thetvdb.com

Hi Ron, we don't know what's going on but we've taken notice as well. Some developers have contacted us with questions regarding our API because of it. If anyone knows more regarding the situation... we'd like to know about it as well.

I sometimes end up with getting a 'a too many open connections' error message from them. Usually works again 5min later.

Yeah it's starting to get really annoying now. I usually get the "too many connections" too and then i can get on after a few minutes.

potato server

Any server is a potato server when you have crazy amount of users of Kodi and Plex pondering your API xD

And it's down again, what's new?

JAGUARDOG wrote:
And it's down again, what's new?

BUMP

thetvdb site constantly going down all day, what the hell is going on?

vBm wrote:
Any server is a potato server when you have crazy amount of users of Kodi and Plex pondering your API xD

It seems like they all will end up here eventually, sooner rather than later. People already starting to implement metadata agents based on TVMaze API. The big problem with TVDb is not only downtime and overload, but also the silence surrounding those issues. We all remember another site which also died silently... ))

Plex uses a proxy set up with the TVDB, I believe, so it shouldn't have an impact on the main site. Kodi add-on authors probably don't have such an arrangement. :-)

I know of only one attempt at a Plex agent with TV Maze - but there wasn't much interest by anyone in working on it. Although I can't speak for Plex, I know that some users and I were discussing it a while back and some of the policies here regarding show entry made interest a little 'cool'.

The big thing is that although this site tries to be both a schedule site and a database site -- it tends to have entries that support a schedule model - not a database model.

An entry made on the site has value only as a 'schedule' until the episode airs -- after which it has value only as a database for media look-ups. However - media center organization needs don't mesh sometimes with 'schedule' needs. The way we enter webisodes, for example, comes to mind. In my media center, I would expect the FTWD webisodes to be organized as specials under Fear The Walking Dead. Or the Agents of Shield webisodes organized under that entry. But here, we list those as separate series. From a database perspective - although I didn't have an opinion one-way-or-another, I would imagine the recent discussion regarding Dreamworks Dragons wouldn't lend itself to somebody using a media organizer, either.

Not to mention that alternative numbering (like DVD order) would need to be an added feature, too.

Not trying to advocate for a policy change -- or am at all bent out of shape regarding anything -- just some thoughts regarding items that would eventually have to be addressed if more interest in using the API for media databases occurs. This week's problems with the TVDB servers being hammered may certainly start some others thinking about it.

eherberg wrote:
Plex uses a proxy set up with the TVDB, I believe, so it shouldn't have an impact on the main site. Kodi add-on authors probably don't have such an arrangement. :-)
I know of only one attempt at a Plex agent with TV Maze - but there wasn't much interest by anyone in working on it. Although I can't speak for Plex, I know that some users and I were discussing it a while back and some of the policies here regarding show entry made interest a little 'cool'.
The big thing is that although this site tries to be both a schedule site and a database site -- it tends to have entries that support a schedule model - not a database model.
An entry made on the site has value only as a 'schedule' until the episode airs -- after which it has value only as a database for media look-ups. However - media center organization needs don't mesh sometimes with 'schedule' needs. The way we enter webisodes, for example, comes to mind. In my media center, I would expect the FTWD webisodes to be organized as specials under Fear The Walking Dead. Or the Agents of Shield webisodes organized under that entry. But here, we list those as separate series. From a database perspective - although I didn't have an opinion one-way-or-another, I would imagine the recent discussion regarding Dreamworks Dragons wouldn't lend itself to somebody using a media organizer, either.
Not to mention that alternative numbering (like DVD order) would need to be an added feature, too.
Not trying to advocate for a policy change -- or am at all bent out of shape regarding anything -- just some thoughts regarding items that would eventually have to be addressed if more interest in using the API for media databases occurs. This week's problems with the TVDB servers being hammered may certainly start some others thinking about it.

I regularly use the TVmaze agent for PLEX, but only for professional wrestling and MMA. It works pretty well with the occasional hickup, but it's better than nothing....which is what I had before.

I've tried to use TVmaze's agent for PLEX for TV series in the past and it can sometimes be a mess. Especially with specials. I know that's something to take up with the makers of the agent, but thought I would throw that out here. I can't be the only one to have come to this site because of the PLEX metadata agent.

I do wish I had the willpower to learn more about the api, PLEX, and creating a more efficient agent....but for now I am happy rounding out the robust amount of wrestling and MMA content here. Keeping up with it is a pain. I am glad someone else does the maintstream WWE stuff.

vBm wrote:
Any server is a potato server when you have crazy amount of users of Kodi and Plex pondering your API xD

PLEX hosts a mirror site for theTVDB - Mirror, that I assume helps lesson the load for TVdb.

There is a whole circle jerk about it on Reddit.

eherberg wrote:
The way we enter webisodes, for example, comes to mind. In my media center, I would expect the FTWD webisodes to be organized as specials under Fear The Walking Dead. Or the Agents of Shield webisodes organized under that entry. But here, we list those as separate series. From a database perspective - although I didn't have an opinion one-way-or-another, I would imagine the recent discussion regarding Dreamworks Dragons wouldn't lend itself to somebody using a media organizer, either.
Not to mention that alternative numbering (like DVD order) would need to be an added feature, too.

Thanks for the perspective.

Not sure if I really understand the difference between "schedule" and "database". Webisodes like these are added as separate entry because usually almost everything about them is different: cast, crew, characters and the medium where they are released. Lumping them together wouldn't do justice to either show. But regardless, implementing http://www.tvmaze.com/threads/136/relations-between-shows would solve that aspect, right? API users could look up a show's "siblings" and decide to group those together.

Alternate numbering for DVD order is listed at http://www.tvmaze.com/forums/6/pending-features but it doesn't appear to be a priority to most people. If there's more interest we'd definitely look into it!