Plugin: Export VODS from .m3u - split m3u livetv, tvshows, movies (Going BETA!!)

[graytinc 1]

Thank you, however, i tired to input that option but it seems it's not saving as after refresh the option remains empty.

[mickle026 650]

1 hour ago, fbrassin said:

Tried with second-last version 1.0.0.132 and Tv show has been created.

OK, so my initial test created all the TV Show strms in the TV Show Folder

 

 

[BigIrn 10]

I gave up on the m4 server and switched to windows. I think it's the hyperthreading in the plugin that might cause the issue I'm having where it runs for days. I tried changing the location of where the files were to local hdd, unselecting every option, running with no log, using a different ssd, killing all pids except emby and others I can't remember. On my windows machine it runs perfectly fine (7 hours with logging but you know my m3u is huge 15,000 movies and 4000 tv shows). Splitting the movie and tv shows library is working great. I've got a few media I need to identify metadata but overall this is working great for me. I just wish we could go back to 129 or before when the mac was running better than windows. I'm complaining but I'm very grateful @mickle026

[BigIrn 10]

I am curious as to how often I need to run the plugin and if it will overwrite, delete or keep existing tv and movie strms.

[fbrassin 47]

14 minutes ago, mickle026 said:

OK, so my initial test created all the TV Show strms in the TV Show Folder

 

 

No, for me it didn't work.

It deleted all tv show folder.

Version used is 1.0.0.134

 

31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Create strm files and folders From M3U
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Build Version: 1.0.0.134
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Memory Allocated for this plugin: 2,00 GB
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 CPU Cores: 2: Logical Processors (Max Threads): 4, Hyperthreading: True
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Using max 4 threads
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Ignore [Contains]: 4K,FR -,FR,FR|,###,(DE),(FR),(GR),(IR),(KR),(RU),(TR),FOR ADULTS,XXX,Prima fila,WWE,UFC,LA:,Esercizi,TUR,Allenamento,Carnevale di Sciacca,GIRLS VS GIRLS,WOMEN IN CONTROL,FITNESS A CASA,Adobe,----,Udemy,Corso completo,Impara Microsoft,Corso di Teoria,Sviluppare Full,Penetration,Introduzione all'intelligenza,Machine Learning,Corso Fondamentale,SQL,Italian Cooking,Oli essenziali,Corso completo,Teoria e pratica,I personaggi del trono,CAM],Serie Discovery+,Ondemand Deutsche,Ondemand English,[ES],Corso
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Ignore [StartsWith]:
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Include [Contains]:
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Include [StartsWith]:
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:27 Task Started at: 31/03/2025 18:55:27
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:54 Scanning Output Directory for content: /media/S3/strm.
31.mar.2025 - 18:55:59 Found 17246 folders in Output path. Scanning...
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:44 Total .strm files processed: 146014
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Error adding content: ShowTitle cannot be null or empty. (Parameter 'showTitle')
at VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.STRMTOVOD.AddContentAsync(List`1 contentsList, String outputDirectory, String tvgType, String groupTitle, String showTitle, String season, String fileName, String fileContents, String imagePath, String year, List`1 genres, FileLogging log, String currentlog, Int32 count, Boolean groupByGenres, Boolean groupInYears, PluginConfiguration config)
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Exception occurred: System.ArgumentNullException: ShowTitle cannot be null or empty. (Parameter 'showTitle')
at VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.STRMTOVOD.AddContentAsync(List`1 contentsList, String outputDirectory, String tvgType, String groupTitle, String showTitle, String season, String fileName, String fileContents, String imagePath, String year, List`1 genres, FileLogging log, String currentlog, Int32 count, Boolean groupByGenres, Boolean groupInYears, PluginConfiguration config)
at VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.STRMTOVOD.AddContentAsync(List`1 contentsList, String outputDirectory, String tvgType, String groupTitle, String showTitle, String season, String fileName, String fileContents, String imagePath, String year, List`1 genres, FileLogging log, String currentlog, Int32 count, Boolean groupByGenres, Boolean groupInYears, PluginConfiguration config)
at VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.STRMTOVOD.ProcessContentAsync(String[] lines, Int32 index, String trimmedLine, String url, Metadata metadata, List`1 contentsList, List`1 liveTVList, List`1 moviesList, List`1 tvShowsList, List`1 unknownM3UItemList, String outputDirectory, String currentlog, FileLogging log, PluginConfiguration config)
at VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.STRMTOVOD.scanM3UFileAsync(String[] lines, String outputDirectory, String currentlog)
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Saved '/media/S3/split/LiveTV/LiveTV.m3u'
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Saved '/media/S3/split/Movies/Movies.m3u'
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Unknown M3U Items found: 0.
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Updating OutputFolder (Creating/Deleting strms & folders)
31.mar.2025 - 19:07:59 Config: Write LiveTV VOD: False Write Movie VOD: True Write TV Show VODS: True
31.mar.2025 - 19:16:36 Task Ended at: 31/03/2025 19:16:36
31.mar.2025 - 19:16:36 Task Duration: 00:21:09.30

