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IMDb plugin maintenance issues
rick.ca:
First, let me clarify some terminology. By "movie master," I think you're referring to the series record. A "series record" is identical to a "movie record" except that it has episodes attached (and it's that characteristic alone that makes it a series record). New Movie Master is the multitasking tool that creates a new record (movie or series), adds files, downloads meta data, etc. In troubleshooting something like this, it's best to use the individual tools rather than NMM so it's clear where the problem lies.
As I said, the IMDb plugin has been inconsistent lately in it's ability to add episodes. I'm not sure how much we can deduce from one series, as it seems to work for some and not others. This is how I tested Lost...
* Added "Lost" using NMM (choosing the series from a pick list). The plugin added only season 1.
* Selected the series record and run the plugin again. Only season 1 was processed. The log indicates the season 1 page being processes, and then moving on to the "technical" page.
* Manually added episode 2.1 with it's URL and updated the series again. It still only processed season 1.
* Selected episode 2.1 and ran the plugin. It properly updated the episode.
* Selected the series and ran the TVDb plugin. All seasons/episodes were properly added.
* Selected episodes added by TVDb and ran the IMDb plugin. Although the correct episode had to be picked from the results of an episode title search, the episodes were properly updated.
* For comparison, added Fringe using the plugin. All episodes (up to 4.22 to be released 05/11/2012) were added correctly.
So I would describe the problem like this: For some series, after processing a season, the plugin fails to recognize there are further seasons to be processed. I don't know if the problem always occurs after the first season, or could occur after any number of seasons are processed. I don't see any difference in the source pages, except that Lost seasons 2 to 6 had few thumbnails, while Fringe had thumbnails for all episodes.
I didn't experience any problems with the TVDb plugin. So it seems to me the (imperfect) workaround I suggested before is still valid—Use the TVDb plugin to add any missing episodes, then select the episodes that need updating and run the IMDb plugin.
--- Quote ---Anyways, after deleting the invalid movie master and importing data again from IMDB, I managed to get all 4 seasons correctly into PVD.
--- End quote ---
Are you saying this is a series for which the plugin failed to add missing seasons/episodes, but did add all seasons/episodes after the series was deleted and re-added? If so, what was the series? Are you able to recreate the state where the seasons are incomplete and the plugin is unable to add the missing ones?
Strat:
--- Quote from: rick.ca on February 23, 2012, 10:52:43 pm ---Are you saying this is a series for which the plugin failed to add missing seasons/episodes, but did add all seasons/episodes after the series was deleted and re-added? If so, what was the series? Are you able to recreate the state where the seasons are incomplete and the plugin is unable to add the missing ones?
--- End quote ---
First, my apologies for bad terminology.
Yes, this is exactly how it happened. The series was Tudors (tt0758790), I had data for 2 first seasons and there are 4 seasons. I deleted series record and then added it again with NMM tool and it pulled in all 4 seasons with all episodes.
I tried next that I deleted 1 episode from season 3 (from Tudors) and imported data from IMDB, missing episode was not added. The same happened with the TVDB plugin. From URLs, it was possible to see that all 4 seasons were scanned with IMDB, however, TVDB plugin went briefly and I'm not sure what it did. Is there btw any possibility to see e.g. from log files or text files what is actually retrieved? I think that with Lost, only season 1 is scanned (based on URL shown at the bottom), so this could be some plugin issue. However, Tudors seemed to work ok with all the seasons. Next I added the missing episode manually, run both plugins but it was not updated. Next, I added url into episode and then it was updated correctly.
So, it appears that data is mined from IMDB correctly and is not missing. However, at processing, something prevents it to be added into db. Btw, I'm using latest official release, not beta. 0.9.9.21 is the version number. Also, this may be important, I am using option that deleted data is not deleted from db, it is just marked inactive I guess. Also, I have originally imported data for these series with older version, like 2 years ago. I have developed some data mining software for personal use so it looks to me that this part is ok, but, something goes wrong when parsed data is tried to be used i.e. updated into db. Some condition prevents to add it correctly/only updates existing episodes. Related to that, episodes information is very brief with only a few data fields. However, if I select episode & import data, many more fields are actually retrieved. Maybe this is on purpose, I don't know.
