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+---- Thread: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? (/showthread.php?tid=329975)
Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
I can't make KODI read the movie.nfo or tvshow.nfo files with parsing info. Instead it stubbornly tries to use the folder name, or the file name to lookup.
I made a very simple setup of one movie file, with weird folder and file names (as it could be with local/chinese/whatever titles) but with a entirely correct movie.nfo parsing info with the link to IMDB.
According to KODI Wiki about nfo files, it SHOULD locate the [movie.]nfo file, it will use that firsthand. But it doesn't! The log here and on line 304 says clearly that it does not find any nfo file, but I can assure you, the movie.nfo IS there!
I have set the source content to Movies, "Movies are in separate folders that match the movie title" is OFF, "Scan recursively" is ON (I have tried every other combination as well). I have tried to name the nfo file to movie.nfo and the (weird) videofilename.nfo.
But still KODI does not see the nfo file. Why?
Isn't this a clear bug?
Why bother trying to lookup maybe Chinese folder or file names, when you have a perfectly legal link to the correct IMDB entry in the parsing info nfo file?
Note that the Wiki says that
"A Parsing nfo does not contain any metadata that Kodi can use to scrape into the library. Instead it contains the URL to the movie/tv show/album/artist that you want scraped. As an example, searching for The Mummy on TMDB returns 65 titles. If you are attempting to add one of the more obscure versions to your library, chances are that Kodi will scrape the incorrect title, and trying to navigate to the 65th entry will be problematic. The parsing nfo offers an easy solution to this problem.The parsing nfo will also override the scraper setting in Kodi. If you have TMDB set as your scraper, it is possible to use the IMDB URL for the movie. "
Best regards
Bo
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-22
Hello @bowan
If you jump up one page to the main NFO Page, you will see the instructions for the Parsing NFO file- Section 2.2
Can you provide a screenshot of your folder that clearly shows the video file and nfo file. Make sure it show the movie folder also, so I can see how it is named.
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
Hi Karellen, thanks for taking the time to answer!
As I see it, neither the movie nor the tv show scanners do look for any nfo file. They throw themselves directly onto file or folder names and try to resolve, even if there IS a nfo file.
This is in my opinion both logically VERY wrong, and not what is specified in the Wiki, which I have read back and forth many times now. IF there is a nfo file in a directory, that file should ALWAYS take precedence, regardless on how you name the file or folders!!
A practical example, for a Swedish film with the title "Sture & Kerstin forever", with IMDB url http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655439 . As '&' is not acceptable we use the Swedish alternative title 'och' instead of '&'.
What if highly frustrating is that the log from the scan, line 304 says there is NO nfo file in the folder! Believe me, it IS there, containing the one line parsing info with the imdb url. Same problem even if the nfo file is named as the video file, no difference. Same goes for tvshow.nfo files in TV Shows.
The folder structure can be found here.
But that movie.nfo file and the parsing info is totally ignored by Kodi. Instead it throws itself directly onto the file or folder names, and fails!
And YES, with elaboration and closely matching folder and/or file names with what is written on IMDB or TMDB, I might get a hit.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE POINT!! Then I have to adjust each and every item name according to ONE movie DB site. If I later should want to use another movie DB site, I have to rename every folder an file. This can't possibly be logical or user friendly! If there is a valid nfo file with a DIRECT link to the page to scrape, that certainly must take precedence over any whimsy searching for Swedish, Chinese or whatever title?
I consider this ignoration of nfo files as a heavy bug!
Best // Bo
BTW - according to the log, the path to Kodi data files is wrong in the log:
path: 'C:\Users\bowan\AppData\Roaming\Kodi"
That path does not exist.
The real path, probably set by Windows 10 is 'C:\Users\bowan\AppData\Local\Packages\XBMCFoundation.Kodi_4n2hpmxwrvr6p\LocalCache\Roaming\Kodi'
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-22
It works for me. Line 917... https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/gFR4RXt2ZG/
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
On my W10 it does not find the movie.nfo file!
What scraper do you use?
Are there any special setup, or just default?
BR // Bo
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-22
Here is another log. I named the folder and the file completely randomly. Ok, not completely random. It includes your name. Now check the title that is scraped at IMDB, it is the same movie.
https://paste.ubuntu.com/p/Z95s3YSGbz/ Line 905
It looks at the nfo file only. If it does not find the nfo file, then it searches the title in the folder or filename, depending upon your scraper settings.
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-22
Ah, you edited your post.
If you are scraping from IMDB, you need to have Universal Movie Scraper add-on installed. It does not have to be active, just installed. No other special requirement. It just works.
This is what is in the nfo file, nothing else. No xml tags, nothing. Just the link...
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655439/
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
I cleaned up DB, tried again locally, only on that folder. But no difference. Do we use different Kodi? I run 17.6.
