Disclaimer: If you're not a tinkerer this app may not be completely user-friendly at the moment--yet. If, however, you don't mind "...seeing where it keeps its brains.." then read on.

Screenshots: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26106575@N03/

Installer: http://cid-bc8c4296c2addc53.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Public?uc=1&lc=1033

Super-fly-by-drive-by cliff notes:

Section A.

1. Install app

2. App defaults the watchedfolders to c:\public\videos\, whatever your recorded TV is set to record to, any watched recorded tv folders, and whatever your dvd library is pulling from. There is no currently no UI support to edit this list. To do so, go to C:\ProgramData\VideoLibrary\videolibrary.dll.config. It's an xml-based config file

3. The plug in shows up under TV+Movies. Launch it.

4. By default, it will recognize ripped tv shows using either of the following naming formats:

• Babylon 5-S01E02-Soul Hunter.avi
  Babylon 5 - S01E02 - Soul Hunter.avi
  Babylon 5.S01E02.Soul Hunter.avi
  Babylon 5.s01e02.Soul Hunter.avi
  Babylon 5-S01x02-Soul Hunter.avi
  Babylon 5-01x02-Soul Hunter.avi
  Inspector Morse - 04x02 - The Sins of the Fathers.avi
  \\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01. Genesis.avi
  \\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01.Genesis.avi
  \\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01 Genesis.avi
  \\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01-Genesis.avi
  \\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01 - Genesis.avi
  Dexter S01E02.avi
  DexterS01E02.avi
  Dexter-S01E02.avi
  Dexter.S01E02.avi
  Dexter.01x02.avi
  Dexter-01x02.avi
  Dexter - 01x02.avi
  

5. If you don't use any of these naming scheme then go to the config file and change the ArchivedTVExpression to one of those listed below in Section B.

6. It will try to recognize ripped tv shows using the setting in #5 above and download metadata from thetvdb.com.

7. If a video is not recognized as archived tv, it will assume its a movie and attempt to download metadata from themoviedb.org

8. Examine your content folders (from #1).

9. Metadata is stored in a hidden subfolder called ".metadata". This subfolder exists in each folder containing content (video, series, season folders, etc.).

 

Section B. Sample Regular expressions (provided by Schlep):

The &gt and &lt are escape codes for > and <, respectively. The brackets have to be changed because these expressions are being stored in an xml-based config file.

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 01\01. Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)\\(Season)\s(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,2})\\(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,2})\.\s(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 1\Heroes.01x01.Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,2})x(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,3})\.(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 1\Heroes.01x01. Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,2})x(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,3})\.\s(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 1\Heroes - 01x01 - Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)\s-\s(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,2})x(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,3})\s-\s(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 1\Heroes-S01E01-Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)-S(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,2})E(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,3})-(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

\\SERVER\Heroes\Season 1\Heroes - 101 - Genesis.avi
"(?:\w*)\\(?&lt;seriesname&gt;.+?)\s-\s(?&lt;seasonnumber&gt;\d{1,1})(?&lt;episodenumber&gt;\d{1,2})\s-\s(?&lt;episodename&gt;.+?)\.(?&lt;extension&gt;[avi|mpg|rmvb])"

Schlep :D

This is precisely how I imagined a TV library within Vista Media Center should look like.  I am in awe.  How'd you get the banners up top for the series?  And the metadata?  I'm eager for the details behind this nice addition.

 

James

This is exactly it... has it really taken this long for just a proof-of-concept?  I kind of needed this yesterday....!!!

Alrighty...so, how do we get this done?  Do we create our own asx wrappers for the files, and point to them from within a recorded tv folder?  I'd love to hear some details on how to accomplish this.

James

Folder metadata

<Metadata>
  <NeedsMetadata>false</NeedsMetadata>
  <Title>tv shows</Title>
  <Description>tv shows from dvd</Description>
  <ImageType>Cover</ImageType>
  <SortOrder>Title</SortOrder>
  <SpannedFolders />
  <GetMostRecentVideo>true</GetMostRecentVideo>
</Metadata>

 

<Metadata>
  <Title>recorded tv</Title>
  <Description>Shows recorded from tv</Description>
  <ImageType>Thumbnail</ImageType>
  <SpannedFolders />
  <GetMostRecentVideo>true</GetMostRecentVideo>
  <CleanUp>true</CleanUp>
</Metadata>

Series metadata

<Metadata>
  <NeedsMetadata>false</NeedsMetadata>
  <Actors>Mathew St. Patrick, Jeremy Sisto, James Cromwell, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Jenkins, Freddy Rodriguez, Lili Taylor, Justina Machado, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose</Actors>
  <BroadcastStatus>Ended</BroadcastStatus>
  <AirsDayOfWeek>Monday</AirsDayOfWeek>
  <AirsTime>9:00 PM</AirsTime>
  <FirstAired>2001-06-01T00:00:00</FirstAired>
  <Genre>Drama</Genre>
  <ID>75450</ID>
  <Network>HBO</Network>
  <Description>When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as--and far less predictable than--the one inside.  Oscar-winning screenwriter Alan Ball's breakout series that takes a darkly comic look at members of a dysfunctional L.A. family that run a funeral business.</Description>
  <Rating>TV-MA</Rating>
  <RunTime>36000000000</RunTime>
  <Title>Six Feet Under</Title>
  <WatchSeriesIndex>1</WatchSeriesIndex>
</Metadata>

