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[rammingspeed]

I think this might be a simple question.  For recorded TV shows, MC does not automatically get images from TVDB, but does work for imported shows.  Is there a configuration option to have MC retrieve the poster and thumbnails for recorded TV?

[rammingspeed]

Just a shameless bump as I am hoping for a solution

[RoderickGI]

This has been discussed previously. You may be able to find the thread that covered a lot of the issues with a search. We discussed "Get Movie & TV Info" and CARNAC quite a bit.
For example:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=94300.0

From memory the conclusion was that MC does look up TV data, but it will not overwrite fields that already have values. If you are using an EPG that already has metadata, including images, then MC won't get the data from the TVDB and overwrite what is already there. . . Or maybe TV Recordings didn't have "Get Movie & TV Info" run over them, just CARNAC, I can't remember now.

There are certainly reasons why "Get Movie & TV Info" should NOT be run over recorded TV shows, particularly in Australia.
For example:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=86385.0

Plus have a look through the resources listed here by Astromo:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=90998.msg625488#msg625488

[rammingspeed]

Interesting read and discussion, however MC should still be able to retrieve images without updating show description content.  Seems like they are tying the two together when it really isn't necessary.

The final result is an inconvenience for the end user; either the Theater View interface is littered with poor poster images, aka "bad graphics", or the end user has to manually retrieve the images using the Standard view, which by the way, allows you to choose to NOT update the description content and retrieve JUST images. 

[astromo]

From memory the conclusion was that MC does look up TV data, but it will not overwrite fields that already have values.

For the sake of accuracy and in agreement with rammingspeed, when a "Get Movie & TV Info" process is run (from standard view at least), the user is given the option to uncheck "Use image" and "Use information". So, the default is that MC will overwrite existing values unless the user chooses not to do this.

[astromo]

Interesting read and discussion, however MC should still be able to retrieve images without updating show description content.  Seems like they are tying the two together when it really isn't necessary.

The final result is an inconvenience for the end user ...

Maybe so but until the devs can come up with a more capable Carnac, that's what we've got. Personally, I'd love it if Carnac had some funky, fuzzy logic on board but until that day ever comes, we'll all just have to work with what we've got.

[Hendrik]

For the sake of accuracy and in agreement with rammingspeed, when a "Get Movie & TV Info" process is run (from standard view at least), the user is given the option to uncheck "Use image" and "Use information". So, the default is that MC will overwrite existing values unless the user chooses not to do this.

The automated run on import does not overwrite fields already filled by Carnac.

[CountryBumkin]

Ideally, IMO,  if you save your TV recordings to a folder and that folder is "watched" by MC so the Shows are automatically imported, it would be desirable to have "Get Movies and TV Info" process run automatically and update/overwrite all fields. I think this method would work well in those cases where the TV Show's epg data includes "Series Name, Season Number, and Episode Number".

If someone did not want the automatic update/overwrite, they would not have MC "watch" and "import" from their (temp) recorded shows  folder. In this case, they would just manually move their recordings from their temp folder to a permanent folder once they are satisfied with (or have manually updated) the meta data.

Second comment:
It would be great if MC could save two Thumbnails, and then User could select the best one to display. Perhaps MC would always automatically display the first capture if the User does not make a selection. A lot of times the thumbnail captured is of a commercial or some other scene not very representative of the Show. I set my thumbnail capture time to 45 seconds to miss the intro commercial - but its always just a guess.

[RoderickGI]

The automated run on import does not overwrite fields already filled by Carnac.

Let me clarify that further by adding a few words:

"The automated run of  "Get Movies and TV Info" on import does not overwrite fields already filled by Carnac or from any other source."

[CountryBumkin]

Let me clarify that further by adding a few words:

"The automated run of  "Get Movies and TV Info" on import does not overwrite fields already filled by Carnac or from any other source."

I'm saying - maybe it should in this case. A "check box" to allow overwriting would be a nice comprise - as long as it is for media sub type = TV Show (or per folder) and not global.

[RoderickGI]

In this case, they would just manually move their recordings from their temp folder to a permanent folder once they are satisfied with (or have manually updated) the meta data.

