additional online metadata check

[zip]

Can online-data and .nfo files be used at the same time in serviio, with a preference order?

No, one or the other

Just checking, was support for MyMovies included in 0.5 or has it been postponed to a future release?

Alternatively, I am looking for something that can scan my collection (each movie is in its own folder with Folder.jpg, <title_name>.avi, Movie.dvdinfo.xml and <title_name>.jpg) and generate .nfo files.

Thanks,
Charlie

[zip]

mymovies has been postponed until they implement series.
what format is the xml you're mentioning?

The XML file I use is the DVDID.xml file used by Windows 7 Media Center (WMC), for example, for "Despicable Me (2010)" the file would be:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Disc>
<Name>Despicable Me [2 Discs]</Name>
<ID>e8aedd6e|db358aeb</ID>
</Disc>

...with this file, WMC creates another XML file in %appdata%\Microsoft\eHome\DvdInfoCache\ using the disk ID, in the example above, it creates a file e8aedd6e-db358aeb.xml with metadata it gets from the internet.

I can write up an app that recursively gets the information (movie.dvdid.xml --> movie-id.xml --> new_file.nfo), just need what content in the NFO file I should add that's supported by Serviio.

NOTE: I had the file name wrong! It's *.dvdid.xml (not dvdinfo.xml) - Sorry!

[zip]

get as much data from the xml into the nfo as possible and you're covered

[n3mmr]

Not really, given that I run serviio in an OpenSolaris environment, with no linux or windows machine in the network.

Also, looking at xbmc and swisscenter, they seem to pick up their data online, too, so using them would probably not change anything.

I now think I may have been mistaken in dismissing the xbmc metadata mgmt: I suppose one could run XBMC in a ubuntu virtualbox on my Opensolaris.

I'm not sure, but it seems the xbmc wiki says you can edit the videodatabase, and then export it to .nfo files.

Can online-data and .nfo files be used at the same time in serviio, with a preference order?

Not sure anymore about the feasibility of XBMC in a VirtualBox container. It is SLOW and won't integrate very well with SMB shares on the main host.
.nfo files CAN be hand edited, so if one could use online data, unless there are .nfo files, the few irritating inaccuracies could be handled.

[n3mmr]

Can online-data and .nfo files be used at the same time in serviio, with a preference order?

No, one or the other

That's a pity. Having the option of using online for most items and a few .nfo files for the few difficult cases would be ideal.

I second that. For example, if the local .NFO file exists use it, otherwise fall back to online. This would be a nice enhancement for a future version.

This way we would only need to provide NFO files for those rare cases where online metadata needs tweaking (ex: name collision with other titles).

[zip]

And what about when there is option to select from 10 metadata providers (xbmc, swisscenter, mymovies, etc), how would those be prioritized?

Well, I would only select one from the list as primary (.nfo, swisscenter, etc.) and then just fall back to the "online sources" one.
Example:

Descriptive metadata

[ X ] Use local metadata source: [ (drop-down list of providers)] <-- (one of MyMovies, xbmc, swisscenter, etc.)

[ X ] Use online metadata sources (local metadata source takes precedence over online sources).

[n3mmr]

Well, I would only select one from the list as primary (.nfo, swisscenter, etc.) and then just fall back to the "online sources" one.
Example:

Descriptive metadata

[ X ] Use local metadata source: [ (drop-down list of providers)] <-- (one of MyMovies, xbmc, swisscenter, etc.)

[ X ] Use online metadata sources (local metadata source takes precedence over online sources).

This would seem like a reasonable way:

Select an online resource, and if it's to be used, and a local resource and if it is to be used, and then the pref order.

Or, allow a selection of three or four, each one selectable from a list of remote and local resources. With the pref order given by the physical order.

[n3mmr]

Well, I would only select one from the list as primary (.nfo, swisscenter, etc.) and then just fall back to the "online sources" one.
Example:

Descriptive metadata

[ X ] Use local metadata source: [ (drop-down list of providers)] <-- (one of MyMovies, xbmc, swisscenter, etc.)

