How do I guarantee that the XBMC Library is upto date?

Just wanted to tap into the knowledge of the users on this forum - What exactly is the difference between....
Clean Library, Update Library, Scan For New Content?

My understanding so far is that...

Clean Library - Goes thru all entries in the Library to see if they exist. If the don't they get removed from the library.
Update Library - Scans thru folders inwhich 'Set Content' has been enable to find new movies/shows. (Doesn't seem to always add the episodes though?)
Scan For New Content - Not sure about this one, seems to add new episodes if there are any, but will it add new shows?


I guess what I'm getting at is if I add or delete movies and/or tv shows or just episodes via XBMC Media Companion, what steps do I need to do on XBMC to ensure I have an accurate library. It seems very hit & miss as to what works & what doesn't at the moment.

Cheers
StormyKnight

it depends a little on your setup.

if you have all your tv shows in one folder, and have that folder added as a source in xbmc, a scan for new content should add any new shows or episodes you add.

if you add each tv show folder separately, you'll have to add any new shows manually, and then set the content.

update usually works for me as i have all my tv shows in one folder.

according to the XBMC Wiki:

Quote :

Keeping your Library up to date

The Update library on startup and Always update library in background library settings can in conjunction be used to scan your sources for new files for inclusion in the library in the background at each XBMC start.

NOTE! If sources are unavailable during library update, everything on them will be removed from the library. You can avoid this with the <cleanonupdate> advancedsettings tag (see below).

hmmmm im still really confused what the differences are between:

• Update Library[XBMC.updatelibrary(video)] https://2img.net/h/i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd272/sik_cvnt/screenshot005.jpg
  
• Refresh (when pressing "info" button on a TV Show folder) https://2img.net/h/i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd272/sik_cvnt/screenshot002.jpg
  
• Scan for new Content https://2img.net/h/i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd272/sik_cvnt/screenshot001-1.jpg
  
• -- Then theres also RUN AUTOMATED Scan when in the setting content Page https://2img.net/h/i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd272/sik_cvnt/screenshot003.jpg
  

I really dont know what to use, to add a new episode to the Library.

It is really confusing, there are conflicting buttons everywhere.

flipped cracker wrote:

it depends a little on your setup.

if you have all your tv shows in one folder, and have that folder added as a source in xbmc, a scan for new content should add any new shows or episodes you add.

Yep this is thw way i have mine setup, but often it may find the show but no new episodes & I have to either repeat "Update Library" or I have to choose "Find new Content". There just doesn't seem to be any consistancy.

Unfortuantly the update Library on startup is a slow process so really can't be on all the time.

I have taken to selecting the two folders, Movies & TV shows, & then selecting "Update Library" & then if required after that, "Find new Content" when displaying the actual TV Shows. Movies seem to be better behaved & generally are found straight away.

P.S. Just tried this again & it didn't work. I added a new episode to a TV SHow so I would have a total of 2. Updating the Library & Find new content did'nt work. I deleted from the library the offending TV Show, Updated the Library & the show was there but no episodes. I then chose to find new content & in a blink of an eye both episodes came up. I might have to escalte the issue to XBMC & see if they are aware of it....it just doesn't seem right to me.

katz wrote:

It is really confusing, there are conflicting buttons everywhere.

Yep it sure is....hopefully we can sort it out here

well ive used this thread in XBMC to bitch about this issue.

http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=36535

each button updates the library on a different scope.

update library : updates your whole library (every folder that has content type set).
refresh on a specific tv show : updates only that specific tv show. basically rescrapes all info for that show (updates ALL tv show info).
scan for new content : looks for new content in that specific folder. doesn't rescrape info, just adds new episodes/movies.
automated scan : the first scan done when setting content on a folder.

flipped cracker wrote:

each button updates the library on a different scope.

update library : updates your whole library (every folder that has content type set).
refresh on a specific tv show : updates only that specific tv show. basically rescrapes all info for that show (updates ALL tv show info).
scan for new content : looks for new content in that specific folder. doesn't rescrape info, just adds new episodes/movies.
automated scan : the first scan done when setting content on a folder.

