View Full Version : IMDb Scraper issues on XBMC for Mac OS X?
Hi,
Just curious, does the OSX version use the same scraper as the Xbox version ?
I only ask because the xbox seems to nail the correct movie 99.99% of the time whereas the OSX is getting even simple movies wrong, ie, it's decides "The Wild" is "The Edge" !
Is there any way to tighten it's allowance in the search to avoid these glitches ?
thaks
Pete
look at the year for "The Wild" at imdb and addit to filename eg "The Wild (2006).avi" or add an nfo file, check manual
look at the year for "The Wild" at imdb and addit to filename eg "The Wild (2006).avi" or add an nfo file, check manual
yeah, thanks for that but I know I can do that, I just want to know why the difference between the accuracy of the scraper between xbox and osx when they are querying the exact same movie files?
It could be just bugs in the osx which is entirely understandable.
Sorry, my bad, it seems "The Edge" was called The Wild whilst in production and imdb throws it up as the first return in a manual search.
Seems a manual search is the way to go for accuracy at this stage.
Thanks for the reply anyhow.
Pete
Sorry, my bad, it seems "The Edge" was called The Wild whilst in production and imdb throws it up as the first return in a manual search.
Seems a manual search is the way to go for accuracy at this stage.
Thanks for the reply anyhow.
Pete
Add the year and its automated again :)
C-Quel: I know you think you're being wittily helpful but the whole point of searching through name is scraping all info. As well, there are some that don't keep a single NFO file as they look untidy.
If the scraper is not accurate then it's not accurate. There are problems existing in XBMC for OSX for scraping that are reflecting in different ways, and this is one of them. For some, things that the xbox version found perfectly are not being found in the OSX version.
For me, the scrapers don't work at all and actually freeze XBMC and eventually crash the system.
God knows I've been snarky in the past but I truly believe it's not the proper attitude against the slew of new users the forums will receive, none of which has run XBMC on an Xbox. This could be a real bug but the snarkiness keeps it hidden.
All that said, I'm all for sending people off to read the FAQ and the Manual, as long as we're sure they're properly linked and easily locatable.
C-Quel: I know you think you're being wittily helpful but the whole point of searching through name is scraping all info. As well, there are some that don't keep a single NFO file as they look untidy.
If the scraper is not accurate then it's not accurate. There are problems existing in XBMC for OSX for scraping that are reflecting in different ways, and this is one of them. For some, things that the xbox version found perfectly are not being found in the OSX version.
For me, the scrapers don't work at all and actually freeze XBMC and eventually crash the system.
God knows I've been snarky in the past but I truly believe it's not the proper attitude against the slew of new users the forums will receive, none of which has run XBMC on an Xbox. This could be a real bug but the snarkiness keeps it hidden.
All that said, I'm all for sending people off to read the FAQ and the Manual, as long as we're sure they're properly linked and easily locatable.
Eduo is right. There are problems with the IMDB scraper to be sure. Adding the year or manually teaking the name sometimes doesn't help.
Here is a perfect example, "3:10 to Yuma (2007).AVI" will not find the correct title regardless of what you try. I mean you can spell it forward backward, with or without year or just type part of the title like 3:10 or just Yuma. It will pull all kinds of unrelated stuff, with the title "Johnny Yuma" at the top.
I have other movies that do the same like "300" and others. TV titles are worse, sometimes you will try getting the title multiple times and occasionally after 4 or 5 tries it will work, sometimes not.
The problem seems to be with the scripts. So here is what I tried and seems to work just fine:
I copied the contents of the scraper folder from my T3CH XBMC SVN that's on my Xbox (1/8/2008), and used it to replace the scraper folder on elan's XBMC v.0.1.2. It now works, at least all the movies that were previously detected wrong now work just fine.
To do this, either download T3CH's SVN (http://t3ch.yi.se/), or if you have an Xbox with one of the latest SVNs, FTP into it and copy the "video" folder from "System/Scrapers". Then right click on the XBMC application, click "Show Package Contents", navigate to "System/Scrapers" and replace the video folder in there with the one from the SVN.
You might want to back up the original "Video" folder just in case this one doesn't work for you.
