Metadata API's

[mvallevand]

Sub, I have a couple of questions on the MetadataManager

1) What is the difference between MetadataManager.GetInstance().GetCachedMetadataEntity() and MetadataManager.GetInstance().MetadataEntity()

2) I have been trying to get the entity.description from this API called by the showname has that been enabled?

Martin

[sub]

1) What is the difference between MetadataManager.GetInstance().GetCachedMetadataEntity() and MetadataManager.GetInstance().MetadataEntity()

MetadataEntity is the data class returned, that contains artwork URLs, name etc.

The GetMetadataEntity() method will return a MetadataEntity for the requested show, preferring to load the info from the cache in C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Media\Shows, but if not found there will go out to the Internet to look for this information (and create the new entry in the cache).

The GetCachedMetadataEntity() method will return a MetadataEntity for the requested show, but only if it's found in the cache C:\Users\Public\NPVR\Media\Shows. It will not go out to the Internet.

) I have been trying to get the entity.description from this API called by the showname has that been enabled?

Its populated in some situations. I can look to populate it in more situations. What were you passing in?

[mvallevand]

Thanks for the answers. For #1 I assume I should go without the cache and let NextPVR decide from config.xml

For #2 I was calling it with the name in the scheduled_recording table.

Martin

[sub]

GetMetadataEntity() will only go out to the internet if it's enabled in the Settings->Artwork screen.

ie, basically use GetCachedMetadataEntity() if you absolutely don't want it to go out to the Internet. Use GetMetadataEntity() to allow it to go out to the Internet if it needs to (and enabled).

I quite often call GetCachedMetadataEntity() first, and if it's got artwork I'll load it immediately for showing in the UI. If it returns nothing, then I'll quite often kick off GetMetadataEntity() on a background thread, since it can take a few seconds to do it's thing and you don't want the UI frozen.

[mvallevand]

Thanks that makes sense. I will look forward to a version that returns the description on the name.

Martin

[mvallevand]

I did some more testing and it doesn't do it by the schedule oid either. To be clear for this I'd like get the generic meta description of the shows and movies from xml/nfo etc text like you show on the Video Library.

Martin

[sub]

I original had intentions of using more for that stuff, but for now it's largely used for the artwork, since the screens that consumed this info already had the name/description/etc.

It does have attributes for that info though, so I'll see if I can add logic to populate it for you.

[mvallevand]

Thanks. You might be able to use it too, the first skin in Ready Recordings just has art and Recurring has no meta data.

Martin