TVDB scanner only showing one match ever

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
1

Server Version#: 1.21.1.3876

When matching tv shows the TVDB scanner only shows the first match and nothing else. This is the case with doing a new match or trying to “fix match”. If you search on the TVDB.com web site you can see many matches. You can force the TVDB scanner to take the correct match by manually searching with the TVDB scanner but using the TVDB Series ID as the search term.

This has been happening for at least a month. You can easily see this for yourself by comparing how a search with the TVDB scanner verses The Movie Database scanner works. The TVDB will only ever give ONE match and The Movie Database will give you a list of rated matches as it should.

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That’s interesting… I just did a few tests, with common words like world which you might expect quite a few results, but still only one item shows up after a search in the Matching window in Plex.

If you query the Plex mirror of the TVDB with something like this:

curl -X GET --header 'Accept: application/json' --header 'Authorization: Bearer REDACTED' 'https://tvdb2.plex.tv/search/series?name=world'

you get a whole load of results.

But the only one that comes up in the Plex match window is the first result from the api search

So why are none of the other results appearing in the Match window?
What has changed that Plex now ignores all the other results apart from the first one?

I know Plex say it is a problem with the TVDB api. But I am struggling to believe that is the sole issue.

It is just speculation on my part as I have no way of knowing, and I do not how they apply weighting to the results from the api, but the fact that it only ever seems to show one result does seem strange.

I do wonder if it may be being impacted by the development of the new TV Scanner in that some backend changes are somehow impacting the old (current) agent.

As otherwise it does not seem to make sense (at least not to me). FWIW, the problem seems to occur on various versions of PMS, so it does not seem to be specific to a PMS version therefore surely it must be a backend issue.

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@blim5001

What was redacted? Your token?

4

Yes, the token you need in order to query the api via curl (or the swagger interface).

Feel free to PM me if you want more details.

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Thanks blim5001! I’m glad I’m not the only one seeing it. Also it seems you have a much better understanding of the back end API than I do. I was thinking along the same lines as you about the changes that were made for plex’s own scanner maybe are affecting this. But as you said that’s pretty much a total guess on my part.

6

Folks,

I was able to recreate this (rather easily).

I captured all the information and provided engineering with a very easy “Steps To Reproduce”.

I showed what is actually returned and what PMS displays.

:crossed_fingers: they look at it and :man_facepalming: :slight_smile:

Update:

  1. TheTVDB folks did make a change. I understand that now. Results are not sorted according to best match.
  2. The exiting TVDB agent was written to work with the results sorted by best match.
  3. As direct result, TVDB results, while in the top of the list, aren’t always the first result.
  4. This causes PMS to miss.

Engineering now sees what’s happening and going through my findings.
They are optimistic about being able to address it quickly.
Fingers crossed.

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Just want to say thanks to OP for including the workaround of using the ID from TVDB as the search term to actually make a match. This was breaking my head!

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I’m glad I could help, and thanks for saying so. :grin:

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To all following here

I forgot :man_facepalming:

I forgot to come back and let you all know that PMS 1.21.2.3943 contains the proper adjustment to cope with TheTVDB sorting change.

Thanks to the OP for putting me on the path.
I was able to collect the data needed and get it to Engineering.