Missing Images, Fanart is only data provider, TVDB isn't an option

[marktaff 12]

I've recently started having missing images for TV series in my TV library, often thumbs.  It seems like Fanart.tv is the only data provider now.  I'm pretty sure it used to grab images from both fanart & tvdb.

From the TV library, Shows tab, right-click on show, select 'Edit Images', right-click on 'Thumb', 'Search for Image', click on 'Source', the options are 'All' or 'Fanart'.  TVDB isn't an option.  For at least one of the shows, Fanart doesn't have a thumb, so this isn't Emby failing to find a resource that exists.  TVDB doesn't have 'thumbs', but its 'background' images would make decent thumbs if scaled/cropped.

Possibly related, in the server settings, under the library for tv shows, the various data sources are uncheckable; when you try, a message pops up saying that "no options available for the selected items".  Also, the tvdb option has a weird link that appears to be a tracking/link forwarder as seen in the attached image.

Running Ember Server 4.8.5.0 on Kubuntu, Emby Theater 3.0.19

If anyone knows what is going on, why, or how to fix it, I would very much appreciate your insight.  Thanks!

[Happy2Play 8356]

Do you see the same behavior in the Web Client?  We would need to see the server log for a specific example once you have enabled providers on the library.

Unable to reproduce setting not working/applying.

You could try uninstalling and reinstalling the client also as it is a version behind.

 

 

@Luke

Looks like ET needs a little love at least for TVDB as I see the same in 3.0.20.

 

[marktaff 12]

On the web client, manually searching for a thumb has the same result: no thumb, and it only checks fanart.tv. Also on the web client, some of the data sources are checked, and they are actually checkable (see image), unlike the Theater client.  I just checked for a newer client a few days ago, but 3.0.19 was current.  Lemme check again.

[marktaff 12]

Yep, 3.0.19 is the most recent. https://emby.media/emby-theater-linux.html  Ubuntu x86 link points to 3.0.19

[Happy2Play 8356]

5 minutes ago, marktaff said:

On the web client, manually searching for a thumb has the same result: no thumb, and it only checks fanart.tv. Also on the web client, some of the data sources are checked, and they are actually checkable (see image), unlike the Theater client.  I just checked for a newer client a few days ago, but 3.0.19 was current.  Lemme check again.

Will need server log for a specific example.

 

 

1 minute ago, marktaff said:

Yep, 3.0.19 is the most recent. https://emby.media/emby-theater-linux.html  Ubuntu x86 link points to 3.0.19

Not sure how the update system works on ET as Windows shows 3.0.20.

[marktaff 12]

I tried to get the logs, but there is nothing to log, apparently.  I tried 'edit images' for a tv show, then search for an image, using Theater 3.0.19, and absolutely nothing was written to embyserver.txt.  Tried the same thing with the web client, and again, nothing was written to embyserver.txt.  So...without anything in the logs, we are kind of short on clues...

[Happy2Play 8356]

1 minute ago, marktaff said:

I tried to get the logs, but there is nothing to log, apparently.  I tried 'edit images' for a tv show, then search for an image, using Theater 3.0.19, and absolutely nothing was written to embyserver.txt.  Tried the same thing with the web client, and again, nothing was written to embyserver.txt.  So...without anything in the logs, we are kind of short on clues...

Not possible as all navigation, pages and queries are logged even you going to dashboard-logs and opening embyserver.txt.

 

[marktaff 12]

And yet, it happened.  The first file is embyserver.txt over the course of this forum thread. The second is embyserver.txt since midnight last night.  Also, not that it matters, but I don't use the emby UI to get to embyserver.txt.  I shell into the server and tail/folllow or cat the file as required.  As you can see, nothing was written to the log about me editing images, searching, or even changes pages in the UI while we've been having this discussion.

embyserver_life.of.thread..txt embyserver_since.midnight.txt

[Happy2Play 8356]

And your specific example as Emby is getting images from TVDB and FanArt per that log.  What is Emby not getting?

[Happy2Play 8356]

Okay may need debug logging also to actually see your manual query. 

example

2024-05-05 12:47:40.430 Debug Server: http/1.1 GET http://‌‍‍localhost‌:8091/emby/Items/71382/RemoteImages/Providers?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web

But specific examples are needed.

[marktaff 12]

During this thread, I've been trying to get an image to use as a thumb for CSI: Vegas, by searching for a thumb.  As you can see in the first log, absolutely nothing was being logged for any the that *many* attempts, with either client.  In the since midnight log, the are two instances where I told emby to refresh all metatdata, which it appears to have done, but that had no impact with respect to showing me images from tvdb when I searched.

