Plex does not match show. Encoding problem?

[mad-inside]

Server Version#: 1.18.4.2171-ac2afe5f8
Player Version#: Plex Web 4.20.1 (does this even matter?)

What do I want to achieve?
I have a German language TV show called “Äquator – Die Linie des Lebens” which I want to match using “Match” option.

What does not work?
Plex media agent for TheTVDB does return an empty search result.

What did I do to investigate the problem?
I checked the server logs at $PLEX_HOME/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Server/Logs which showed a confusing amount of stuff some of which might relate to the request:

Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.150 [0x7f6255b6e700] DEBUG - EventSource: Resolving 82.94.168.22 port 443
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.150 [0x7f6255b6e700] DEBUG - EventSource: Resolved 82.94.168.22 to 82.94.168.22
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.211 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - EventSource: Connected in 41 ms.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.212 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - EventSource: Wrote data, reading reply.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.357 [0x7f6255b6e700] DEBUG - EventSource: Read HTTP reply header.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:02.357 [0x7f6255b6e700] DEBUG - MyPlex: We appear to have regained Internet connectivity.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.109 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Auth: authenticated user 1 as mad inside
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.110 [0x7f61c57fa700] DEBUG - Request: [2.205.25.120:33436 (WAN)] GET /library/metadata/1845/matches?manual=1&title=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&agent=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&year=&language=de (4 live) TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (mad inside)
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.113 [0x7f61c57fa700] DEBUG - Most recent grandchild was episode 12
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.114 [0x7f61c57fa700] DEBUG - Issuing search query: http://127.0.0.1:32400/system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.114 [0x7f61c57fa700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.115 [0x7f624dbaf700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:40134 (Loopback)] GET /system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1 (5 live) GZIP Signed-in
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.115 [0x7f624dbaf700] DEBUG - [com.plexapp.system] Sending command over HTTP (GET): /system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.116 [0x7f624dbaf700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:39677/system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.123 [0x7f61c47f8700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:40138 (Loopback)] GET /:/plugins (6 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (mad inside)
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.124 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:40138] 200 GET /:/plugins (6 live) GZIP 1ms 742 bytes
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.130 [0x7f61f2ffd700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:40140 (Loopback)] GET /:/plugins/com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb/messaging/function/X0FnZW50S2l0OlNlYXJjaA__/Y2VyZWFsMQoxCmxpc3QKMApyMAo_/Y2VyZWFsMQoyCmRpY3QKZGljdAo2CnMyCmRlczQKbGFuZ2IxczYKbWFudWFsYjFzNwpwcmltYXJ5aTAKczcKdmVyc2lvbnIxCnM2Cmt3YXJnc3M3ClRWX1Nob3dzMTAKbWVkaWFfdHlwZTMKbnM0CnllYXJzNAoxODQ1czIKaWRzMjkKw6RxdWF0b3IgRGllIExpbmllIERlcyBMZWJlbnNzNApzaG93cjAK (6 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (mad inside)
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.131 [0x7f61f2ffd700] DEBUG - [com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb] Sending command over HTTP (GET): /:/plugins/com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb/messaging/function/X0FnZW50S2l0OlNlYXJjaA__/Y2VyZWFsMQoxCmxpc3QKMApyMAo_/Y2VyZWFsMQoyCmRpY3QKZGljdAo2CnMyCmRlczQKbGFuZ2IxczYKbWFudWFsYjFzNwpwcmltYXJ5aTAKczcKdmVyc2lvbnIxCnM2Cmt3YXJnc3M3ClRWX1Nob3dzMTAKbWVkaWFfdHlwZTMKbnM0CnllYXJzNAoxODQ1czIKaWRzMjkKw6RxdWF0b3IgRGllIExpbmllIERlcyBMZWJlbnNzNApzaG93cjAK
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.131 [0x7f61f2ffd700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:41503/:/plugins/com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb/messaging/function/X0FnZW50S2l0OlNlYXJjaA__/Y2VyZWFsMQoxCmxpc3QKMApyMAo_/Y2VyZWFsMQoyCmRpY3QKZGljdAo2CnMyCmRlczQKbGFuZ2IxczYKbWFudWFsYjFzNwpwcmltYXJ5aTAKczcKdmVyc2lvbnIxCnM2Cmt3YXJnc3M3ClRWX1Nob3dzMTAKbWVkaWFfdHlwZTMKbnM0CnllYXJzNAoxODQ1czIKaWRzMjkKw6RxdWF0b3IgRGllIExpbmllIERlcyBMZWJlbnNzNApzaG93cjAK
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.140 [0x7f623bde8700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:40144 (Loopback)] GET /library/metadata/1845/tree (7 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (mad inside)
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:05.146 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:40144] 200 GET /library/metadata/1845/tree (7 live) GZIP 6ms 2214 bytes
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.352 [0x7f61f2ffd700] DEBUG - HTTP 200 response from GET http://127.0.0.1:41503/:/plugins/com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb/messaging/function/X0FnZW50S2l0OlNlYXJjaA__/Y2VyZWFsMQoxCmxpc3QKMApyMAo_/Y2VyZWFsMQoyCmRpY3QKZGljdAo2CnMyCmRlczQKbGFuZ2IxczYKbWFudWFsYjFzNwpwcmltYXJ5aTAKczcKdmVyc2lvbnIxCnM2Cmt3YXJnc3M3ClRWX1Nob3dzMTAKbWVkaWFfdHlwZTMKbnM0CnllYXJzNAoxODQ1czIKaWRzMjkKw6RxdWF0b3IgRGllIExpbmllIERlcyBMZWJlbnNzNApzaG93cjAK
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.352 [0x7f61f2ffd700] DEBUG - [com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb] HTTP reply status 200, with 320 bytes of content.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.353 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:40140] 200 GET /:/plugins/com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb/messaging/function/X0FnZW50S2l0OlNlYXJjaA__/Y2VyZWFsMQoxCmxpc3QKMApyMAo_/Y2VyZWFsMQoyCmRpY3QKZGljdAo2CnMyCmRlczQKbGFuZ2IxczYKbWFudWFsYjFzNwpwcmltYXJ5aTAKczcKdmVyc2lvbnIxCnM2Cmt3YXJnc3M3ClRWX1Nob3dzMTAKbWVkaWFfdHlwZTMKbnM0CnllYXJzNAoxODQ1czIKaWRzMjkKw6RxdWF0b3IgRGllIExpbmllIERlcyBMZWJlbnNzNApzaG93cjAK (7 live) GZIP 7222ms 1161 bytes
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.357 [0x7f624dbaf700] DEBUG - HTTP 200 response from GET http://127.0.0.1:39677/system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.357 [0x7f624dbaf700] DEBUG - [com.plexapp.system] HTTP reply status 200, with 130 bytes of content.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.357 [0x7f61c57fa700] DEBUG - HTTP 200 response from GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.357 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:40134] 200 GET /system/agents/search?mediaType=2&id=1845&identifier=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&lang=de&show=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&year=&manual=1 (7 live) GZIP 7242ms 408 bytes
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.357 [0x7f61c57fa700] WARN - No matches for search.
Feb 09, 2020 12:15:12.358 [0x7f625536d700] DEBUG - Completed: [2.205.25.120:33436] 200 GET /library/metadata/1845/matches?manual=1&title=%C3%A4quator%20Die%20Linie%20Des%20Lebens&agent=com.plexapp.agents.thetvdb&year=&language=de (7 live) TLS GZIP 7248ms 561 bytes (pipelined: 1)