[ X ] Use online metadata sources (local metadata source takes precedence over online sources).

This would seem like a reasonable way:

Select an online resource, and if it's to be used, and a local resource and if it is to be used, and then the pref order.

Or, allow a selection of three or four, each one selectable from a list of remote and local resources. With the pref order given by the physical order.

And search in pref order until found and consistent.

[zip]

I don't want to clutter the UI with extraction ordering and such. It has to be easy for a normal user.

[n3mmr]

So... we're abnormal???

[Cerberus]

So... we're abnormal???

lololololololol @ abnormal

he means the levels of users ie:

basic - can just about turn it on.
normal - run most programs and surf the net.
advanced - can either build them or simple programmming.
expert - IT professional/developer.

[zip]

yeah, if you look at the UI of some of the other solutions, they seem to be quite confusing even to me Now I'm not saying mine it great, but at least I want to keep it simple. Most of the users don't need to know about metadata extraction priority.

[Cerberus]

yeah, if you look at the UI of some of the other solutions, they seem to be quite confusing even to me Now I'm not saying mine it great, but at least I want to keep it simple. Most of the users don't need to know about metadata extraction priority.

K.I.S.S principle always the best...

[n3mmr]

yeah, if you look at the UI of some of the other solutions, they seem to be quite confusing even to me Now I'm not saying mine it great, but at least I want to keep it simple. Most of the users don't need to know about metadata extraction priority.

K.I.S.S principle always the best...

unless it prevents proper functionality...

A suggestion: Using the file name as a "local metadata" directly, with a flag in the name to indicate just that.

That wouldn't clutter up the UI, and could be ignored by most.


P.S. Like if the file is named -*-Dead.like.me-*-Dead Girl Walking-*-S01E02.something.mkv serviio would know that it's Dead Like Me, season one, episode 2, and is named Dead Girl Walking, and would present it to the device menues as that. Advantages: I could name it Silly Religious idiocy if I want, and serviio would NOT have to go out on the network..

And, more importantly: in cases where there is no reasonable way to know what to look for, one could sneak away from under an irritating problem of having to forego the structured menu contents, and just play by filename.

Well, I would only select one from the list as primary (.nfo, swisscenter, etc.) and then just fall back to the "online sources" one.
Example:

Descriptive metadata

[ X ] Use local metadata source: [ (drop-down list of providers)] <-- (one of MyMovies, xbmc, swisscenter, etc.)

[ X ] Use online metadata sources (local metadata source takes precedence over online sources).

I don't want to clutter the UI with extraction ordering and such. It has to be easy for a normal user.

Sorry for the late reply. I agree with keeping it simple. How about simply adding a check-box to allow Serviio to fill in the gaps using online metadata sources (since online metadata sources is a different mechanism than the others which are all 'local' metadata sources, hence my recommendation). Such a thing could be labeled 'Advanced'...

The use case here is to have some form of 'user-specified' mechanism to override the 'automatic' mechanism when needed.

[n3mmr]

Well, I would only select one from the list as primary (.nfo, swisscenter, etc.) and then just fall back to the "online sources" one.
Example:

Descriptive metadata

[ X ] Use local metadata source: [ (drop-down list of providers)] <-- (one of MyMovies, xbmc, swisscenter, etc.)

[ X ] Use online metadata sources (local metadata source takes precedence over online sources).

I don't want to clutter the UI with extraction ordering and such. It has to be easy for a normal user.

Sorry for the late reply. I agree with keeping it simple. How about simply adding a check-box to allow Serviio to fill in the gaps using online metadata sources (since online metadata sources is a different mechanism than the others which are all 'local' metadata sources, hence my recommendation). Such a thing could be labeled 'Advanced'...

The use case here is to have some form of 'user-specified' mechanism to override the 'automatic' mechanism when needed.

Check issue 261 on bitbucket and see how far that addresses the same concern, and add whatever further ideas you have, if #261 could be a starting point.