Date-based episodes
Date-based episode naming identifies a programme by a catalogue-associated release date whose series and broadcast context remain part of the match.
For a daily programme, a date can be a clearer label than a season and episode counter. A resource named Evening Harbour 2026-10-09.mkv communicates the intended programme date directly.
Emby's TV Naming guide documents date forms. The naming clue still needs the series and catalogue context: the date is not a global episode ID.
Release date and recording instant
Suppose a fictional programme begins at 23:30 on 9 October under a fixed UTC−04:00 offset:
| Representation | Value |
|---|---|
| Local start | 2026-10-09 23:30, UTC−04:00 |
| The same instant in UTC | 2026-10-10 03:30Z |
| Local programme date | 2026-10-09 |
Adding four hours changes the calendar date without changing the event. Using the UTC date as the programme's catalogue date would select the next day in this example.
A provider can define the programme date in its broadcast or release context. That field should not be replaced automatically with the machine's recording date, file creation time or upload date. A recording copied the next morning still depicts the previous night's programme.
Release dates explain the broader distinction between calendar dates and time instants.
One date can yield several candidates
A series might release two programmes on one day, or have separate editions associated with that date. TVmaze's episodes-by-date interface returns a set of episodes, illustrating why a date lookup need not produce exactly one candidate.
A matching process may need another clue: the edition title, guest/topic information or a provider episode identity. Those clues should resolve the candidate rather than assume a filename suffix is a universally supported tie-breaking convention.
| Date found on a resource | Appropriate interpretation |
|---|---|
| Known catalogue air/release date | Strong date-based matching clue for that series |
| Recording-start timestamp | Evidence about capture, requiring broadcast-context interpretation |
| Filesystem creation time | Evidence about this stored copy |
| Date embedded in an arbitrary title | A label that may need confirmation |