I created an API key at TheTVDB and curl’ed the corresponding API request. It actually returns the correct show.

I shortened the search term in Plex web interface to just “die linie des lebens” but no result, either. I changed the search term to “Doctor Who” which returns valid (but wrong in this case) results. My best guess is that the Plex media agent has problems with the umlaut Ä in the return set.

[JuiceWSA]

Plex and TVDB are in Marriage Counseling - having some personal problems that seem to be effecting the Children (US).

Those problems aside if you use the TVDB ID# 353235 - found here:
https://thetvdb.com/series/aquator-die-linie-des-lebens
In The Search Options Title Field - instead of the title - does your show appear in your language?

If so, you may have to employ that ‘work-around’ until Plex/TVDB work out their differences.

[mad-inside]

Interesting. Thanks for the explanation.

Your proposed workaround, though, doesn’t work for me.

In the meantime I found a few more shows not matched although they are clearly present in TheTVDB and findable using curl. But they don’t have any umlauts in their titles.

[mad-inside]

Correction: Your workaround works on some of the other shows, yet not on my first problem.

[JuiceWSA]

@mad-inside

Your proposed workaround, though, doesn’t work for me.

I just tried ‘Match’ with that number, for my language, and got no result either. I think these are related to the Marital Issues effecting us all.

[mad-inside]

Okay, whatever the problem was on my first attempt, now your workaround also finds “Äquator – Die Linie des Lebens”. I’ll mark this thread as solved.

[JuiceWSA]

Give it a while… things seem to be in flux, but do use that ‘trick’ to cure at least some of the current show problems for the shows that will cooperate. Another ‘solution’ may come along at some point soon.

More important now than ever I think:
DO use ‘Pristine/Perfect’ file naming and structuring.
If we can get a ‘natural match’ - let’s try real hard to do that first.

[anon18523487]

@JuiceWSA

Plex and TVDB are in Marriage Counseling - having some personal problems that seem to be effecting the Children (US).

Please don’t spread rumors. TheTVDB made some changes which Plex was already addressed. There are no known issues right now.

To your original problem. I was able to get a proper match using the name and not the ID number. Please keep in mind that when searching for shows that have accented letters, they must be exact. TheTVDB’s search API can’t always find just a close match.

[anon5074910]

@anon18523487

TheTVDB made some changes which Plex was already addressed. There are no known issues right now.

With regard to the comment – There are no known issues right now – please take a look at the thread below which has functionally been broken for months now when only using TVDB as a agent source.

TVDB Episode 'Directors' Metadata not downloaded to Plex

I have an update on this issue (which is still happening even with server version 1.18.6.2348 … My TV Agent is setup as follows … [Screenshot from 2020-02-03 16-10-34] which has local and TVDB in that order. Local is used for subtiles and some artwork but all files have metadata scrubbed from the mkv/mk4 files. Using this configuration the directors metadata is NEVER downloaded for any TV show, it just never works. So I change the configuration to add TMDB also as a third meta source (see…

[anon18523487]

I wasn’t aware of that thread. Let me take a look and will respond there.

To be clear, there are no known issues related to connecting to TheTVDB. The referenced thread is for specific data not being returned by TheTVDB.