The TV series plugin I use on MediaPortal has a config screen with all episodes listed and missing episodes appropriately highlighted. That would be cool too. See the "Specials" section in this example
sstteevvee
24-09-2008 09:54:40
Mmm.. I definitely could get some 'inspiration' from that
I could use a tree structure on the missing episodes display too.
ScoopD
24-09-2008 17:44:06
by the way, I don't mean all the stuff on the right or the bottom of the screen, Although you do already have that thumbnail thing that could be displayed as some type of banner at the top of the right pane?
If you display all available episodes of a program, and just grey out those you didn't have the last time you scanned, then you always know what you are looking for. I think the update of data from TheTVDB will be much quicker than TV.com as well.
Another question - about the "Finding and Organising" tab. I would have thought that you could scan that directory for media files and come back with what it has found regardless of what you currently have in your database. e.g. the logic would be
x:\media\someshow.s4e15.xvid.capper.avi - Analysis logic says this is probably - SomeShow Season 4 Episode 15
Do I already know about this program?
- No - Prompt the user "I don't know this program, do you want me to try and match it?"
Yes - Do I know about this episode?
- No - Prompt user "I know the program, but I don't know the episode. Do you want me to update my data for this program now?"
Yes - offer a rename option[/list:u][/list:u]
What I am trying to get at is, why do you have to do a missing scan first? I sometimes get a replacement episode for one that was badly encoded, so the episode is not missing unless I go and delete the bad one.
All just thoughts. Tell me to shut up if you like.
primüs
24-09-2008 21:25:24
I can see merits in your ideas - As quite often there is a 'repack' or 'proper' released (like today, both Fringe AND NCIS had to be re-downed). Being the ability to go 'replace episode' or something would be pretty good if they find it again in the monitor folders.
neo_x
26-09-2008 00:01:55
Sigh...
cant wait for this tv.com thing to be fixed. Dam irritating that all these new shows have started up, and i dont have a "easy" way to check which ones is missing...
How many beers do you need?
sstteevvee
26-09-2008 09:21:52
Haha.. I need to not have other paid jobs to take up my time! Maybe I should get myself fired, then I'd have the whole week free.
I foresee a big effort this weekend, that'll have something released. For now, I've been looking at the front page of eztv.it, but I agree its not the same.
ScoopD
26-09-2008 16:07:15
I need to not have other paid jobs to take up my time!
You have another job? And you get paid?
Don't stress the redesign stuff - I think the internet source is the fix that gets us all working again for now. Anything else can trickle through in staged releases.
sstteevvee
26-09-2008 18:23:14
The main reason I was trying to do the redesign now is that the move to thetvdb.com breaks all the shows you have currently entered. I can't (easily) automatically have it turn tv.com ID codes into thetvdb.com codes. This means that everyone will have to use the automatic detection stuff in the "folder monitor" tab.
Now, when I re-do the design, there's a chance that'll happen again, so I was trying to minimise the pain for everyone involved... Especially as I know there are people out there with a bazillion shows set up in tvrename.
In terms of streamlining the development time, I can initially leave out all the banner stuff, etc... But I do want to get the basic 'tree structure' thing going. Its not a big job.. I just have to find the time, which I do this weekend.
HexusOdy
26-09-2008 18:42:26
I think its best to get all out of the way in one go then. Whats a few more days!
I'm just saving all my unnamed files up in a seperate folder ready for a quick rename and automatic move when the new version is out. I can wait a little longer
)
ScoopD
28-09-2008 12:06:58
The main reason I was trying to do the redesign now is that the move to thetvdb.com breaks all the shows you have currently entered. I can't (easily) automatically have it turn tv.com ID codes into thetvdb.com codes. This means that everyone will have to use the automatic detection stuff in the "folder monitor" tab.
Now, when I re-do the design, there's a chance that'll happen again, so I was trying to minimise the pain for everyone involved... Especially as I know there are people out there with a bazillion shows set up in tvrename.
In terms of streamlining the development time, I can initially leave out all the banner stuff, etc... But I do want to get the basic 'tree structure' thing going. Its not a big job.. I just have to find the time, which I do this weekend.
Completely understandable & an excellent approach. You do know that there is a field in THETVDB with the tv.com ID, if someone has filled it in?
