Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Al ex]

Hi,
itīs my first time that I have some TV-series episodes in my directory (usually I dont watch TV-series).

I setup a rule to rename the files to  [Series] S[Season] E[Episode] and store it on my NAS, where I want to have it.

Unfortunately, under Video / TV-Show, it shows pretty much a mess. It is not clear, which is S01 or even E01.

So I would like to rename the names as well - something like tag the name to [Series] S[Season] E[Episode] that is shows up in a nicely arranged order.

How can I auto-tag names of TV-shows?

How can I get nice cover images for TV-Shows? I want to have the same cover for all episodes of a series.


Or did I do something wrong / did I miss something with TV-Shows?

Thanks, Alex

[Dennis in FL]

I also use the Kodi format help file

https://kodi.wiki/view/Naming_video_files/TV_shows

also

https://support.firecore.com/hc/en-us/articles/215090947-Metadata-101

and

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Filename_Template

[RoderickGI]

MC doesn't use folder names to work out what a file is when it Auto Imports, so the Kodi method, which does/can use folder names, can be a bit of a misdirection.

MC's CARNAC function, which is used when importing an unknown file, should recognise the file name format you used Al ex. Well, maybe without the space between the Season and Episode numbers. https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Carnac The best name format is something like;

"[Series] - S[Season]E[Episode] - [Name].ext"

Where [Name] is the Episode name. Using a separator such as "-" between elements of metadata also helps in readability and correct interpretation, but isn't required. CARNAC will correctly interpret quite complex file names as well, so depending on the source and original file names, you may not need to rename the files before importing.

To check what MC can learn from the filename, right-click on a TV file and select "Fill properties from filename", leaving it in automatic mode. The display will show what MC knows about the file, and what it understands from the filename, and if there is any difference. You can also use that function in Template mode to have MC learn more about the file, using both the file and directory names. https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Filename_Template
Also, read this post and maybe thread, for background: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,111156.msg772768.html#msg772768

But as above, MC should recognise;

"[Series] - S[Season]E[Episode].ext"

correctly as well. As long as the Series is found on TheTVDB. I suspect that space was your issue.

Once MC knows the Series, Season, and Episode names, using the "Get Movie & TV Info" function will fix the display issues you are seeing, and collect Episode Cover Images. The "Cover Art > Get from Internet" function will collect Series and Season Cover Art for you, for a nice display in Theatre View.

If you get stuck, provide some real example filenames that you are using, so we can have a look at them and see if they work for us. Perhaps post an image of the "mess" that was created.

[Al ex]

Thanks for the replies.
I am fine with using "Get Movie & TV infos" to receive missing tags.
I am also fine with renaming the files and how they are finally stored on my NAS.
Also it seems tags "Series, Season, Episode" are all tagged in the correct way.

The issue I have is, how each episode is shown. It makes it unusable as it is not sorted by series/season/episode. Have a look at the attached screenshot.

I would prefer to have them listed like "The Walking Dead S01 E01" I dont need the episode name. I tried to make an automatisation-process with the renaming process (second screenshot) but that doesnt work.  (EDIT: Actually the description in MC already says it: can be used for changing the path...)

Thanks
Alex

[RoderickGI]

Okay Immediately stop trying to change the name of the files. Now. That is totally the wrong thing to do.

Stop using the Rename, Move and Copy Files function, with its Find and Replace functionality.

[RoderickGI]

Now, are you trying to use Theatre View, or Standard View, to view your TV Shows?

Because it looks like you are trying to use Standard View.

Regardless, what you need to do is create a new View, or modify an existing one. I recommend you modify an existing one by save it with a new name, if you are using Standard View.

[Al ex]

Thank you Roderick,

I do use an own view for TV-Shows, as I already have some episodes of Colombo & The Munsters

I already have found a way, which works for me. i am using the Find & Replace-function, all episodes were renamed as I wanted. I am not a "TV-Show couch potatoe", so I am happy with the solution as it is.

The only remaining is that cover art, found in the Internet, is not saved. I have tried a lot, but I cannot save any found cover arts. Strange.

[RoderickGI]

EDIT: You replied while I was typing. I'll leave my post below.

Believe me, the default "Shows" views in Standard and Theatre View works much better than what you are trying to do, I believe. I think you are making it hard for yourself.

