Auto Download FAQs
This wiki contains Frequently Asked Questions about DuckieTV's Auto-Download feature.
#Index
What is Auto-Download?
Why is Auto-Download disabled?
How do I get started using Auto-Download?
I don't run DuckieTV 24/7, can I still use Auto-Download?
How do I stop Auto-Download picking the wrong torrents?
How do I monitor What Auto-Download is doing?
Why is Auto-Download not downloading anything?
##What is Auto-Download?
The Auto-Download service automatically downloads TV series' episodes.
When the DuckieTV app is active, it launches the Auto-Download service every 15 minutes.
During an Auto-Download cycle, the service first collects a list of all the episodes in your favourites collection that have yet to be downloaded, and whose broadcast date and time falls within the period that you have specified in your DuckieTV settings.
Then the service uses the default search engine to look for torrents that conform to the search criteria you have previously specified, and if a match is found, the service then submits that torrent magnet to your connected torrent Host for downloading.
DuckieTV then monitors the progress of the download, and once complete, the corresponding episode is marked as downloaded in DuckieTV's database.
##Why is Auto-Download disabled? When you install DuckieTV for the first time, the Auto-Download service is disabled because it is dependant on the following steps having been previously completed:
- Built your collection of Favourite series and episodes.
- Marked any episodes you have already seen, or already downloaded.
- Set up and connected to your preferred torrent Host.
- Specified Auto-Download settings, and torrent search criteria.
You would normally only enable the Auto-Download service once you have complete the above steps.
For DuckieTV 1.1.3, you will find the Auto-Download enable switch in the Settings, Torrents side panel, in the Auto-Download Torrents section, as shown below
##Auto-Download basic setup To get started using the Auto-Download Service on DuckieTV you need to review and/or change the following settings:
###Auto-Download Search provider
The default Search Provider that the Auto-Download Service will use to search for torrents is found on the Settings, Torrent Search Engines side panel.
###Auto-Download Period
The service will only search for torrents whose episodes are broadcast during the window of time defined by the Auto-Download Period setting.
The period is set by default to 1 day.
So for example, if the current date-time was 22-Jan-2016 4pm, the Auto-Download Service would examine all episodes whose broadcast date-time falls within the period of 21-Jan-2016 12am through to 22-Jan-2016 4pm.
If you do not keep the DuckieTV app running 24/7, then you should change the Period to cover the time that the app is usually left inactive, so that DuckieTV can Catch-Up and download episodes once you have started the app again.
The maximum Period you can set is 21 days.
For DuckieTV 1.1.3 you can find the Period setting on the Settings, Torrent side panel, in the Auto-Download Period section.
###Auto-Download Seeders
Use the Auto-Download Seeders setting to stop the Auto-Download service from fetching torrents which have less Seeders available than preferred. Well-seeded torrents generally download faster.
The Default is 50 seeders.
For DuckieTV 1.1.3 you can find the Seeders setting on the Settings, Torrent side panel, in the Min. Seeders Required section.
###Auto-Download Delay
Available on DuckieTV 1.1.4 and newer
Generally, episode torrents do not normally become available until some time after the episodes has been broadcast. So this settings is used to stop the Auto-Download Service from looking for torrents until after the set delay time has expired.
Auto-Download adds the delay time to the episode's run time when determining when it should start looking for torrents.
The default delay is 15 minutes, and the template is Days Hours:Minutes.
So for example, if an episode usually starts at 9pm, and plays for 1 hour, then the service waits until 10.15pm before it goes looking for that episode's torrents.
The maximum delay you can set is 21 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes.
You can find the Delay setting on the Settings, Auto-Download Torrents side panel, in the Auto-Download Delay section.
##Auto-Download advanced setup
Available on DuckieTV 1.1.4 and newer
You can control how the Auto-Download selects episode torrents by using the two sets of torrent search parameters, Preferred and Custom Series.
###Preferred Torrent Search parameters
This set of Torrent Search parameters provide Default criteria that the Auto-Download Service uses when searching for torrents for episodes. These defaults also apply to manual torrent searches, when using the Torrent Search Dialogues.
You can find these Preferred Search parameters by visiting the Settings, Torrent Search Engines side panel, and scrolling to one or more of the following sections:
-
Preferred Quality
This allows you to limit your episode searches to a specific quality.
For example: If you select '720p' this will append '720p' to the default[seriesname] S[seasonnumber]E[episodenumber]search string.
This does not work as a 'minimum quality' search! -
Keyword Filters Match Mode
This settings changes the way the Require Keywords behaves.
When set to All then torrent searches will show only torrents that contain all of the Require Keywords.
When set to Any then torrent searches will show only torrents that contain one or more of the Require Keywords. -
Require Keywords
You can restrict your torrent search results to those titles that include any one (or all) of the keywords you add to this list (separate each word with a space). -
Ignore Keywords
You can restrict your torrent search results to those titles that do not include any one of the keywords you add to this list (separate each word with a space). -
Minimum Size
You can restrict your torrent search results to those titles which are larger that this minimum size in MegaBytes. -
Maximum Size
You can restrict your torrent search results to those titles which are smaller than this maximum size in MegaBytes.
###Custom Series Torrent Search parameters
This set of Torrent Search parameters apply only to a particular Series, and can override or supplement the Global parameters.
You can define custom torrent search parameters for each series by visiting a series' Detail side panel, and clicking on the Settings for <series name> button.