Anyway, try it, it might help. It certainly did for me.:grin:
Dudeman
eduo, if those new users did what new user should, which is to read the forum rules and the faq, they'd submit proper error reports / requests for help in the first place (which usually boils down to one thing; provide the log so we have some info to judge on already).
it's OH so easy for you to judge us - try having to shake the needed information out of users for years and see if it doesn't get to you in the end (or try using HOURS chasing ghosts for that matter - i'm sure you'll grump up soon enough).
to sum it up; it's not the snarkyness that keeps it hidden, it is the users failing to give us some real information to base answers on. give us what we need, you'll get proper answers. fail and we will give you sarcasm / we will do the only sane thing; assume it is user error. it's the only sane thing for us to do cause come on! look at the percentage of real problems reported vs pebkac's.
Spiff: I'm sorry if I sound like I'm judging. I am not but I know when a system is deployed onto new platforms and new users pour in it's easy to be snarky. I know this because I've done it myself.
You can see it in other threads, where Mac users are told to use windows keys they clearly don't have. Where stock answers that only apply to "XBMC in XBOX" environments are given. Or when the actual issue is not answered (it's first assumed the user doesn't know about year and NFO metadata, then it's ignored when he says he shouldn't need to go that way).
Check Dudeman's comment. It's clear there is something wrong with the way XBMC in OSX is scraping as it's not behaving like XBMC in XBox. Dismissing a poster (he was dismissed, just like that) means an error could be mistaken with a "Damn n00b that can't keep the manual opened".
I said what I said having used XBMC for several years (and been a lurker both in this and xbox-scene's forums) and having seen the reaction frequently. I've been one of the literal types too. I too have asked to obviously new users to look for rules that aren't easy to find, read manuals that don't have an obvious link and told them to respect the forum rules that they have not seen posted anywhere.
Remember, in all, that they're being sent here, to this specific subject from the forums. And until two days ago no link to the FAQ existed and you have to go to other topics to get to the rules. Also, searching won't be useful as there aren't many posts yet and the XBMC on XBOX posts don't apply for the most part.
I posted this because it's easy to start dismissing everyone, several of which might have an actual query. It's easiest to ignore them and have someone else answer (like Dudeman is attempting to) than give them a useless answer that, also, makes them feel like crap.
I know all about the "hacker's reaction to dumb answers". I saw the birth of the infamous "how to make questions" document. Part of it is knowing when to understand why new users are coming and where they might be coming from. Most of the XBMC on OSX ones come from OSXBMC directly, from a link where they've been told to post their questions.
I don't say to reply to stupid questions. I'm saying to only reply to questions we have actual answers for.
Dudeman: Weird. I tried your solution on the newest compile (0.1.2) but didn't see a difference. I was hoping it'd fix it, then I'd diff the files and find out it was probably because elan's build is using the wrong carriage returns or some stupid thing like that.
Alas, no luck. My XBMC keeps freezing when trying to scrape.
jmarshall
2008-02-18, 23:29
Offtopic:
Hi eduo,
We have a new website as you will have noticed, and you have pointed out that some things need to be easier to find for new and old users alike.
You seem to write very well, so perhaps you will have a small amount of time to offer (and with any luck implement) some better content or better linking for the website, so that new users can find what they're looking for a little easier?
Cheers,
Jonathan
jmarshall: I had seen the new wiki and think it's tremendous value and a wonderful step in the right direction. The new direction XBMC has taken means whatever we thought the phrase "influx of newbs" meant will take on a radically new meaning and that, to me, is a great thing (I've been hawking XBMC as the greatest thing since sliced bread and comparing every single mediocre MC out there with it for a long time now).
I'll see what I can help with, seeing as I've used XBMC for a long time without giving anything back other than new users.
Dudeman: Weird. I tried your solution on the newest compile (0.1.2) but didn't see a difference. I was hoping it'd fix it, then I'd diff the files and find out it was probably because elan's build is using the wrong carriage returns or some stupid thing like that.
Alas, no luck. My XBMC keeps freezing when trying to scrape.
I never did have problems with the scraper freezing, just not getting it right, and that sometimes it would be nearly impossible to even manually make it work.
Could your problem have something to do with network blocking (firewalls, maybe Little Snitch)? Does it freeze and stay frozen, or does it eventually timeout?
Dudeman
The problem seems to be with the scripts. So here is what I tried and seems to work just fine:
I copied the contents of the scraper folder from my T3CH XBMC SVN that's on my Xbox (1/8/2008), and used it to replace the scraper folder on elan's XBMC v.0.1.2. It now works, at least all the movies that were previously detected wrong now work just fine.
To do this, either download T3CH's SVN (http://t3ch.yi.se/), or if you have an Xbox with one of the latest SVNs, FTP into it and copy the "video" folder from "System/Scrapers". Then right click on the XBMC application, click "Show Package Contents", navigate to "System/Scrapers" and replace the video folder in there with the one from the SVN.