Whats the difference between Update library & Scan for new content then?

the main difference is that update library updates your entire library. every folder that has content set will get looked at again and rechecked for new stuff. scan for new content will only look for new stuff in that specific folder that you run it on.

so say you add an episode or two to a certain tv show. in that case, you'd probably want scan new content (because it'll just check that folder).

now say you add a couple of movies, a few new episodes to a few different tv shows, or even a whole tv show inside your "tv shows" folder that's already added to the library. in that case, you'd probably want to update library (because it'll rescan everything).

katz wrote:

Whats the difference between Update library & Scan for new content then?

Looks like Update Library does the whole Library. i.e Movies, TV Shows etc etc
Scan for new content only does the folder inwhich scan for new content was called from. i.e. Movies OR TV SHows.

flipped cracker wrote:

each button updates the library on a different scope.

update library : updates your whole library (every folder that has content type set).
refresh on a specific tv show : updates only that specific tv show. basically rescrapes all info for that show (updates ALL tv show info).
scan for new content : looks for new content in that specific folder. doesn't rescrape info, just adds new episodes/movies.
automated scan : the first scan done when setting content on a folder.

So when using Media Companion as your movie & TV Scraper, an Update Library is the best way to keep your XBMC Library accurate & upto date? One run of this should add/delete/update any Movie & TV Shows including episodes?

Thanks

StormyKnight wrote:

flipped cracker wrote:

each button updates the library on a different scope.

update library : updates your whole library (every folder that has content type set).
refresh on a specific tv show : updates only that specific tv show. basically rescrapes all info for that show (updates ALL tv show info).
scan for new content : looks for new content in that specific folder. doesn't rescrape info, just adds new episodes/movies.
automated scan : the first scan done when setting content on a folder.

So when using Media Companion as your movie & TV Scraper, an Update Library is the best way to keep your XBMC Library accurate & upto date? One run of this should add/delete/update any Movie & TV Shows including episodes?

Thanks

i usually do an update library because i wait until i have made quite a few changes before i update. if you're just adding one or two episodes, it'd be better to do a scan on those folders (especially if you have a large library like i do).

well im now convinced that UPDATE LIBRARY simply does not work.

I added a episode to Prison break. did update library. didnt show up.

went to my TV Shows source, scanned that for NEW content, then it came up.

this sucks.

Ive got a button allocated on my universal remote to UPDATE LIBRARY, so it does it all in the one hit.

XBMC UPDATED POST -- http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?p=236373&posted=1#post236373

I found almost the opposite tonight. I added a new episode to my sourve drive.

A scan for new content never found the new episode, I had to update Library for it to find it.

I also sorted my issue with Merlin.2008.S01E01.avi What was happening is that XBMC was matching it twice. once it found 01 01 i.e. Season 1 ep 1 & then it continues trying other permutations even though it has found it already. The second time it finds the .2008 & works that out to be season 20 ep 08! Anyway the end result is it appears twice in XBMC & if you have stack episodes turned on, the count of episodes is twice what is actually shown.

Anyway the fix is to rename the file properly to Merlin (2008).S01E01.avi

Merlin was also the show that often I had to delete from the library & then do an update again for it to find it. Then it would show but with no episodes until I did a scan for new content.

Anyway from what I can work out....
Scan for new content only looks for new scraped info, not new episodes.
Update Library - will find new episodes then do a Scan for New Content to get the scraped info but not delete removed episodes.
Clean Library will only remove deleted TV Shows & Episodes

BTW I'm using PMIII as my skin, the functions although named the same may work differently in other skins.

I bitten the bullet & created a new thread on the XBMC forum....

http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39356

Hope this will provide some answers....

StormyKnight wrote:

I bitten the bullet & created a new thread on the XBMC forum....

http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39356

Hope this will provide some answers....

lol i also created a new thread, but instead in the "XBMC for Xbox - Help and Support" section. http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?p=236444#post236444

Interesting, scanning for new content on TV SHOWS isnt working....it IS working for me. Its UPDATE LIBRARY that dosnt work for me lol.

OK I have an update....

I posted a ticket for XBMC re the episodes not adding issues & now...

Refresh should work now - before it would just delete your episodes from XBMC

Also I have worked out that if you do an automatic scan when you are selecting the content of a folder, XBMC seems to go straight to the internet for the information & not the nfo's as generated by Media Companion. So when you do a scan for new content which does look for nfo's there appears to be a conflict & the episodes are not added.

