[Adriano de Brito]

Just to let everyone know, I've spotted the issue with the special episode placements.  Another embarrassing goof on my part.  Expect an update soon (once I've thoroughly tested it).

With regard to the artwork, this might be an issue with the way the v2.0 API works.  Only the artwork with the specified language is ever retrieved, rather than all of it.
In fact, the scraper deliberately fetches artwork in your default language and in English to try and combat this a little.  (I should probably add the new Fallback Language option into that mix as well...)

Speed is also a v2.0 API issue - rather than request a single zip file with everything in it in one go, the scraper now has to request page after page after page after page...  Slows everything down.

Thanks for checking this out.

I take it you're "the one" or one of the code master in command of this piece. Nice work, i genuinely mean that. The idea of not having to go through all that trouble with metadata info to have it looking good is just a blessing.

Your explanations are coherent regarding the artwork "missing" and the "slowness" of updating. I did stop seeing quite a bit of French and Russian stuff in the "Posters" artwork. Not that it matters much, i only came up with those examples.

Keep up the excellent work. I'm loving Kodi and the community!

[Karellen]

From the .nfo files, i don't see anything wrong. Then again, i don't have the .nfo files from before this issue appeared to compare. Here's the info that seemed relevant comparing episode S00E01 with S01E01:

- "Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries (1)" - labelled episode S00E01 or 0x01

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" ?>
<episodedetails>
    <title>Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries (1)</title>
    <showtitle>Battlestar Galactica (2003)</showtitle>
    <ratings>
        <rating name="default" max="10" default="true">
            <value>8.300000</value>
            <votes>119</votes>
        </rating>
    </ratings>
    <userrating>0</userrating>
    <top250>0</top250>
    <season>0</season>
    <episode>1</episode>
    <displayseason>-1</displayseason>
    <displayepisode>-1</displayepisode>
    <outline></outline>

(...)
    <aired>2003-12-08</aired>

Somehow I missed this post of yours earlier. Looking at the times, we must have cross-posted.

In your nfo file example, the two items that are in bold are what control the placement of Special episodes into Seasons.

These two will remain the same...
   <season>0</season>
   <episode>1</episode>

And then these two will have an additional entry which directs Kodi to display the episodes in a different location. In this example, it will show at Season 2 Episode 14 location... (don't remember if shows before or after the existing episode. I think before)
   <displayseason>2</displayseason>
   <displayepisode>14</displayepisode>

But the v2.0.1 scraper was leaving these two tags empty for some reason.

Yes, @scudlee is the add-on developer.

[Adriano de Brito]

Somehow I missed this post of yours earlier. Looking at the times, we must have cross-posted.

In your nfo file example, the two items that are in bold are what control the placement of Special episodes into Seasons.

These two will remain the same...
   <season>0</season>
   <episode>1</episode>

And then these two will have an additional entry which directs Kodi to display the episodes in a different location. In this example, it will show at Season 2 Episode 14 location... (don't remember if shows before or after the existing episode. I think before)
   <displayseason>2</displayseason>
   <displayepisode>14</displayepisode>

But the v2.0.1 scraper was leaving these two tags empty for some reason.

Yes, @scudlee is the add-on developer.

Thanks for the explanation. I appreciate the knowledge. I'll know better what i'm aiming for next time.

When you say "in this example", i assume you mean "as an example", because that episode of BSG should be shown before S01E01. I think it should display  something like this:
   <displayseason>1</displayseason>
   <displayepisode>1</displayepisode>


And i suppose, if there are many episodes with the same "displayseason" info, that it'll look at the "Air date" info to sort them correctly. In this case there's two episodes prior to S01E01.

Quick questions about the future update of TheTVDB scraper:
- What happens to your current library once it's updated?
- Will it replace the posters i've chosen for the TVShows and the seasons?
- Will it clear episodes watched?
- Should i export my library right before updating?



I've done the export into a single file and separate files (to test). In the single file export, i couldn't tell if the posters were also exported. In the separate files, everything was there, banners, posters, actors pictures,...

Thanks again for helping out ;-)

[Karellen]

When you say "in this example", i assume you mean "as an example", because that episode of BSG should be shown before S01E01. I think it should display  something like this:

Yes this is just an example, completely unrelated to BSG. If you use the BSG metadata, then it would be as you say.

And i suppose, if there are many episodes with the same "displayseason" info, that it'll look at the "Air date" info to sort them correctly. In this case there's two episodes prior to S01E01.

I am not 100% sure, but I believe it sorts them alphabetically by title. In most cases it is not a problem.

- What happens to your current library once it's updated?
- Will it replace the posters i've chosen for the TVShows and the seasons?
- Will it clear episodes watched?