If you have changed the Episode names so they sort the way you want, you will have broken the "Get Movie & TV Info" function I think, and that could be why you aren't getting Cover Art. But the "Get Movie & TV Info" function should still work if the [Series], [Season] and [Episode] tags are correct.

Which Cover Art aren't you able to find? Series, Season, or Episode? As I said earlier, the "Cover Art > Get from Internet" function will collect Series and Season Cover Art for you, while the "Get Movie & TV Info" function will get Episode Cover Art. It should be saved correctly if you run those functions, and displayed if your View is correctly built.


------------------------------------------
Your first image shows that you are using a List Type of Thumbnails for the View you have shown. But it looks like you have built a View which just shows Episodes, and are not using the structured Series > Season > Episodes View layout. Also, it looks like the View is sorted by [Name], which for TV Shows is the Episode name.

You have been using MC for a long time, so I assume that you know how to change a List Type for a Standard View view, and that you know about Panes, and Detailed Panes. Unfortunately there is no up to date Wiki that explains the current View functionality, but there is some good information, and plenty in the forum.

Look at my first attached image. That is the default Video > Shows View, with just the Season and Episode columns added after the Episode name. It is sorted by Series, Season, Episode, with the top Pane just showing [Series], and the bottom Pane showing the default set of columns. The top Pane is using the Thumbnail List Type. The bottom details Pane is using the Details List Type. All the information you need is right there, visible.

My second attached image shows a modified View, with the way you want to see shows listed as a new first column in the Bottom Details Pane. See the column "Al ex's Column", which is shown as you describe. Not that I recommend showing TV Shows that way. But it is easy to do.


So, given that information, what are you really trying to do?
Use Standard or Theatre View?
Create a View that just shows a plain list of all Episodes in a Series, sorted by Series, Season, Episode, or just a flat list of ALL TV Shows, sorted the same way?

[RoderickGI]

Ah, I see your image now. I couldn't see that while I was editing my post. You are using the Library Tools > Find & Replace.

You should really only select the [Name] field on the left in that function, so only the contents of the [Name] tag are updated. But what you have done will probably be okay, as long as you didn't also pick a field that has the Episode name in it, such as possibly the [Filename] or [Description] fields.

If your method works as you wish, no problem. But generally changing the [Name] field, particularly for TV Episodes, can cause other issues. But carry on if you are happy with that.

[Al ex]

Thanks for help, as said, I usually dont watch TV-Shows so never focussed on that.

But your screenshots above definitely look very interesting! i think I will set it up this way later on the day. Need to work now...

Thanks!

[Al ex]

"Believe me, the default "Shows" views in Standard and Theatre View works much better than what you are trying to do, I believe. I think you are making it hard for yourself.
"

Roderick, where do I find the default "Shows" view in standard view?
When I add a new library view, I only can chose from "Genre, Year & Rating" or "Empty View".
Or can you send me your saved view? I think that can be imported and I could adapt it then...
Thx, Alex

[JimH]

Click on Video in the tree to open it.

[Al ex]

Click on Video in the tree to open it.

Thanks Jim. But there is no dedicated "TV Show-option".

I am customizing the view on my own now. Almost through.

But I cant figure out, how to get the cover art per serie or season on top instead of the pane-view. How do I do that?

[RoderickGI]

It looks like you have deleted the default Views at some time in the eleven years you have been using MC, so they aren't there anymore.

The easiest way to learn how to recreate the Views in your current Library is to create a new Library, which will have all the defaults in it, and look at how those Views are defined. I have such a Library which is empty, but handy to use as a reference. Then recreate them in your real Library. You will learn a bit more about Views doing it that way as well. One advantage of doing it that way is that you will see it in your own language. I only read and write English, so I can't show you in your language!

See how you go with that. If you get stuck, I will post some images of the View definition. Perhaps a search of the forum would find some of my old images and other discussions. I'm sure I have documented this previously.

For a start, in the first image you posted I see you are using a Panes View. The default Video > Shows View is a Categories View. It is also quite simple, but uses a special function, "TVInfo(SeriesDisplay)", to get the nice display. Use the empty template View that is shown in your second image, and build the Shows View from there.