I've asked the developers to invesigate this issue.

Cheers
Richard

StormyKnight wrote:

OK I have an update....

I posted a ticket for XBMC re the episodes not adding issues & now...

Refresh should work now - before it would just delete your episodes from XBMC

Also I have worked out that if you do an automatic scan when you are selecting the content of a folder, XBMC seems to go straight to the internet for the information & not the nfo's as generated by Media Companion. So when you do a scan for new content which does look for nfo's there appears to be a conflict & the episodes are not added.

I've asked the developers to invesigate this issue.

Cheers
Richard

sounds good.

1. but can you clarify what you mean by Refresh should work ?

2. Whats the story with UPDATE LIBRARY ? That still dosnt seem to be adding TV shows for me.

3. Ok so, just to clarify, when you "tick" run automated scan, it scans IMDB instead of local nfo files? Also scanning for new content (on that same folder) conflicts and it dosnt add anything at all ?

OK if your are experiencing the issue that you cannot scan for new content to add new episodes, choosing TV information , refresh & all episodes will allow it to work. Firstly it will remove all the episodes & then when you scan for new content again they will all be back. From here on you only need to do a scan for new content to add new episodes.


Now I think you were having a different issue, were Update Library wasn't working...
I think I came across this also in my testing...

From memory to get it to work, I added a new file to the TV SHow Source folder so that when XBMC did a scan it created a Hash number for it & found it was different & then it updated correctly. Now it was either the Source folder root, or the actual TV show folder I can't remember but try 1 & then the other & see if either works.

I'm still in consulatation re the issues as the XBMC developers at this stage cannot replicate my issues, however I have the issue on 3 pcs & 1 xbox I will keep on it.

Tried Rev 16026 for windows & it works! A new T3CH release will be out in a matter of days, it should also fix these issues.

Note that I would suggest you create your new Library from scratch & not copy the old one across.

Cheers
Richard

StormyKnight wrote:

Tried Rev 16026 for windows & it works! A new T3CH release will be out in a matter of days, it should also fix these issues.

Note that I would suggest you create your new Library from scratch & not copy the old one across.

Cheers
Richard

when is the new TECH rls coming out?

When you say create new library, should I delete the myVideos.db & also delete all NFO's MC has created.

Then update MC to latetest, re-scan whole library from scratch, the get new TECH rls of XBMC to scan library?

Yep I had been advised that a new XBMC Milestone was going to be designated within a few days of the end of October, however it hasn't happened yet. Once that is done, T3CH will no doubt release the XBOX version of that revision. It should fix all the issues I was having with the TV Show Episodes since I have also been testing using the Windows version of XBMC inwhich you can get weekly updates for.

Your nfo's should be fine as there was never any issue with them. So all that you need to do is a fresh install of XBMC & then add your source(s) & let XBMC recreate the library. What I do on my XBOX is I create a new folder on F Drive under apps, such as XBMCB2 for XBMC beta 2 & I put XBMC in there. I then edit my boot files so that it will boot to that version of XBMC. It also means that none of the previuos XBMC is still lurking around to cause issues & the library is definately empty. Also if you find the new release worse, you can always go back to the previous version. Note that this is not so much of an issue with the recent Atlantis versions as they are working overtime on getting the bugs fixed & are not adding any more by having a feature freeze.

Once loaded & since the bug is now fixed it should perform as expected. i.e. refresh should refresh all the TV episodes without deleting them all, & scan for new content should locate new episodes.

Cheers
Richard

and what about "Update Library" ? That has been fixed aswell?

Well I got to say i never experienced that issue as much as you have done. On occasions that would happen to me but I could never work out what steps I took to get it to repeat with the same results. Basically the issue I was having they fix a part to do with the refreshing of episodes, but magically all the other issues with TV shows also fixed themselves......anyway the best this is to try the new release, which by the look of it is VERY NEAR.....

Quote :

11/02/2008: Yesterday
20:17 Changeset [16096] by jmarshallnz
Created xbox branch for stable release

Keep an eye on the XBMC website & T3CH for the release...

ok well the new T3CH build it out...and also the new mediastream 0.97 is with it.

I gotto try both these this weekend. FINGERS CROSSED!!!