You might want to back up the original "Video" folder just in case this one doesn't work for you.
Anyway, try it, it might help. It certainly did for me.:grin:
Dudeman
Thanks Dudeman! Your solution worked. I am finally able to pull down info for the movie "300" instead of having to settle for data on "The 300 Spartans". :D Tv shows are still hit and miss, but the Tv.com scraper works MUCH better.
God dammit! Dont you just love user errors :)
I never did have problems with the scraper freezing, just not getting it right, and that sometimes it would be nearly impossible to even manually make it work.
Could your problem have something to do with network blocking (firewalls, maybe Little Snitch)? Does it freeze and stay frozen, or does it eventually timeout?
Nope. I did check all of that. The problem is strange, since it doesn't pop for pulling listing results, only for pulling actual info and covers. I'd be less surprised if no scraping worked at all.
C-Quel: What user errors? The problem where the included scripts didn't work as they should have and redownloading them again fixed it? Or the problem I have where XBMC can't download anything at all and nothing close to a response exists anywhere in the manual, the faq or the forums.
Forums should have an /ignore button, really.
God dammit! Dont you just love user errors :)
Sorry about the above comment "Eduo" but i had to have a guess as my Crystal Ball has ran out of batteries... its an old one so i cannot plug it into my usb port.
Maybe you could provide a debug log so we can see what is happening :)
paste it here www.pastebin.com and post the link
Oh /ignore would not do you any favours :) im the one that will be fixing it if there is a problem :p
I have, as I mentioned already. I created a different thread and in it also provided the log from pastebin before I mentioned it here. I originally mentioned it here because it was related but not enough to hijack the thread.
But, really, I don't mind if you want to keep away from it. I could do without the unhelpful yet-so-funny remarks. I can live without them, although I'd understand if it made you happy to go there and recommend I don't scrape info or that I put it there manually from my Xbox's files or some other advice that doesn't really help me or anyone.
C-Quel: I know you think you're being wittily helpful but the whole point of searching through name is scraping all info. As well, there are some that don't keep a single NFO file as they look untidy.
If the scraper is not accurate then it's not accurate. There are problems existing in XBMC for OSX for scraping that are reflecting in different ways, and this is one of them. For some, things that the xbox version found perfectly are not being found in the OSX version.
For me, the scrapers don't work at all and actually freeze XBMC and eventually crash the system.
God knows I've been snarky in the past but I truly believe it's not the proper attitude against the slew of new users the forums will receive, none of which has run XBMC on an Xbox. This could be a real bug but the snarkiness keeps it hidden.
All that said, I'm all for sending people off to read the FAQ and the Manual, as long as we're sure they're properly linked and easily locatable.
Comments likes the above dont do you any favours... i recommended adding the year because we use it to avoid complications like "aka,same movie different year" and the list goes on... so its not that our scraper is not accurate, its the fact that users dont use it to its full potential.
Prime example... on imdb search itself "The Wild"
1.
The Edge (1997)
aka "The Wild" - USA (working title)
chrislee149
2008-02-20, 06:28
There's definitely something genuinely wrong with XBMC for OS X's IMDB scraper. I've had several problems with it. For some reason, it can't find certain films. I'm not talking about some low-budget unheard-of film here. I'm talking LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring (other LOTR films work) and Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (other HP films work).
And I believe that the OS X version does not have the Settings button enabled in PM3 for the IMDB scraper, so it's also not working correctly for this reason: http://xbmc.org/forum/showthread.php?t=30542
IIRC, I had to change the scraper file to even get it working partially at all.
I'm busy now so I can't provide a detailed analysis, but I'll try sometime later.
Thanks, Chrislee149. I'll check this. The strange part is that it seems to be working for some (either that or most new people don't even know about the scrapers which, to me, are the best part of XBMC).
C-Quel: That's what the manual search is there for, isn't there? To see the results and pick the correct one. Putting the year in the title might make the search work but does make the whole process more cumbersome and less tidy. If the automatic search doesn't work then that's what the manual search is for. I have the automatic only mis-find an item once, so I don't think going to IMDB, checking the year of that movie, going back to the XBMC source, renaming the file and searching again is, in any way, a better option than just picking the correct result from a list.
But that could be me, obviously.
I did like the "Comments like that don't do you any favours", though, as that's exactly what my point was trying to be.