Not finding metadata in TheTVDB (The Grinder 2015)

General Support / Questions Metadata and Renaming
1

Processing a file with no metadata through a profile specifically to fill in metadata or to merge/overwrite metadata from internet sources (TheTVDB, TMDB, IMDB, etc.)

Media File: The Grinder (2015)-S01E01-Pilot-MP2-720x480-AC3-5.1.mkv

Filename has the series name, start year, Series and Episode in it. Log shows it did not detect 1) that this file is a TV series, and 2) did not pull the metadata from TheTVDB even though there is a clear match from the filename elements.

Note: The conversion failed due to some issue with chapters, but that is a separate issue.

Log Extracts:

INFORMATION> --> Task -> MKV-LastResort-HD
Profile -> MKV AV1
Source File -> E:\Recorded TV\Manual\The Grinder (2015)-S01E01-Pilot-MP2-720x480-AC3-5.1.mkv
Relative Source Path -> E:\Recorded TV\Manual
Destination Path -> E:\Video
...
Embed Chapters -> True
Strict Processing -> False
Commercial Removal -> Comskip
...
Download Series Details -> True
Download Banner -> True
Overwrite metata from Title -> False
Overwrite metata from Internet -> Default
...
Prioritize matching metadata -> AirDate
Force Show Type -> Default
Write Metadata -> True
Rename by Series -> True
Alt Rename by Series -> False
Custom Rename by Series -> %ifseason%<\TV Shows\%showname%\Season %season%##\%showname%-S%season%##E%episode%##-%episodename%-%airyear%-%airmonth%-%airday%-%recordhour%%recordminute%,\Specials\%showname%-%subtitle%-%episodename%-%airyear%-%airmonth%-%airday%-%recordhour%%recordminute%>
Rename Only -> False
...

INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Checking for disk space
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Running custom commands
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.Transcode.CustomCommand --> No custom commands found
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Getting show information and banner from Internet sources
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Extracting Generic Tags
WARNING> --> Error reading metadata from file, possibly corrupted
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Read Tags: MKV file detected using Matroska
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:BPS, Value:448000
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:DURATION, Value:00:22:57.536000000
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:NUMBER_OF_FRAMES, Value:43048
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:NUMBER_OF_BYTES, Value:77142016
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:SOURCE_ID, Value:0180BD
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP, Value:MakeMKV v1.18.4 win(x64-release)
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC, Value:2026-08-05 14:40:33
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_TAGS, Value:BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:BPS, Value:5964782
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:DURATION, Value:00:22:57.743033333
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:NUMBER_OF_FRAMES, Value:33033
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:NUMBER_OF_BYTES, Value:1027242160
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:SOURCE_ID, Value:0100E0
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_WRITING_APP, Value:MakeMKV v1.18.4 win(x64-release)
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_WRITING_DATE_UTC, Value:2026-08-05 14:40:33
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Unknown MKV tag, Tag:_STATISTICS_TAGS, Value:BPS DURATION NUMBER_OF_FRAMES NUMBER_OF_BYTES SOURCE_ID
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Downloading Series details
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Recording Type Show
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:03 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Checking TheTVDB
WARNING> 2026-08-05T10:09:04 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> TheTVDB failed
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:04 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Checking TMDB
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:04 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Running custom commands
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirYear
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirMonth
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirDay
WARNING> --> Cannot find RecordHour using File Creation Date
WARNING> --> Cannot find RecordMinute using File Creation Date
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirYear
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirMonth
WARNING> --> Cannot find AirDay
WARNING> --> Cannot find RecordHour using File Creation Date
WARNING> --> Cannot find RecordMinute using File Creation Date
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:04 MCEBuddy.Transcode.CustomCommand --> No custom commands found
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:09:05 MCEBuddy.MetaData.VideoMetaData --> Not checking IMDB Series since metadata is complete and overwrite from IMDB is not required
...
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:13:47 MCEBuddy.Transcode.ConvertWithHandbrake --> Setting up Output filename
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:13:47 MCEBuddy.Transcode.ConvertWithHandbrake --> Replacing user specified parameters
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:13:47 MCEBuddy.Transcode.ConvertWithHandbrake --> Converting the video - Main conversion
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:43 MCEBuddy.Transcode.ConvertWithHandbrake --> Correcting Audio Delay if required
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:43 MCEBuddy.Transcode.ConvertWithHandbrake --> Remuxing video if required
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:43 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Converted File : E:\Temp\working0\The Grinder (2015)-S01E01-Pilot-MP2-720x480-AC3-5.1.mkv
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:43 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Checking if commercials were found
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:43 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Commercials not found or cutting already completed
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:46 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Checking for Chapter information in Source File to preserve
ERROR> 2026-08-05T10:24:46 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> Unhanded error during conversion, conversion cancelled
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at MCEBuddy.CommercialScan.EDL.AdjustChaptersForEDLCuts(List`1 Chapters, List`1 cutList)
   at MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob.Convert()
INFORMATION> 2026-08-05T10:24:46 MCEBuddy.Engine.ConversionJob --> 
INFORMATION> --> Total time taken by conversion (hh:mm:ss) -> 00:15:42