 

[mickle026 650]

It's the same error,

Something in your m3u is triggering the error, it's not being handled and the rest of the m3u is not getting processed.

It's then continuing with the rest of the process, writing files, but where it errors is before the tvshows are processed.

That's why the deletion, there must no TV shows processed.

I am at work now, but it seems that the tvshows you sent me are not the problem.

I will have to add a new debugging line to indetify where it's happening and skip it whilst logging it rather than let it throw an error.

[fbrassin 47]

I don't if it can help but Build Version: 1.0.0.132 works fine and creats also jpg files

Edited March 31, 2025 by fbrassin

[mickle026 650]

1 minute ago, fbrassin said:

I don't if it can help but Build Version: 1.0.0.132 works fine.

That's before a lot of changes internally.  I need to find what is not being handled in your m3u that was before and make sure it is.

That's why I said I would add a debugging log line to tell me what threw the error.

Or maybe with full extra verbose logging, it is already there.

There will be lines like this:

Debugging: GetShowTitle

These show the steps when converting a "show (year) Sxx Exx" into the show title "show (yyyy)"

What I need is the lines where it goes from having data to not having anything right before the error.

[fbrassin 47]

I enabled all the logs with latest dll.

I sent you a pm with it

[graytinc 1]

I am failing to save after the input 

[mickle026 650]

ok @fbrassin, I found the error

50 e 50 is being removed from the title, and thus making the title empty.

So what I have done is added it to the internal Edge Case detection (those that are problematic), but also added an error handler in that part of the routine, so that it will return the original string, thus preventing the result being empty, and preventing the error (hopefully),  I have also added a NULL check at the end of the routine in-case anything gets past, that will change the NULL string to "~ERROR~".
Anything that is output as "~ERROR~" should be added to the Edge Case Input box, and the plugin re-run.

 

6 hours ago, graytinc said:

I am failing to save after the input 

The save button is near the bottom of the page 


The two buttons at the side are for importing and exporting that text box to a file so you can save it on its own away from the plugin.

 

VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.dll

Edited April 1, 2025 by mickle026

[BigIrn 10]

9 hours ago, BigIrn said:

I am curious as to how often I need to run the plugin and if it will overwrite, delete or keep existing tv and movie strms.

@mickle026@gillmacca01

[mickle026 650]

3 minutes ago, BigIrn said:

@mickle026@gillmacca01

That's up to you and how often your provider updates the m3u, and how often you watch 'new' items, for me once a month is just fine, but for others that may want to see new content daily then they will probably run it daily.  Some people wont really care and may run it manually when they feel like it.  The thing is, the choice is yours to make.
There is already too much for me to want to see, and I am not a "keep up with the neighbours" kind-of person, so new content doesn't really appeal to me, until I am fed up with what is there.  I hardly ever watch what is actively being advertised, I watch whatever I want and looks interesting, whether its from the 1970's or New (example) - I don't care as long as I enjoy it.

If the strms are the same and the output folder is the same, it will keep them, it will only delete what is different.  However @gillmacca01is saying that its not behaving that way on the QNAP nas.  Its deleting them and rewriting them.  We are still trying to get to the bottom of that.  I think something like the directory structure might be different on the QNAP ... but we will see.