I'm glad someone has time this weekend. I'm doing my Tax Return - gotta be in by the end of the month. Nothing like leaving it to the last minute.
sstteevvee
28-09-2008 12:16:16
Yeah.. There's a field in the database which is all well and good once you've found the show, but you can't search on it through the API. I might pester them on their messageboard.
I thought tax returns were due at the
end of October?
sstteevvee
28-09-2008 18:14:32
The TV series plugin I use on MediaPortal has a config screen with all episodes listed and missing episodes appropriately highlighted. That would be cool too. See the "Specials" section in this example
Here's a teaser of what I've got so far... The "Shows and Folders" and "Episode Guide" tabs have been merged to make "My Shows":
If you click on the show name, you get the general summary, list of actors, etc. for the show. You can also set your preferences per show about where it is on your computer, etc.
The show info and banners, etc., are now coming from thetvdb, too.
radeonorama
28-09-2008 19:33:19
Wow, this is going to be good!!! Cant wait! TV Rename Just keeps getting better!!!
ScoopD
28-09-2008 19:52:59
I thought tax returns were due at the end of October?
Yes ... got that one wrong.
Stupid ATO - I can't even submit it - keeps timing out & I get a message to call their help desk. Guess what happens when you do that - "You've called outside of normal business hours. Please call back later."
ScoopD
28-09-2008 19:56:08
Here's a teaser of what I've got so far... The "Shows and Folders" and "Episode Guide" tabs have been merged to make "My Shows":
If you click on the show name, you get the general summary, list of actors, etc. for the show. You can also set your preferences per show about where it is on your computer, etc.
The show info and banners, etc., are now coming from thetvdb, too.
Oh Sweet - that's exactly how I imagined it.
andonevris
28-09-2008 22:09:34
Hi sstteevvee (that's a hard name to spell
)
I've been looking for a program to do what TV rename does for a while, I only just found your software last week when it was already broken, grrrr...
Lookng forward to trying the fixed version, from what I've read on the boards it's exactly what I've been looking for.
Cheers
sstteevvee
28-09-2008 22:18:07
Cool.. Its not too far from being finished now. At the moment, thetvdb.com are in the middle of a server move so have, essentially, broken tvrename as well
Once they're back up, I can do some testing and final tweaks, then release!
neo_x
29-09-2008 05:46:50
Cool.. Its not too far from being finished now. At the moment, thetvdb.com are in the middle of a server move so have, essentially, broken tvrename as well Once they're back up, I can do some testing and final tweaks, then release!
Mm.....i smell a conspiracy theory here....... X-files anyone?
Kepe up the good work Sstteevvee. Thx for all your hard work!!
primüs
29-09-2008 20:41:23
Here's a good question....This is nearly a full re-design, and major code change. Will this be going to 2.1 or 3.0 ? It could nearly deserve a whole version with the changes being made? But then it is the still base program so 2.1 or 2.5 or something may be more suitable (new versions i usually keep to full rewrites in my applications).
sstteevvee
29-09-2008 20:46:03
Its not as big a rewrite as 1.x->2.0 was, so I decided 2.1. Most of the code and logic actually remains unchanged, I've (semi) properly split off the stuff that talks to the "tv guide service", and as a result there has been some changes that make the code a bit simpler (and sensible) as a result. I could call it 2.5, since shift to thetvdb is a fairly major feature.
radeonorama
29-09-2008 21:08:33
Hi Sstteevvee,
Can i make a suggestion that you take the current version offline until the new version is available and maybe put up a notice as to why? I have noticed the number of downloads has gone up and they will just think they have found something which doesn't work. I would hate to think people would then just give up on such an amazing app!
I advised a few of my friends to use it recently and they came back saying it didn't work. Obviously, i told them to wait until the new release as they hadn't bothered to look in the forums. I think its just bit of a shame if there are others about like them (which i think there are) which cant be bothered to read up on things!
sstteevvee
29-09-2008 21:15:02
Ahh... Good thought. I had put a note up in the release forums, but not on the main download page. Download page is disabled for now. Thanks!
