Metadata hints, or how to record from Pluto, Stirr, etc

Channels DVR Server
#1

Recently reading some other threads, I discovered the ability to edit a show's metadata. Yay. So here's the problem I'd like to solve... I'm sure others have either fixed this, or have some place they can point me....

Every once in a while, I may record a few episodes of something or another from Pluto, or Stirr, or whatever, and every episode always gets recorded as if it is its own series. Three random episodes of Portlandia show up as 3 different shows, for example. I'm thinking editing metadata would help that, at least after it's been recorded*. Any suggestions on how to combine disparate episodes into one "series?"

*Is there a way to fix this before they're recorded? That is, set up a series pass for something on Pluto, et al so it actually sees and records them? I've had terrible luck getting series passes to work on these streaming services - it tells me there are no upcoming episodes, but I can clearly see a gazillion in the EPG, but it sees them as disparate shows, not part of a series.

Sorry for all the questions.

#2

Please provide a specific example of a service, channel number and show.

Are you using the docker epg or something else?

#3

Thanks for the assistance. For today's example, I just tried setting a pass for The Dick Van Dyke Show on channel 1004. Took some poking around, and it appears to be on my source of Samsung TV - using the source addy of https://i.mjh.nz/SamsungTVPlus/us.m3u8

I grabbed one episode, and tried to create a pass for it, and it just shows one episode. But I also see it lists the name of the show and the name of the episode in the title, so that's what I wondered if editing the metadata would help, but that doesn't help trying to record them in the first place.

Now I just tried making a series pass from a Pluto source - MacGyver, and it finds it on channels 9146, 9402, 9030. So maybe it's a problem with the way Samsung TV does it? A different SeriesID for every episode of shows? I'm using the Docker EPG for Pluto.

#4

Try using a Title search pass.
Title ==
or
Title CONTAINS

The problem is different EPG providers use different SERIES ID's

Take MacGyver for example.
On Pluto source it's pluto/5f4724f38e4fda001a5c2626
On TVE or HDHR sources it's 183939

If your Pass uses a SERIES ID, it won't work on sources that don't use that type of SERIES ID.

If you change your pass to use Title == MacGyver instead of SeriesID == 183939 it will work for all sources.

Screenshot 2022-08-08 at 11-10-45 Channels Passes
Screenshot 2022-08-08 at 11-10-45 Channels Passes784×591 22.7 KB

#5

The Stirr EPG looks quite bad. There are no series IDs, and some shows have the episode title added into the series title which makes it look like each episode is a new series.

    <title>The Dick Van Dyke Show - There's No Sale Like Wholesale</title>
    <desc>''There's No Sale Like Wholesale'' -
Rob and Laura learn that buying a fur coat wholesale can be trouble when their "connection" is Buddy Sorrell.</desc>

The best way to fix these recordings would be to rename the files and move them into the Imports folder

#6

Thanks - yeah, that's what I'm seeing as well. I also see their channels are named for the show.... so there's that. :slight_smile: Not a big deal - I think I'll avoid recording things from the Samsung source if I can help it, unless it's a one-off.

#7

Thanks - that makes sense. I haven't played with custom filters and tags since that option came out some time back.... I didn't have too good a luck with it back then, and just haven't tried since. That seems like a good option.

#8

It's the Advanced Pass view in the DVR web UI.
Under DVR>Passes
Select the dropdown to the right of the pass and choose Advanced.

More info on Advanced Passes here Advanced Passes - Channels Community

#9

Great. Thanks!

#10

The samsung source has been updated and now includes episode titles and season/episode numbers for many programs.

  <programme channel="USBC1300012VK" start="20220812175042 +0000" stop="20220812182358 +0000">
    <title>The Dick Van Dyke Show</title>
    <sub-title>Washington vs. the Bunny</sub-title>
    <desc>Rob is torn between going to Washington, D.C. on business and attending Ritchie's school play.</desc>
    <icon src="https://tvpmlogopus.samsungcloud.tv/platform/image/contents/vc/00/04/86/US_VC_CTI_USQT620324A_USBC1300012VK_FR_TheDickVanDykeShow_S01_E04_HD_20220812084429113.jpg"/>
    <episode-num system="onscreen">S01E04</episode-num>
    <rating>
      <value>TV-G</value>
    </rating>
  </programme>
#11

Cool! I'll check it out. Thanks!