When doing a "Scan into library" I get the message that there is local content (I assume the movie.nfo). I have tried both to use that, and to get info from internet. Both fails. I can understand that "internet" fails, but not that it can't read the nfo:
11:18:34.823 T:4308 DEBUG: CAnnouncementManager - Announcement: OnInputFinished from xbmc
11:18:34.823 T:4308 DEBUG: GOT ANNOUNCEMENT, type: 128, from xbmc, message OnInputFinished
11:18:34.835 T:8532 DEBUG: VideoInfoScanner: No NFO file found. Using title search for 'D:\Temp\Movies\Sture och Kerstin forever (2010)\Sture och Kerstin forever (2010).mkv'
11:18:34.835 T:8532 DEBUG: ------ Window Init (DialogConfirm.xml) ------
11:18:36.203 T:4784 DEBUG: CAESinkDirectSound:
einitialize: Cleaning up11:18:37.327 T:8532 DEBUG: CInputManager:
rocessMouse: trying mouse action leftclick11:18:37.569 T:8532 DEBUG: ------ Window Deinit (DialogConfirm.xml) ------
11:18:37.585 T:8532 DEBUG: DialogProgress::Open called
11:18:37.585 T:8532 DEBUG: ------ Window Init (DialogConfirm.xml) ------
11:18:38.020 T:20292 DEBUG: Thread VideoInfoDownloader start, auto delete: false
11:18:38.021 T:20292 DEBUG: ADDON::CScraper::FindMovie: Searching for 'Sture och Kerstin forever' using The Movie Database scraper (path: 'C:\Users\bowan\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\metadata.themoviedb.org', content: 'movies', version:
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - FXB78 - 2018-03-22
Could it be that this is an issue with the Windows app looking in 'C:\Users\bowan\AppData\Roaming\Kodi\addons\metadata.themoviedb.org' instead of the Windows Store version location, which is of course different? I'd suggest that perhaps the Scraper needs updating to recognise the user is using the Windows Store version and not the desktop version.
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - jjd-uk - 2018-03-22
@bowen Please confirm scrapers you have installed? as said before in
(2018-03-22, 12:13)Karellen Wrote: If you are scraping from IMDB, you need to have Universal Movie Scraper add-on installed. It does not have to be active, just installed.
Look in My Addons -> Information Providers -> Movie information
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
Hi,
But yes, I HAD the Universal installed, but not selected!
I removed the x64 Windows Store version and installed the x86 version, then installed the Universal Move Scraper, but selected The Movie DB scraper as scraper. I then tried to "Scan to library" the entire source (just one folder and one video file).
Still can't find the movie.nfo file, please see log line 305.
Then I selected the Universal Movie Scraper as scraper instead. Still can't find the nfo file (but we got a hit on the file name. Universal obviously understands Swedish 'och' ('&') better than the Movie DB scraper)
I added one more folder, and to really stress it, I called both the folder and the file 'Unspec', BUT put the url http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069947 (best thriller ever) in the movie.nfo file.
The nfo file was never found, log here, please see line 390.
I have zipped the entire structure, of course replacing the videos with small textfile placeholders, please see here (struct is 606 bytes)
There is one other folder there as well, a TVShow och "Serier", which includes the next problem. It contains a Swedish series about a painter, "Zorn (1994)". Whatever I do, the scraper insists that this folder is the comic series "Son of Zorn (2016)". Whatever I do! Also in that folder is a parsing tvshow.nfo file with the proper IMDB url. In the logs I have scrutinized, the nfo seems never mentioned!
The key to all is that none of the scrapers seem to be able to find the "movie.nfo" files. Running Kodi 17.6.
Thanks for your time and interest!
Best // Bo
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-22
In Kodi 17.6 x86 I have addons The Move Databse Team Kodi - 5.1.2, and Universal Movie Scraper Olympia, Team Kodi - 4.1.7, which is the default you get when you install today.
Thanks again!
// Bo
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-22
@bowan
When I tested your files, they did not work for me. I think I have found your problem though. I wouldn't have discovered it if you hadn't uploaded your files, so good decision.
Your nfo file is saved as Unicode format. See image below which is Windows Notepad Save screen.
Change the Encoding to UTF-8. Once I changed the encoding, your nfo file worked.
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - bowan - 2018-03-23
Hi Karellen!
Again, my respect and many thanks for your dedication!
HOWEVER - I' terribly sorry to have to tell you I see no difference after changing the movie.nfo file from Unicode to UTF-8, or to ANSI.
I have put the new structure here, slightly bigger because I included the logs on the root, one for movie.nfo in UTF-8 (with bom?) and one where movie.nfo is pure ANSI.
Both loga say on line 305 that "NFO file not found" when scanning. I have set up the scraper to both The Movie DB and to Universal, with the same result.
It seems to me as the scraper is never invoked when searching for the nfo file. The framework seems responsible for searching for the movie.nfo, but always fails. First thereafter the scraper is called?
Sorry to have the movie.nfo in Unicode, thanks for finding out! I create the movie.nfo with a small Powershell script given a shortcut to IMDB (included in the tree). As the url is pure ANSI text, I had no idea that Powershell made them Unicode. But nevertheless, the encoding semes irrelevant when the VideoInfoScanner does not seem to find the file at all?
I changed the script to make movie.nfo in a) "UTF-8", which I believe include a bom? and b) pure simple ANSI as every character is well below 127, and tested each. I beleve the log names are selfexplanatory.
i
Still I simply can't get Kodi 17.6 x32 to find the movie.nfo file!
Sorry to trouble you with this lengthy thread, but something is really weird here, and I'm not entirely sure that I'm to blame.
Best // Bo
RE: Why doesn't KODI read movie.nfo files ? - Karellen - 2018-03-23
These are the files that I am using. They work no problems here.
Download and test... https://ufile.io/6b4zs
Let us know the outcome. Contrary to what you are saying, it is a problem with your install as so far these files have worked on three different Kodi installations.