-
Display Specials on the Calendar
If you have Enabled the Global Hide Specials setting, you can use this custom override to display this Series' Special episodes on the Calendar. As you may know, only episodes shown on the calendar are eligible for auto-downloading. -
AutoDownload this Show
Use this option to Disable auto-downloading for this Series. -
Custom AutoDownload Delay
Use this option to set a custom Delay period for this Series.
The template isDays Hours:Minutes. -
Search Provider for this Show
Use this option to select a custom Search Provider for this Series. -
Custom Search String
Use this option to provide a custom string which will be appended to the[seriesname] S[seasonnumber]E[episodenumber]search string. -
Do not use the Preferred Quality for this Show
Ticking this box will allow torrent searches to ignore the Global Quality for this Series. For Example, you would use this when you have provided your own custom quality string in the Custom Search String field above. -
Disable the REQUIRE keywords for this Show
Ticking this box will allow torrent searches to ignore the Require Keywords list for this Series. -
Disable the IGNORE keywords for this Show
Ticking this box will allow torrent searches to ignore the Ignore Keywords list for this Series. -
Custom Search Minimum Size in Megabytes
You can set a minimum Megabytes size for torrent files of this Series using this option. -
Custom Search Maximum Size in Megabytes
You can set a maximum Megabytes size for torrent files of this Series using this option.
##Auto-Download Monitor
Available on DuckieTV 1.1.4 and newer
You can keep an eye on the Auto-Download Service activities, by viewing the Auto-Download Monitor side panel.
The monitor is accessed by clicking on the Auto-Download Monitor Icon near the bottom left of the main DuckieTV page.
###Auto-Download Monitor messages
Available on DuckieTV 1.1.4 and newer
When you first open the monitor you may see a No Activity message.
-
No Activity,
<host>offline
This means that DuckieTV does not have a connection to your preferred torrent Host.
Check that your torrent host is running and review your DuckieTV Torrent Client settings. You may find this wiki useful: https://github.com/SchizoDuckie/DuckieTV/wiki/Setting-up-Torrent-Clients-for-DuckieTV
-
No Activity,
<host>connecting
This will briefly be displayed while DuckieTV is negotiating a connection with your Torrent Host.
-
No Activity,
<host>connected
This will display briefly while the monitor is waiting for the Auto-Download Service to post its progress updates.
-
Search Criteria table
This is the normal view when the monitor is receiving updates from the Auto-Download Service.
###Auto-Download Monitor details
When the Auto-Download Service is processing episodes for downloading, it sends the monitor an update for every episode it is examining.
Below is a list of the Status text with a brief description:
-
autoDL disabled
This means that this series is not being auto-downloaded.
This is due to you having previously visited that series' Details side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and un-ticking the Auto-Download this show check box.
-
autoDL disabled HC
This means that this series is not being auto-downloaded.
This is due to you having previously chosen to Hide the series from the calendar, by visiting that series' Details side panel, and clicking on the Hide Series on Calendar! button.
-
autoDL disabled HS
This means that this series' Special Episodes are not being auto-downloaded.
This is due to you having previously chosen to Hide Special Episodes from the calendar, by visiting the Settings, Calendar side panel and clicking on the Hide Specials on Calendar button.
-
autoDL disabled NM
This means that the Default Search Provider you are using does not have any Magnet torrents for this episode.
You may need to change the default Search Provider if you want the Auto-Download Service to manage this series' downloads.
You can set a custom Search Provider for this series by visiting the series' Details side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and selecting a Search Provider for this show from the pull down menu.
-
downloaded
This episode has already been downloaded. -
filtered out IK
The Ignore Keywords list is filtering out this episode's torrents.
You can set the Ignore Keywords list by vising the Settings, Torrent Search Engines side panel, and scrolling down to the Ignore Keywords section.
You can choose to ignore the Ignore Keywords list for this series, by going to this series' Detail side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and ticking the Disable the IGNORE keywords for this Show check box.
-
filtered out RK
The Require Keywords list is filtering out this episode's torrents.
You can set the Require Keywords list by vising the Settings, Torrent Search Engines side panel, and scrolling down to the Require Keywords section.
You can also set a custom Require (ALL) Keywords for this series, by going to this series' Detail side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and setting the Custom Search String.
You can choose to ignore the Require Keywords list for this series, by going to this series' Detail side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and ticking the Disable REQUIRE keywords for this Show check box.
-
filtered out MS
The Minimum or Maximum Size is filtering out this episode's torrents.
You can set the Minimum/Maximum Size by vising the Settings, Torrent Search Engines side panel, and scrolling down to the Minimum/Maximum Size section.
You can also set a custom Min/Max size for this series, by going to this series' Detail side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and setting the Custom Search Minimum/Maximum Size values.
-
has magnet
This episode's torrent is currently loaded on your connected torrent host. -
magnet launched
The Auto-Download Service has in this cycle found a suitable torrent for this episode and has submitted it to your connected torrent host. -
nothing found
The auto-Download Service was unable to find a suitable torrent for this episode. -
onair +
delay (Days, hours:minutes)
The Auto-Download is currently waiting for the delay that you have set to expire before looking for torrents for this episode.
You can find the Delay setting on the Settings, Auto-Download Torrents side panel, in the Auto-Download Delay section.
You can also set a custom delay for this series, by going to this series' Detail side panel, and clicking on that series' Settings button, and setting the Custom Auto-Download Delay value.
-
seeders
x<y
This episode's most suitable torrent has currently less Seeders than the preferred limit that you have previously set. -
watched
This episode has been previously marked as Watched. This implies it was previously Downloaded.
