Wishes for the various Tools that create SHOW Icons

[jksmurf]

I am currently using the Plugin "Programme Image Tool" but 2 weeks of EPG (435 Shows) only finds 40 odd icons every time it updates ... which is not a great hit rate :-(.

1. I'd like to vote for more (or selectable?) online databases in searched dbases (e.g. I use XRecord) to be used for the SHOW (not channel) ICON download. I also have to have a batch file which copies or movies these to my XRecord media dir.
   
2. VideoArchive BETA has a nice function "The plug-in will now attempt to extract a jpeg image from recordings using FFMPEG to use as the poster image for TV recordings or DVDs if one is not found via the Internet lookup. The images should appear within a few minutes of navigating into a directory that currently does not have images." which I try use, but to have it installed JUST for that is not really what I'd like to use on my "skinny" system. Jeff of the VideoArchive plugin says he puts icons in the folder the shows go into (folder.jpg).
   
3. pBS says showburner can do this (i.e. Extract Icon from Show) also.
   
4. The TVlistings Plugin download icons too.
   
5. Programme Image Tool seems to North America /Euro-centric, database-wise, which is maybe why it is not so good where I live. Is there a possibility of selecting a database focus for other regions?
   
6. XMLTVIcons has an <icon> option if your grabber supports it.
   
7. I'm hoping the Channel Logo Tool can be extended to Show Icons too.
   
8. Show Image Grabber is a new one, also very good.

I guess I'm looking for as many show icons to be downloaded automatically to the correct folders and attributed to the correct show with as few manual interventions as possible ... ... as there are so many plugins doing this, maybe there could be a bit of a heads-together to agree a unified system for this...

k.

[Carlito]

I'd be happy to add other database searches to Program Image Tool. Since I'm from North America I used sites that found shows mostly for my area.
If you could suggest some sites that may have more information for shows in your area I would be happy to have a look into it for you.
I may not be able to get to it right away as things are busy with work right now and my free time is mostly dedicated to spending some time outdoors with the pup, but again I'd be glad to look into it for you.

Carlito

[McBainUK]

Maybe a silly question but where/when are these show icons...er...shown?

[Carlito]

When using the TVListings plugin it will display a show picture when selecting a show from the guide

[jksmurf]

Maybe a silly question but where/when are these show icons...er...shown?

If you use XRecord or Video Archive, there is a mode (which you can scroll around to) which shows an Icon View rather than just a list. Great for the wife and kids who can recognize such things faster than a text list (sorry wife :-) ...)

[EDIT ]btw, they also show up in EWA, when you choose videos and look in the lists, provided there is a folder.jpg IN the folder where the show is. Videoarchive provides the folder.jpg.

k.

[jksmurf]

I'd be happy to add other database searches to Program Image Tool. Since I'm from North America I used sites that found shows mostly for my area.
If you could suggest some sites that may have more information for shows in your area I would be happy to have a look into it for you.
I may not be able to get to it right away as things are busy with work right now and my free time is mostly dedicated to spending some time outdoors with the pup, but again I'd be glad to look into it for you.
Carlito

Carlito,

Sorry, I wasn't having a crack at your excellent utility, the utility itself is great. Videoarchive and pBS can CREATE them from the show, which is fantastic idea, but my experience in practice, (esp. with padding) is that under auto-create (pBS can do a snapshot at a manually chosen point) it creates an icon from the advert or shopw before it. Not a critisicm, just the behaviour I observe.

I'll try and find some databases around the place for you that have stores of show icons.

Cheers,

k.

[Carlito]

It's no problem, didn't mean to imply that you were
Just wanted to let you know how my utility works and maybe why it doesn't find many images for you.
Again, if you could point me to some websites and such that may produce better results for you I'd be happy to look into adding them to the utility.

[jksmurf]

Hi Carlito

OK, I promised to get back to you :-). Well I've had a wee look around the place and was wondering if any of these sites would help with the Programme Icon Searches? I found lots of sites, but these seem to have the most potential:

1. http://www.tv.com/shows.html?tag=nav-top;allshows
   
2. http://moviegoods.com/dyn_browse_categor...id=&page=1
   
3. http://www.impawards.com/alpha1.html
   
4. http://www.impawards.com/archives/tvlatest.html
   
5. http://www.filmsite.org/posters.html
   
6. http://www.flixster.com/
   
7. http://www.allposters.com/
   
8. http://www.movieposters.com/
   
9. http://www.moviepostershop.com/
   
10. http://www.posterplanet.net/

Your Sites are:

1. www.epguides.com
   
2. www.tvguide.com and
   
3. www.IMDB.com

If anyone else wants to add more sites, perhaps Carlito can make the tool a checklist of which databses you want to search (default 3 or default + your additional prefernces ...)

k.

[jksmurf]

Hi Carlito ?

k.

[Carlito]

Hi Carlito ?

Hi
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. Been pretty busy at work lately and of course it's summer so i haven't really been programming much. (Well...other then work...)
I did take a look at the sites and i'm pretty sure i could get something going for you. Just not sure when it'll be.
I'll keep you posted on any progress.

Carlito