It also errors out (fails to convert) after some kind of error in the chapter processing.

Here is the Configuration for the procesing:

[MKV-LastResort-HD]
Profile=MKV AV1
DestinationPath=E:\Video
WorkingPath=E:\Temp
FallbackDestination=False
CheckReprocessingHistory=False
AddToiTunesLibrary=False
AddToWMPLibrary=False
AutoIncrementFilename=False
SkipReprocessing=True
MaxWidth=1920
FPS=
VolumeMultiplier=0.4
QualityMultiplier=0.6
RenameBySeries=True
AltRenameBySeries=False
CustomRenameBySeries=%ifseason%<\TV Shows\%showname%\Season %season%##\%showname%-S%season%##E%episode%##-%episodename%-%airyear%-%airmonth%-%airday%-%recordhour%%recordminute%,\Specials\%showname%-%subtitle%-%episodename%-%airyear%-%airmonth%-%airday%-%recordhour%%recordminute%>
RenameOnly=False
DownloadSeriesDetails=True
DownloadBanner=True
ForceFilenameMetadata=False
OverwriteMetadataInternet=Default
FileSelection=path:~*\MetadataRewrite\*
MetaSelection=
MetaChannelSelection=*;~*DT;~*DT2;~*DT3;~*DT4;~*DT5;~*DT6;
MonitorTaskNames=
DRC=True
AudioLanguage=
AudioOffset=0
InsertQueueTop=False
ExtractXML=False
WriteMetadata=True
AutoDeInterlace=False
PreferHardwareEncoding=True
StereoAudio=True
EncoderSelectBestAudioTrack=True
DisableCropping=False
StartTrim=0
EndTrim=0
ExtractCC=default
SaveSubtitles=False
CCOffset=2.5
EmbedSubtitles=True
EmbedChapters=True
StrictProcessing=False
ExtractAdsFromChapters=False
OCRBurnedInSubtitles=False
TaskCommercialSkipCut=False
KeepAdvertisements=False
MetadataMatchPriority=AirDate
SkipCopyBackup=False
SkipRemux=False
IgnoreCopyProtection=True
TiVOMAKKey=5183339978
Enabled=True
ForceShowType=Default
MetaShowTypeSelection=Series
MetaCodecSelection=Any
GpuSelection=NVidia
MetaDRMTypeSelection=All
FileSizeCompareType=LessThan
FileSizeThreshold=0
VideoBitrateCompareType=LessThan
VideoBitrateThreshold=0
VideoWidthCompareType=LessThan
VideoWidthThreshold=0
CommercialRemoval=Comskip
ComskipINI=
ComskipCLIParams=
2

I have a different profile, just for metadata rewrites only, and ran the file through that profile (my profles have directory name filters on them to control the processing). So I just manually copy the file to the specific “input” directory that triggers that processing.

This time, it did find the metadata, but pulled it from IMDB instead of TheTVDB, and indicated that it did not find the series in TheTVDB when it is clearly there. I could create an override, but that kind of defeats the point, yes?

TheTVDB ID: 295682

At least now I have a workaround. I will process the files through the metadata rewrite to add the missing metadata to the file, and then process it through the manual transcoding profile. Hopefully, this can be done once, in the manual transcoding profile. It could be that it did this already, but failed because of the chapter processing issue.