Unfortunately moving recordings made using the JTV format can be particularly problematic as sometimes there is more than one program in the recorded TV folder, and the "Rename, Move, & Copy Files" refuses to copy more than one program in a directory in this case. I get this situation often when two programs are recorded back to back, and the padding shares JTV files. The RM&CF process does a bit of the process, then says it can't do it, so it usually creates a mess, which I then have to fix. So this would not be a good solution for me. It is one of the reasons that I would like a real file conversion facility in MC, so I could convert to a single file format, trim, and move the program to a different disk, then delete the original.

Anyway, a little off topic, but not a solution when using JTV format.

[RoderickGI]

I'm saying - maybe it should in this case. A "check box" to allow overwriting would be a nice comprise - as long as it is for media sub type = TV Show (or per folder) and not global.

I understand, and I'm not disagreeing with you. I was just clarifying what actually happens now.

It could also be a flag on the recording rule, so when you know the EPG isn't going to provide good data, you flag that recording rule to always overwrite the metadata with data from the TVDB. Of course that may cause other issues when the program is incorrectly identified, or multiple results are returned and the first is applied. But it may work better than using the EPG data, and particularly for thumbnails which currently often bear no relationship to the program, as they show frames from ads or the previous show.

In fact if there were three flags on each recording rule, the same as the "Get Movies and TV Info" dialogue box, one for "Get program information" one to "Get program images", one for "Allow overwrite of existing values", then that may meet the OP's needs.

[rammingspeed]

I'd really appreciate hearing from the devs on this.  The TV recording folder is NOT included in my auto import settings and my experience has been that for TV shows recorded by JRiver, there is NO Internet lookup of anything.  Description info or images.  Maybe it is doing a lookup and won't overwrite, but that would require a separate routine because the folder is NOT included in the auto-import list.  Why would JRiver bother to do a search on a folder for which it isn't going to save any changes?

One solution is to extend the TVDB lookup routine to the TV recordings folder and provide options as to what gets overwritten.  From my non-programmer perspective, this shouldn't be a significant amount of work as a significant portion of the code already exists.

[muzicman0]

I think a simple solution would be to add an option to the subscription option to use Carnac instead of EPG for information.

This way, it would be based on each subscription, and if the info is there for Carnac to look it up, it uses that instead of the EPG data...if the info isn't there (IE: season and episode number not in guide data), then it would fall back to the EPG data.

I would even personally be OK with a global option that did that, instead of a per subscription model.

[rammingspeed]

I think a simple solution would be to add an option to the subscription option to use Carnac instead of EPG for information.

This way, it would be based on each subscription, and if the info is there for Carnac to look it up, it uses that instead of the EPG data...if the info isn't there (IE: season and episode number not in guide data), then it would fall back to the EPG data.

I would even personally be OK with a global option that did that, instead of a per subscription model.

Depending on the individuals configuration used for checking for duplicate recordings, it could mess up that functionality, but should be workable in most localities if season and episode number are provided in the EPG. 

[astromo]

I'd really appreciate hearing from the devs on this.  The TV recording folder is NOT included in my auto import settings and my experience has been that for TV shows recorded by JRiver, there is NO Internet lookup of anything.

I'd differ with you on this point. From my use, MC appears to rationalise a Series name in the recorded show's metadata. It then appears to get series Art if it can get a match. Most times it's spot on if the OTA data is sensible. Sometimes I've seen some confused artwork but this is understandable for shows that don't go by an individual or discrete name, e.g. a remake TV series.

[rammingspeed]

All I can say is that has not been my experience.  If I manually look up Series information and pull down posters, JRiver will use those posters on subsequent recordings.  It has never pulled down posters for new series recordings.  It has also never pulled down episode pictures but always uses thumbnails from the recording.  (And yes my EPG provides season and episode numbers).   The same applies to recorded movies.  MC does not retrieve posters for movies so I have to manually download them.

Still would like to hear from JRiver on this. 

If I am missing some setting, I would appreciate someone telling me how to get posters for new recordings automatically.

[muzicman0]

All I can say is that has not been my experience.  If I manually look up Series information and pull down posters, JRiver will use those posters on subsequent recordings.  It has never pulled down posters for new series recordings.  It has also never pulled down episode pictures but always uses thumbnails from the recording.  (And yes my EPG provides season and episode numbers).   The same applies to recorded movies.  MC does not retrieve posters for movies so I have to manually download them.

Still would like to hear from JRiver on this. 

If I am missing some setting, I would appreciate someone telling me how to get posters for new recordings automatically.

I have the same behavior.  Once I look up series cover art once, then later episodes will use the 'series' cover art, but do not get individual episode cover art.