Localization and localized naming shemes

[tropic]

Hi.

First of all: amazing program! Great idea too. Very helpful for collectors like me.

That said I'd like to offer a comment and 3 questions.

C: I remeber testing filebot on some of my recorded series and episodes downloaded from a german webbased tv recording service called save.tv about a year ago. I'm a member with STV since 2013. Their file naming shemes evolved during the years to what's pretty common nowadays providing at least a structure like "Series Name - SxxExx - Episode Name". They didn't when I started my membership with them. Therefore my hd archive still holds a lot of old (but precious) files that are still unsorted and uncatalogued, which makes it hard to get rid of double or triple files in order to free space.

One major setback while testrunning was the lack of localized web db sourced. Those in use by filebot are mainly targeted at viewers from US or UK tv series and tv stations. TheTVDB and TVmaze are both exellent info resources. They do have a lot (but not all) info on german tv series too, but both lack german titeling and give englisch series names and episode titles only, even if the possibility to choose german as the overall site language is provided. AniDB doesn't care! German info is no issue an will never be, I suspect.

That alone was reason enough for the unfortunate end of my short relationship with filebot. There it was, the program with all the exact features needed to save the day, only not really recomendable for german tv show collectors. Very sad to say so!

I did check out some of those matches found by using the search term "localization" on this forum. Some are self explanetory (if on good terms with scripting), some left me wondering, if I really understood what I was reading. That's why the following..


Questions:

Q1: Are there more possible localization features on the program roadmap anytime in the not so distant future?

Q2: If so or not, is there a plan to add foreign webbasesd info db sources (like

Code: Select all

www.fernsehserien.de

) into filebot's default db bouquet or

Q3: is or will there be the possibility for more thorough workarounds (maybe via user scrips) to generate access bypassing those standards already provided (localization binding) so far?

Thanks for giving it some thought.

[rednoah]

If you select German language preferences, then things will just work out of the box for the majority of popular TV shows. Less popular TV shows might be missing German language data, and default to English, but that can easily be fixed by adding the missing data.


1.
You're talking about German TheTVDB data, as opposed to localization of the FileBot application itself. TheTVDB, while somewhat strict, does allow you to enter new data. If German episode titles are missing, it's just because nobody has bothered to add them yet. So if you find some data missing, you are encouraged to enter the missing data, and thus help yourself and everyone else.


2.
Since TheTVDB does support German and any other language, I see no reason to support other German-only sites. That would just discourage people from adding missing data to TheTVDB. The ideal solution is for people to use TheTVDB and enter the missing data. It only has to be done once, by one single person, and then it'll work for everyone forever.


3.
Adding support for additional databases via scripts is not planned. Especially in this case, I don't see the need, as things can easily be fixed by entering the missing German data.

[tropic]

Thanks for your fast reply!

If I try to see those answers you gave from your standpoint given, it probably makes all perfect sense at first glance. So why not try to think it over from my angle too?:

1. The work you're talking about (completing db info) has alredy been done by many others on professionally composed web dbs, like the one from fernsehserien. I call it professional because they're generating financial revenue through ad placement and affiliates.

2. Thus having all the info waiting for someone like me, who's looking for his own language compatibility, it doesn't really make sense to copy it from them to get it working on another website only to copy it from there again via filebot to it's localiced renaming process. Seems to me, this is quite the opposite of filebot's intention as well as mine, which is: cutting corners by making things easier and therefore faster. Just imagine the double effort made in the process!

3. Your suggestion has two sides of course. A: as you said, the community (in that case, the german only, would benefit from my work (which is fine for them) and B: the program would too (which is fine for you but forgotten to mention). Since filebot isn't free of charge any longer, your statement about the benefit for the community slides somewhat into jeopardy, I can't see myself putting in the extra effort for no real benefit of my own in return. And I know, I'm not alone with that opinion, am I?

4. Remark about your answer #2: Mybe I made myself misunderstood. The 'TheTVDB' data consists of german series too. That's right!. The thing is, they either translate it into english data or don't at all. Most german series don't have any episode titles available at all. Check it out for yourself! What's usefull about that for a german user? Imagine a chinese site providing info on 'Game of Thrones' in Mandarin and Cantonese. Worthless as a db if you're seeking german or english language episode info. Maybe worth a ton of gold for a kid in Setchuan, tho.

5. Remark about your answer #3: Don't get me wrong. I do respect any decision made in regards of filebot's future delevlopment. The program proves you right so far. But I don't try to sweettalk you into anything if I state that, as a pro providing a product for sale in a global webmarket, gaining value from an allready standing and hopefully growing user community, an expansion tactic untouched is like a withdrawl from a wide open opportunity. Plus, why let others handle the case? The future could bypass you if you don't get the program into localized waters as well.

That all said as well, I really hope you'll succeed with all your coming ventures.

[rednoah]

No worries. I see a problem that will simply resolve itself over time without the need for fragmentation. After all, it just takes 1 person to add the missing data.

Maybe if you check back a few months later, somebody will have done the double work for you already.