Sage TV my generator automated

[roxy99]

I've got a working utility that when run will scan all video directories for new avi or mpg files which do not have corresponding .my files. The utility then automatically screen scrapes from the TV.com website to generate .my files.

The only requirement is that the file name must be of the format: TVTitleName-EpisodeName.avi (.mpg)

The reason for that is that the utlity uses this info to try to match with TV.Com title and episode headings.

I'm still working out some bugs before I submit the utlity. Also I want to at the same time make a .properties generator. I need your help though.

Some questions:

1. Can someone post a working .properties text file?
2. Does the .properties file need to be in the SageTV directory or in the video directory where the .avi is situated?
   
3. Is there 1 .properties file for each .avi file or is the .properties file like a single central configuration file for all of the .avi? If the former, then my utility will work the same way as for .my files in generating a 1-to-1 .properties file per .avi. If the latter then I'll need to modify the utility to append to the .properties central file for each new .avi file.

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by roxy99

Can someone post a working .properties text file?

The currently valid properties are listed here. Each property must be on a single line, just like sage.properties. That post also shows a file naming example.

Does the .properties file need to be in the SageTV directory or in the video directory where the .avi is situated?

It goes in the same place where the media file is located.

Is there 1 .properties file for each .avi file or is the .properties file like a single central configuration file for all of the .avi?

Each media file has its own properties file, as described in the above post.

BTW: Properties files are read when media is imported, or re-imported. If the timestamp of the media file is changed, then it will be re-imported during the next library scan & the metadata properties will be read. (i.e.: you can't change just the timestamp on the properties file for an already-imported file because that won't refresh the metadata for that file.)

- Andy

[roxy99]

Originally Posted by Opus4

BTW: Properties files are read when media is imported, or re-imported. If the timestamp of the media file is changed, then it will be re-imported during the next library scan & the metadata properties will be read. (i.e.: you can't change just the timestamp on the properties file for an already-imported file because that won't refresh the metadata for that file.)

- Andy

Thank you Andy that's exactly what I needed to know. So logistacally my utlity can run in the same manner. I only need to make some syntactical modifications to make a .properties format file in syncronicity with the .my file.

So basically the user will have to manually re-import the video library in order to refresh the metadata. If an .avi file has already been imported once to the video library (with the refresh media content option), then by simply inserting a new .properties file into the directory will then the refresh media option automtically update the metadata?

I may have a problem with these property headings.

Actor
Lead\ Actor
Supporting\ Actor
Actress
Lead\ Actress
Supporting\ Actress

TV.com has a list of actors for instance. What if there are 2 lead actors? Can they both go under the header Lead\ Actor?
Can I put the a list of many actors on the line for Supporting\ Actor? Will this break the search functionality?


Thanks

[Opus4]

Originally Posted by roxy99

So basically the user will have to manually re-import the video library in order to refresh the metadata. If an .avi file has already been imported once to the video library (with the refresh media content option), then by simply inserting a new .properties file into the directory will then the refresh media option automtically update the metadata?

No, this is the opposite of what I was trying to point out -- if _only_ the metadata properties file has changed for an already-imported file, then it won't get re-imported. Scanning the lib dirs only re-imports existing files if the timestamp on the media file itself has changed.

TV.com has a list of actors for instance. What if there are 2 lead actors? Can they both go under the header Lead\ Actor?
Can I put the a list of many actors on the line for Supporting\ Actor? Will this break the search functionality?

Just separate each name in the list with a semi-colon.

- Andy

[roxy99]

Originally Posted by Opus4

No, this is the opposite of what I was trying to point out -- if _only_ the metadata properties file has changed for an already-imported file, then it won't get re-imported. Scanning the lib dirs only re-imports existing files if the timestamp on the media file itself has changed.

I see. Then I'll have to make a modification to the utlity to update the .avi's time stamp at the same time as the properties file is made.

Originally Posted by Opus4

Just separate each name in the list with a semi-colon.

- Andy

That's good news.

[Halstead]

Originally Posted by roxy99

I've got a working utility that when run will scan all video directories for new avi or mpg files which do not have corresponding .my files. The utility then automatically screen scrapes from the TV.com website to generate .my files.

The only requirement is that the file name must be of the format: TVTitleName-EpisodeName.avi (.mpg)

The reason for that is that the utlity uses this info to try to match with TV.Com title and episode headings.

Very exciting- if you can get this working, then we'll finally have my favorite bit of functionality from my Meedio days! I for one really hope that the .properties version works out, since that will allow searching.

In terms of parsing, will you allow any wildcards in the file name? it seems like the most popular naming schemes are:
ShowTitle-S01E01.avi
Show Title - 01x01.avi
However, some folks will just use the folder structure for season #.

[roxy99]

Originally Posted by Halstead

Very exciting- if you can get this working, then we'll finally have my favorite bit of functionality from my Meedio days! I for one really hope that the .properties version works out, since that will allow searching.

In terms of parsing, will you allow any wildcards in the file name? it seems like the most popular naming schemes are:
ShowTitle-S01E01.avi
Show Title - 01x01.avi
However, some folks will just use the folder structure for season #.

I have done some work on Regex expressions to make for an intellegient name detection schema. It'll work for all common naming conventions without any kind of customization.

The roadmap is as follows:
Stage 1: Testing of the naming detection schema-- should be completed by early next week. (that's the toughest part- the my scraper is already done)
Stage 2: My file generator- I'll release by mid month July 2007 the command line utlity that will scan video library and compare to TV.com website to scrape .my files for any new video files found in library.
Stage 3: I'll make a .my --> .properties bridge utility.