Nothing. It will remain as is and only new episodes are scraped. Kodi does not touch items that are already scraped when using the Update Library function. It only looks for NEW items. This means if you change something, it still won't be scraped. It has to be NEW. If you want to re-scrape, you use the Refresh option in the movie information page.

- Should i export my library right before updating?

I would recommend you do. I do it on a monthly basis as a backup for my library using the Separate Files method. There is no harm in doing it and you can follow the guide Import/Export which is in my signature below.

[Adriano de Brito]

- What happens to your current library once it's updated?
- Will it replace the posters i've chosen for the TVShows and the seasons?
- Will it clear episodes watched?

Nothing. It will remain as is and only new episodes are scraped. Kodi does not touch items that are already scraped when using the Update Library function. It only looks for NEW items. This means if you change something, it still won't be scraped. It has to be NEW. If you want to re-scrape, you use the Refresh option in the movie information page.

- Should i export my library right before updating?

I would recommend you do. I do it on a monthly basis as a backup for my library using the Separate Files method. There is no harm in doing it and you can follow the guide Import/Export which is in my signature below.

Cool! So, everything "old" in a library prior to a scraper update is kept as is, and only newly added items will automatically benefit from the updated info in the scraper. And if i ever want to update posters, fanart on an "old" item, i have to go into "Information" on the item itself and "refresh" it there.

In regards to exporting the library. I'll do two things:
- Firstly i will do an export into separate files to keep the posters and .nfo files inside the TV Show folder. Just in case a poster i've choosen disappears, i can always get it back;
- Then, i'll do an export into a single file locally on the Minix box, and update it now and then, as you mentioned;

Thanks for all your help! I think that'll be all for now. One love!

[nickr]

Just to say, specials are showing in season folders for me in 17.5.

[Adriano de Brito]

Just to say, specials are showing in season folders for me in 17.5.

1.8.5 is also decent. It was 2.0.1 that had that issue going.

2.0.2 has been released though, it should include the correction for that issue.

I'm waiting to see if anyone mentions that it's good in regards to "showing special episodes within season folders" and then i'll update it.

[ricardonadao]

Quick turnaround with the fix.

Just updated the plugin and seems to be still not working.

" ERROR: Run: Unable to parse web site

09:09:06.093 T:1706464160   ERROR: CCurlFile::Open failed with code 404 for https://api.thetvdb.com/"

Any ideas?

[nickr]

Quick turnaround with the fix.

Just updated the plugin and seems to be still not working.

" ERROR: Run: Unable to parse web site

09:09:06.093 T:1706464160   ERROR: CCurlFile::Open failed with code 404 for https://api.thetvdb.com/"

Any ideas?

Try telling us what version you are using. "Just updated" or "latest" is useless.

[BINairLADEN]

Just tried v 2.0.3 of the scaper but stil with the same errors.

[Karellen]

Just tried v 2.0.3 of the scaper but stil with the same errors.

Completely unhelpful. What errors? What are the details of your install. If you are using OpenElec, then you need to head over to OpenElec forum for assistance as it is a problem with their build

[Adriano de Brito]

Just tried v 2.0.3 of the scaper but stil with the same errors.

Completely unhelpful. What errors? What are the details of your install. If you are using OpenElec, then you need to head over to OpenElec forum for assistance as it is a problem with their build 

I recently updated TheTVDB scraper to v2.0.5 and special episodes are showing where they should be in season folders.

Thanks guys!

[phatboyj]

My Goal is to not have any Special, and or Season 0, folders or episodes show up in my library at all.

I'm running 17.6 on a Mecool BB2-Pro android box

I've tried setting the

1.) gui setting to just all episodes,
2.) Setting content to tv shows but to exclude from library scans after removing the individual episodes from the library
3.) Setting content to None on every Season 0 folder in my source, and then removing the files from the library

But upon update the special/Season 0 episodes get rescanned to my library

How do I prevent this?

I'm running 17.6 on a Mecool BB2-Pro android box

[Karellen]

@phatboyj

It depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you don't want Specials at all, then delete the video files.

If you still want the Special Episodes but inserted within the existing Seasons so they look like regular episodes, then you have to work with NFO Files to move them around.

Let me know which one you are trying to achieve.

[phatboyj]

@phatboyj

It depends on what you are trying to achieve. If you don't want Specials at all, then delete the video files.

If you still want the Special Episodes but inserted within the existing Seasons so they look like regular episodes, then you have to work with NFO Files to move them around.

Let me know which one you are trying to achieve.

I don't want them at all your first guess was correct

Is deleting the file the only way to keep them from being added to the library?
Ive always thought that the set content and exclude from library scans should keep files from being added or would I have to add every Season 0 folder from every Tv-Show as an individual source to acheive this because i've tried everything else?