Kay.one
30-09-2008 10:10:50
Hi Sstteevvee,
Can i make a suggestion that you take the current version offline until the new version is available and maybe put up a notice as to why? I have noticed the number of downloads has gone up and they will just think they have found something which doesn't work. I would hate to think people would then just give up on such an amazing app!
I advised a few of my friends to use it recently and they came back saying it didn't work. Obviously, i told them to wait until the new release as they hadn't bothered to look in the forums. I think its just bit of a shame if there are others about like them (which i think there are) which cant be bothered to read up on things!
exactly my thought, I was actually thinking that if i hadn't find tvrename before it was broken and would download it now, i would probably think it doesn't work and move on. that would be horrible, i love this program.
radeonorama
01-10-2008 06:29:12
I'm sure you will hate me for asking this and I'm sure your really busy but i was just wondering if you have an update on the latest release? I'm eagerly awaiting this and just cant wait!!! I find myself checking you'r site for updates almost every five minutes!!!
Cheers!
sstteevvee
01-10-2008 10:47:14
Hehe.. I made some good progress on it last night, and it will be Thursday or Friday night that I'll have an early beta version available.
radeonorama
01-10-2008 18:04:41
WooHoo!!! I Cant wait! I will be buying you a few of those beers in the very near future, Bit short of cash at the moment with a mortgage going through but they will be coming your way at some point i promise!!!
sstteevvee
02-10-2008 10:42:42
I'll be doing a release late tonight.. It'll have a few rough edges, and a couple of old features that haven't been implemented for now, but will let you guys do some testing for me and see if there are any big problems I haven't found.
(and it'll give you that TVRename fix you've been desperately waiting for
)
sstteevvee
03-10-2008 00:25:52
radeonorama
03-10-2008 03:44:15
Great to have the app back!!!!
I have found a bug though! Bugger!! It appears that none of the alternative naming styles work other than the default. OR... am i just being thick?
HexusOdy
03-10-2008 04:07:40
I found what seems to be quite a big one.
When I use Folder watcher and click check after I've added the 2 drives that contain my TV shows I get,
Unhandled exception has occured in your application. Blah Blah Blah.
Access to the path I:\System Volume Information is denied.
They are both external drives but dont see how that should make a difference. Any ideas?
Edit: I just tried it on the same folders I have partially backed up on an internal drive and it worked fine. Could it be an external drive thing?
piranha
03-10-2008 04:32:15
Put your shows in subfolder, not in the root folder of the drive, or give everybody read access to "I:\System Volume Information" (which is by default hidden and read only to system).
sstteevvee
03-10-2008 10:18:21
Access to the path I:\System Volume Information is denied.
Yeah.. It tries to visit every folders starting wherever you tell it, and its failing on going into the protected system folder. As piranha suggested, put everything into a subfolder or fiddle with the permissions on the System Volume Information folder. A similar thing happens for the recycle bin, and the folder links that Vista makes.
Anyway... Its fixed in alpha 3.
It appears that none of the alternative naming styles work other than the default.
Its me being thick... I've fixed it so that it now uses the naming style set in the preferences dialog.
Does anyone ever use a mixture of naming styles across their collection, or is everything always the same?
Download link
is here.
HexusOdy
03-10-2008 18:48:57
Thanks Steve. Seems to be working fine now, no problems so far. Thanks!
Edit: I have just found 1 small problem. Under when to watch the Air times all show as 5am, for every show on every day. For example its telling me Life has already aired today when its not on until tonight in the US.
Also in the last stable version I believe there was an option to set you time zone, so you can see when it Airs according to where you are. I can't see that now.
sstteevvee
03-10-2008 22:12:22
Haha.. I never noticed that. All mine are 2pm! Definitely needs fixing.
The timezone setting got left out in the move from tv.com to thetvdb, but I'm going to be putting it back in soon. For now, it assumes US Eastern, which is right for most shows. (note: the timezone was for setting what the show's "airing time" is in, not your timezone. Putting together the airtime of the show, the timezone you tell it is in, along with the timezone windows knows you in, it shows the airtime in your time.)
sstteevvee
04-10-2008 12:45:35
Fixed the bug with it always being the same time, and you can now set the timezone that the show airs in. (If you change it, you may have to hit "Refresh" in the when-to-watch tab to get it to notice the change.)
Download link
is here.