That isn't the only show either; it happens to *many* of the shows added in the last 3-4 months.

[marktaff 12]

OK, I'll see about debug logging.

 

ETA: Debug enabled, re-running tests.

Edited May 5 by marktaff
update

[Happy2Play 8356]

4 minutes ago, marktaff said:

During this thread, I've been trying to get an image to use as a thumb for CSI: Vegas, by searching for a thumb.

There is no Thumb image available on provider site as thumbs are only available on Fanart.

CSI: Vegas | TV fanart | fanart.tv

So you only option is manually applying one via url.

Example as Emby currently will not use language backbrops at all as they technically are not backdrops.

CSI: Vegas (TV Series 2021- ) - Backdrops — The Movie Database (TMDB) (themoviedb.org)

So in the end sound like Emby is working correctly as provider did no have an image.  But specific image types may only be available via one provider as shown in source dropdown.

[marktaff 12]

I redid the tests with Theater & Web client, here are the results.

embyserver_debug_new_tests.txt

[Happy2Play 8356]

Note TVDB images apply the same as TMDB as Backdrops are not Thumb images so you would have to assign/upload via url.

CSI: Vegas - TheTVDB.com

 

Edited May 5 by Happy2Play

[Happy2Play 8356]

So the confusion here comes from image type as the only Thumb provider is FanArt, while other providers many have the image you want but are not Thumb images and require manual intervention getting the image url and appling yourself.

As image restriction are slightly different across providers as a Background image technically should be textless.

 

[marktaff 12]

OK, so searching for an image for a Thumb won't work if fanart doesn't have one, and that is the only place Emby will check.  I tried adding the image from url (https://artworks.thetvdb.com/banners/v4/series/400248/backgrounds/65ce98280a2cc.jpg) but emby errored: GUID should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes.

[Happy2Play 8356]

1 minute ago, marktaff said:

OK, so searching for an image for a Thumb won't work if fanart doesn't have one, and that is the only place Emby will check.  I tried adding the image from url (https://artworks.thetvdb.com/banners/v4/series/400248/backgrounds/65ce98280a2cc.jpg) but emby errored: GUID should contain 32 digits with 4 dashes.

@Lukewill have to comment on that and may need to see the server log also.  As this in general I believe will point to a database issue, unless it is a platform specific issue.

As I just added that image without issue 

 

Was this done in ET or Web Client?

[marktaff 12]

Ah, good point.  That was ET.  Lemme try Web.

[marktaff 12]

So, I was able to add the thumb via url from an appropriate tvdb image in Web, but not from ET.  

I'd like to know why ET is messed up, and why Linux is in 3.0.19 when windows is on 3.0.20.

As for the images, that make sense now, although I'd like emby to handle these images a bit more elegantly, but that seems like a tough ask, putting us in AI territory, not easy algorithm territory. The best solution for now I guess it to update fanart website when thumbs are missing.

Here is the complete current log for Luke.  The GUID image error on ET happened at 1519 hrs log time.

embyserver_complete_image_guid_error.txt

[Happy2Play 8356]

I can only guess the Linux version is behind on the new server changes but dev will have to comment as ET I believe will be going to a new version/app soon/eventually per other topic.

Edited May 5 by Happy2Play

[marktaff 12]

The important part is I have a clear, workable path forward to fix all these other missing thumbs.  Thanks for your help, Happy2Play.

[Luke 37250]

HI, what you could try to do is refresh the metadata on your existing series and see if that helps pull in images.

[marktaff 12]

Luke, I tried that before I came to the forums, and it didn't work (as we now expect it not to work where fanart doesn't have any thumbs).  I got all the thumbs fixed, though.  A few fanart had new thumbs that weren't available when I added the show originally, the rest I made my own, except one.  That one fanart had an image for, newly approved yesterday, but wouldn't download in Emby (neither Web nor ET), perhaps because it was too new to too few downloads? Maybe new fanart only shows to logged in fanart.tv users? Dunno.  I downloaded it manually and then set it as the thumb.  I'm good on the images now.

Still have the weirdness with the tv show library data provider options being un-checkable in ET for Linux, and also the oddity of being at 3.0.19 instead of 3.0.20 as windows is.  Might force uninstall ET for Linux, the reinstall it, if you think that may help any.

[Luke 37250]

Quote

Might force uninstall ET for Linux, the reinstall it, if you think that may help any.

Hi, can you see if that makes a difference? Thanks.