[BigIrn 10]

17 minutes ago, mickle026 said:

That's up to you and how often your provider updates the m3u, and how often you watch 'new' items, for me once a month is just fine, but for others that may want to see new content daily then they will probably run it daily.  Some people wont really care and may run it manually when they feel like it.  The thing is, the choice is yours to make.
There is already too much for me to want to see, and I am not a "keep up with the neighbours" kind-of person, so new content doesn't really appeal to me, until I am fed up with what is there.  I hardly ever watch what is actively being advertised, I watch whatever I want and looks interesting, whether its from the 1970's or New (example) - I don't care as long as I enjoy it.

If the strms are the same and the output folder is the same, it will keep them, it will only delete what is different.  However @gillmacca01is saying that its not behaving that way on the QNAP nas.  Its deleting them and rewriting them.  We are still trying to get to the bottom of that.  I think something like the directory structure might be different on the QNAP ... but we will see.

Thank you! I just needed some perspective.

[gillmacca01 211]

I've taken a look at the extra verbose logging, and still can't see anything relating to deleting. I'll DM the log as it contains links to content. 

What I have done (I'll left splitting log into smaller parts ticked), is gone through each log and search for the same movie and copied what I found into one file

What is even more strange this time, are that the files were deleted, but not re-written. The movie folders & strm have been deleted, but the group-title folders still exists, and it didn't delete all movies, only certain group-title folders are empty

TV Shows and Live TV appear to be fine

Edited April 1, 2025 by gillmacca01

[mickle026 650]

1 hour ago, gillmacca01 said:

I've taken a look at the extra verbose logging, and still can't see anything relating to deleting. I'll DM the log as it contains links to content. 

What I have done (I'll left splitting log into smaller parts ticked), is gone through each log and search for the same movie and copied what I found into one file

What is even more strange this time, are that the files were deleted, but not re-written. The movie folders & strm have been deleted, but the group-title folders still exists, and it didn't delete all movies, only certain group-title folders are empty

TV Shows and Live TV appear to be fine

Is this folder monitored by Emby as well?

I cannot see anything either, except this snippet, but that is probably from a different entry NL & EN are different.
 

31.Mar.2025 - 08:45:30 Debugging: Pre-Include/Ignore metadata.ChannelName=
31.Mar.2025 - 08:45:30 Debugging: Pre-Include/Ignore metadata.MovieName=NL - 3 Days To Kill
31.Mar.2025 - 08:45:30 Checking [Include] StartsWith, Include: False
31.Mar.2025 - 08:45:30 ****Item Ignored*** (Not in Includes).

The reason, I ask if its monitored by Emby is, check the Emby Log too "embyserver.txt" and see if there is anything in there about it being removed as well.

It is the same function for all of the three output types, and it is very strange that you say it is affecting Movies only.  Is it just this movie?
 

[gillmacca01 211]

I currently don't have it being added to Emby, but later today I will look at the server log, incase it is still attached in the background.

It's not just this movie. At a guess I would say it's happening to about 90%

[mickle026 650]

18 minutes ago, gillmacca01 said:

I currently don't have it being added to Emby, but later today I will look at the server log, in-case it is still attached in the background.

It's not just this movie. At a guess I would say it's happening to about 90%

The only place that there was no log entry was for deleting the whole folder when the option is unchecked for outputting.

I checked my code and there is nowhere else that a log entry for anything deleted doesn't exist.  It will write a deleted entry and a reason. (Extra Verbose)

I have just added a log entry for the whole folder and a few other extra debugging entries for the steps involved.

VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.dll

[mickle026 650]

2 hours ago, mickle026 said:

The only place that there was no log entry was for deleting the whole folder when the option is unchecked for outputting.

I checked my code and there is nowhere else that a log entry for anything deleted doesn't exist.  It will write a deleted entry and a reason. (Extra Verbose)

I have just added a log entry for the whole folder and a few other extra debugging entries for the steps involved.

VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.dll 766.5 kB · 1 download

@gillmacca01Looks like this is the culprit , it was deleting from all folders in my first test, but shouldn't run if the options are ticked (selected).

I will do some more tests - you may have just found where the extra time is coming from!

Edited April 1, 2025 by mickle026

[Apotropaic 41]

17 hours ago, graytinc said:

I am failing to save after the input 

Hi, I think what @graytincis trying to say is anything you enter in the Country Code text box isn't being saved. When I use the save settings button and navigate away from the plugin and then go back in the Country Code config isn't there.

I'm on 1.0.0.135 and there seems to be a number of blank spaces in that text box that are pre-populated. Sometimes if I delete them I can no longer use the Save Settings button, other times it will save but when you return back to the plugin the blank spaces are back.

Edited April 1, 2025 by jaspalgill

[mickle026 650]

2 hours ago, mickle026 said:

@gillmacca01Looks like this is the culprit , it was deleting from all folders in my first test, but shouldn't run if the options are ticked (selected).

I will do some more tests - you may have just found where the extra time is coming from!

OK, test completes.

I have chatted with some other programmers, and although my code is correct - apparently what was happening was something called a "Race Condition".
As my function was inside another function that spread the load across all cpu's. 
This is what they said:
This can cause a Boolean value (true / false) to flip states, simply because of the mass amount of threads returning complete status at different times, try moving this function outside of the outer function. 

I have done that, and it is behaving properly - as it should, it didn't delete anything it wasn't supposed to do, and stayed true to the selected options.  So it looks like they were correct.
I know I am fairly new to multithreading, but this is just plain weird! - Anyhow I know about it now.  So a new lesson learned!

Running a few more tests, but here is the DLL

V1.0.0.137 has the html text areas slightly modified so they are truly void of any content including spaces

 

VODtoSTRMscheduledTask.dll

 

 

Edited April 1, 2025 by mickle026

[mickle026 650]

25 minutes ago, jaspalgill said:

Hi, I think what @graytincis trying to say is anything you enter in the Country Code text box isn't being saved. When I use the save settings button and navigate away from the plugin and then go back in the Country Code config isn't there.

I'm on 1.0.0.135 and there seems to be a number of blank spaces in that text box that are pre-populated. Sometimes if I delete them I can no longer use the Save Settings button, other times it will save but when you return back to the plugin the blank spaces are back.

Update to 1.0.0.137 and let me know if that has resolved your issues, as I cannot replicate it.

[graytinc 1]

2 hours ago, mickle026 said:

Update to 1.0.0.137 and let me know if that has resolved your issues, as I cannot replicate it.

The issue remains unchanged; after saving, the text box is automatically cleared

[Apotropaic 41]

21 minutes ago, graytinc said:

The issue remains unchanged; after saving, the text box is automatically cleared

Same for me, the blank spaces have gone but anything I enter and save, vanishes when I come back to the plugin.

 

Also just out of interest is this Country Code feature also the right place to remove group titles that appear in the movie name, for example I have films such as '4K-AMZ - blah blah blah (2024)'. Can I use this to remove the '4K-AMZ' part and should I just add '4K-AMZ' or do I need to add the hypen and blank spaces '4K-AMZ - '?

[mickle026 650]

Saving the config xml file is obviously not happening.  I cannot replicate here.

can you press F12 to open the browser console and see if there are any errors reported when you click save.

55 minutes ago, jaspalgill said:

Same for me, the blank spaces have gone but anything I enter and save, vanishes when I come back to the plugin.

 

Also just out of interest is this Country Code feature also the right place to remove group titles that appear in the movie name, for example I have films such as '4K-AMZ - blah blah blah (2024)'. Can I use this to remove the '4K-AMZ' part and should I just add '4K-AMZ' or do I need to add the hypen and blank spaces '4K-AMZ - '?

No that's not how that works, that protects titles from being removed like "IT - It (yyyy)", you would put "It (YYYY)" and it would make sure only the first "IT -" was removed and it doesn't become "(YYYY)"

But I will take on board what you are asking and maybe add the ability to do that later after the current issues are resolved.