Episode Metadata

<Metadata>
  <NeedsMetadata>false</NeedsMetadata>
  <Status />
  <Title>Six Feet Under</Title>
  <SubTitle>Perfect Circles</SubTitle>
  <SubTitleDescription>Nathaniel Samuel Fisher, Jr1965-2002
What would it be like if Nate died? Or, if Nate and Brenda had a kid? Or, if Nathaniel Sr married someone different? Or, if Nate's surgery didn't go so well and he became brain damaged? Or if Nate was an existential redneck?  Nate experiences alternate realities but which one does he choose?
Fisher &amp; Sons is now Fisher &amp; Diaz, and Rico is taking a stand.  He does not want to be a ""gofer"" anymore, and makes sure everyone knows he is now a partner.
Claire becomes ""gofer"", for 50 bucks a shot, and takes a body to the crematory where she meets a worker named Phil.  She plays hooky from art class the next day to be with him.
David and Keith start couples therapy, which only seems to anger Keith more.
Ruth gets a bit obsessive with her granddaughter Maya, but Lisa puts her in her place.
Lisa also deals with the quirkiness of her frenetic boss and landlord, Carol.</SubTitleDescription>
  <Provider>http://www.thetvdb.com</Provider>
  <NetworkAffiliation />
  <StationCallSign />
  <StationName>HBO</StationName>
  <OriginalBroadcastDateTime>2003-03-02T00:00:00</OriginalBroadcastDateTime>
  <OriginalChannel />
  <OriginalRunTime>36000000000</OriginalRunTime>
  <Duration>28870000000</Duration>
  <EncodeTime>0</EncodeTime>
  <EndTime>0</EndTime>
  <Language />
  <Watched>false</Watched>
  <Position>0</Position>
  <Genre>Drama</Genre>
  <ParentalRating>TV-MA</ParentalRating>
  <ParentalRatingReason />
  <IsDelay>false</IsDelay>
  <IsLive>false</IsLive>
  <IsMovie>false</IsMovie>
  <IsPremiere>false</IsPremiere>
  <IsRepeat>false</IsRepeat>
  <IsFinale>false</IsFinale>
  <IsSAP>false</IsSAP>
  <IsStereo>false</IsStereo>
  <IsSubtitled>false</IsSubtitled>
  <ClosedCaptioning>false</ClosedCaptioning>
  <ContentProtected>false</ContentProtected>
  <DTVContent>false</DTVContent>
  <ATSCContent>false</ATSCContent>
  <HDContent>false</HDContent>
  <ID>171388</ID>
  <SeriesID>75450</SeriesID>
  <SeasonNumber>3</SeasonNumber>
  <EpisodeNumber>1</EpisodeNumber>
  <TitleDescription>When death is your business, what is your life? For the Fisher family, the world outside of their family-owned funeral home continues to be at least as challenging as--and far less predictable than--the one inside.  Oscar-winning screenwriter Alan Ball's breakout series that takes a darkly comic look at members of a dysfunctional L.A. family that run a funeral business.</TitleDescription>
  <BroadcastStatus />
  <BroadcastFirstAired>2001-06-01T00:00:00</BroadcastFirstAired>
  <AirsDayOfWeek>Monday</AirsDayOfWeek>
  <AirsTime>9:00 PM</AirsTime>
  <Director>Rodrigo Garcia</Director>
  <Writer>Alan Ball</Writer>
  <Actors>Mathew St. Patrick, Jeremy Sisto, James Cromwell, Peter Krause, Michael C. Hall, Rachel Griffiths, Richard Jenkins, Freddy Rodriguez, Lili Taylor, Justina Machado, Frances Conroy, Lauren Ambrose</Actors>
  <GuestStars />
  <Rating />
  <YearMade />
</Metadata>

And this is from within just the Recorded TV folder included by default on VMC or a program you've created?

Too cool for words...

James

mind going into a bit more depth about how you put that metadata in?  (ie what file to edit/add etc).

also could this be applied to the movie library?  now that we can see those on extenders if we could do proper metadata in there as well we might have a killer application on our hands.

Have you guys seen myTV?  If not, you should check it out, as I think it will do what you are wanting to do w/o you having to create anything.  myTV doesn't require you to manually create any .xml files, as it doesn't even store anything in with your files.  All config & series management is done via the remote.  See here.

Yes myTV is the way to go for tv collection.

---

Always willing to help.

 Yes mytv is a good app but its still a little buggy and $20.

Would you be intrested in making this open source and working on a free product based on this concept?

Perfect is the first word that popped into my mind.  It's how I saw AndyC's TV Library (MoreTV) ending up, but unfortunately, his life got in the way of making me a killer VMC app :).  I'd be very interested to see how this was/is achieved, as it really does appear to be what most of us are looking for.

Looking forward to an update.. :)

Schlep :D

It never worked for me...it always had an error creating the mySQL DB.  So I have no experience with it.  But this app looks more VMC-like too.  If myTV can get fixed, perhaps I'll try it.

 

James

Not sure what there is to "fix" as the commercial build is flawless for me.  I beta test, and even those are near-flawless.  Did you install SQL Express before installing myTV?