TMDB Addon: Fixing Incorrect Language Logos

by Alex Johnson 44 views

Are you experiencing issues with the TMDB addon displaying the wrong language logos? You're not alone! Many users have reported that the addon sometimes grabs logos for Portuguese (PT-PT) instead of Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR), or even defaults to English logos when PT-BR logos are available. This article dives deep into this specific language issue within the TMDB addon, providing insights into the problem and potential solutions.

Understanding the Problem with TMDB Logos

The core of the problem lies in how the TMDB addon currently handles language-specific logos. Users have observed that while the addon correctly fetches titles, posters, episode names, and descriptions in the user's preferred language (e.g., Brazilian Portuguese or PT-BR), the logos often display inconsistencies. Specifically, the addon may:

  • Display Portuguese (PT-PT) logos when Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR) is the preferred language.
  • Show Portuguese (PT-PT) logos even when a PT-BR logo exists on TMDB.
  • Default to English logos when only a PT-BR logo is available, effectively ignoring the user's language preference.

To illustrate this, consider a user who has set their language preference to Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR). They might expect to see logos specific to PT-BR for various titles. However, in some cases, they encounter the logo for Portugal Portuguese (PT-PT) instead. This discrepancy can be confusing and detracts from the overall user experience. The issue isn't limited to just Stremio; users have observed similar behavior on other platforms like Plex and Jellyfin, suggesting the problem lies within the data being fetched from TMDB or how the addon processes that data.

This logo display issue appears to stem from a recent change on TMDB's end, where a distinction has been made between different Portuguese language variations. According to reports, the addon is currently receiving the most voted image in the specified language. This means that if a PT-PT logo has more votes than a PT-BR logo for a particular title, the addon will display the PT-PT logo, even if the user's preference is set to PT-BR. This behavior is unexpected and leads to the incorrect language logo being displayed.

Furthermore, if a title only has a PT-BR logo and no PT-PT logo, the addon may incorrectly display the English logo instead of the available PT-BR version. This is a significant issue as it completely disregards the user's language preference and the availability of a logo in the correct language. This issue affects not only the visual consistency of the user interface but also the overall user experience, making it crucial to find a resolution.

TMDB's Perspective and the API

TMDB has acknowledged this issue as a result of a recent feature update on their platform. They have indicated that applications using their API need to be updated to accommodate this new separation of languages. This means that the TMDB addon developers need to make changes to how the addon retrieves and displays logos to correctly handle the distinction between different Portuguese language variations. The problem arises because the addon currently relies on the most voted image in the specified language. While this approach may seem logical, it doesn't account for the nuances of regional language variations, such as PT-BR and PT-PT.

According to TMDB, the addon is receiving the image with the most votes in the 'pt' language. This can lead to inconsistencies, as the most voted image could be in either PT-PT or PT-BR. If the most voted image is in PT-BR, everything appears correct. However, when the most voted image is in PT-PT, the incorrect logo is displayed for users who have set their preference to PT-BR. The core issue is that the addon isn't prioritizing logos based on the user's specific language preference (PT-BR) but rather on the overall vote count within the broader 'pt' language category. This is why even when a PT-BR logo exists, a PT-PT logo might be displayed if it has more votes.

This situation highlights the importance of API updates and how changes in a data provider's system can impact applications relying on that data. In this case, the TMDB API is functioning as designed by providing the most voted image for a given language. However, the addon's logic for interpreting and displaying this data needs to be adjusted to handle the new language-specific distinctions introduced by TMDB. The developers of the addon need to modify their code to specifically request and prioritize logos that match the user's exact language preference, rather than simply relying on the most voted image in the broader language category.

Potential Solutions and Workarounds

Until the TMDB addon is officially updated, there are a few potential workarounds and solutions that users can try:

  1. Manual Selection (If Available): Some applications or platforms might offer a way to manually select the logo for a particular title. If this option is available, users can search for the correct PT-BR logo on TMDB's website and manually set it within the application.
  2. Language Priority Settings (If Available): Check if the application or platform has any settings to prioritize specific language variations. For example, if there's an option to explicitly prioritize PT-BR over PT-PT, enabling this setting might resolve the issue.
  3. Monitor Addon Updates: Keep an eye on updates for the TMDB addon. The developers are likely aware of this issue and are working on a fix. Once an update is released, install it to see if it resolves the logo problem. This is the most sustainable solution, as it addresses the root cause of the problem.
  4. Report the Issue: If you encounter this issue, report it to the addon developers or the platform's support team. Providing detailed information, such as screenshots and specific examples, can help them understand the problem and prioritize the fix. The more information they have, the faster they can work on a solution.

While these workarounds might offer temporary relief, the ultimate solution lies in updating the TMDB addon to correctly handle language-specific logos. Developers need to implement logic that prioritizes logos matching the user's exact language preference, rather than simply relying on vote counts or broader language categories. This might involve modifying the API requests to specifically request PT-BR logos or implementing a filtering mechanism within the addon to prioritize logos based on language codes.

The Path Forward for the TMDB Addon

Addressing this TMDB addon language bug is crucial for providing a consistent and user-friendly experience. The developers need to take several steps to ensure the addon correctly displays logos in the user's preferred language:

  1. Update API Requests: Modify the addon's API requests to specifically request logos for the user's preferred language. This might involve adding a language code parameter to the API request to ensure that only logos matching the user's language preference are returned.
  2. Implement Logo Prioritization: If the API returns multiple logos, implement a prioritization mechanism within the addon. This mechanism should prioritize logos that exactly match the user's language preference (e.g., PT-BR) over logos from broader language categories (e.g., PT) or other languages.
  3. Caching Mechanism Review: Review the addon's caching mechanism to ensure that logos are cached based on language preference. This will prevent the addon from displaying incorrect logos from the cache when the user switches languages or encounters titles with different language variations.
  4. User Feedback and Testing: Gather user feedback and conduct thorough testing to ensure that the fix effectively resolves the logo issue. This will involve testing the addon with various language preferences and titles to identify any remaining issues.

By taking these steps, the developers can ensure that the TMDB addon correctly handles language-specific logos, providing users with a seamless and localized experience. The goal is to make sure that the logos displayed accurately reflect the user's language preference, enhancing the overall quality and usability of the addon. This will not only improve user satisfaction but also ensure that the addon remains a reliable and valuable tool for accessing media information.

Conclusion

The issue of the TMDB addon displaying incorrect language logos is a known problem stemming from recent changes on TMDB's platform. While temporary workarounds may offer some relief, the long-term solution requires an update to the addon itself. Developers need to adjust how the addon fetches and displays logos to accurately reflect the user's language preferences. By prioritizing logos based on specific language codes and updating API requests, the addon can provide a more consistent and user-friendly experience.

Keep an eye out for future updates to the TMDB addon, and in the meantime, consider reporting any instances of this issue to the developers to help them prioritize the fix. Addressing this issue will ensure that users can enjoy a fully localized experience, with logos correctly displayed in their preferred language.

For more information on TMDB and their API, you can visit their official website at https://www.themoviedb.org/. This resource provides detailed documentation and updates on TMDB's services and features.