I have a few similar series on my db for testing purposes if you have any suggestions :)
rick.ca:
--- Quote ---Yes, this is exactly how it happened. The series was Tudors (tt0758790), I had data for 2 first seasons and there are 4 seasons. I deleted series record and then added it again with NMM tool and it pulled in all 4 seasons with all episodes.
--- End quote ---
You're answering my (quoted) question, so I'll assume your intent to imply you did attempt to add the missing episodes by running the plugin first. But did you Refresh before assuming the episodes were not added? It seems to me they will not appear until the list is refreshed. In any case, I'm unable to reproduce a condition where seasons/episodes are missing and running the plugin fails to add them—except in the case of Lost. I'm sure there could be more, but Lost is the only series I'm aware of that has this problem. I deleted two seasons from Tutors, and the running the plugin added them back. I deleted one episode from season 3, and the running the plugin added it back.
--- Quote ---The same happened with the TVDB plugin.
--- End quote ---
I don't think so. It doesn't work the same way. It uses an API, and downloads a file containing the data for all episodes. So updating a series with it should produce an all or nothing result.
--- Quote ---Is there btw any possibility to see e.g. from log files or text files what is actually retrieved?
--- End quote ---
You can record a log by starting the program with a -debug command line switch. View the log using the command on the Help menu. The log is saved as log.txt in the installation folder. You can always find the last page downloaded as page.html in the installation folder.
--- Quote ---Also, this may be important, I am using option that deleted data is not deleted from db, it is just marked inactive I guess.
--- End quote ---
I suppose that could affect your results, but in all of my tests I permanently deleted whatever it was I wanted to try re-importing.
--- Quote ---Related to that, episodes information is very brief with only a few data fields. However, if I select episode & import data, many more fields are actually retrieved. Maybe this is on purpose, I don't know.
--- End quote ---
In the case of the IMDb plugin, that is by design. Updating the series only adds episodes with the title, URL, year, release date and description. To add additional fields, the episodes must be selected and the plugin run again.
--- Quote ---I have a few similar series on my db for testing purposes if you have any suggestions.
--- End quote ---
Please test those as well. Before running the IMDb plugin, make sure all episodes are visible (i.e., no filters are set). After running the plugin, refresh the list before concluding what happened. If episodes appear to be missing, verify they do exist at the source, and make a copy of the log. If you can find at least one more like Lost, that might make it easier for nostra to figure out what's going wrong.
Strat:
I have a theory now. I deleted once again season 3 from Tudors. I tried to add it back from IMDB/TVDB but couldn't. I used refresh & also cleared filters (although I'm not using them). So next, I deleted the series master for Tudors, this time, there was a prompt to press CTRL + delete to permanently delete records. I only pressed DELETE without CTRL button. Next, I used NMM to add Tudors using IMDB (it's my default plugin). The result: I got Tudors back, but season 3 was still missing.
Next, I deleted Tudors once again, this time I pressed CTRL to make sure to get rid of them permanently :) NMM and this time, I got all 4 seasons back.
So the theory: if record is set inactive/hidden, updating it via plugins will still leave it hidden into db and not refresh this status field?
Anyways I tried other series too, Ketonen&Myllyrinne (tt0898241) with similar results.
However, this should not apply to series which has new episodes added into IMDB after series have been added into PVD, like Lost & CSI series. CSI is now complete until season 9 which only has the first episode.
I'm trying to find out if I can open db to see if there are any missing records for missing episodes.
rick.ca:
--- Quote ---I deleted once again season 3 from Tudors. I tried to add it back from IMDB/TVDB but couldn't.
--- End quote ---
I can't reproduce this either. I tried deleting (not Ctrl-Deleting) season 3 from Tudors. The plugin added it back. Same with Ketonen & Myllyrinne. So maybe there is something wrong with your database, or your plugin is not configured correctly. Try the experiment using new database, and double-check your configuration ('Download episodes' should be set in the configuration and 'Episodes' enabled in Overwrite fields).
Just to be clear, what you found with Lost seems to be a problem with the plugin, but I don't think we've yet established that happens with anything but Lost. It could be due to an anomaly on one of its pages. As I said before, it would be helpful if we could find another verified case of the same issue.
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