How to Get Started with TV Rename

Updated

To get started with TV Rename, install it on a Windows 10 or later PC, set your preferences and point the tool at your TV show and movie collection folders, then run a scan to see what is current in your library. The site recommends reading the Quick-Start Guide first, before the other basic guides. TV Rename is open source and free to use, and it is designed to make your files presentable for media hubs such as Kodi (XBMC), Mede8er and PyTivo.

What TV Rename Does

TV Rename is a media management tool that looks after TV show and movie files. On the surface it "fixes" file names, turning something like:

The.Shannara.Chronicles.S02E03.XviD-AFG.avi

into:

The Shannara Chronicles - S02E03 - Graymark.avi

It does this automatically, using data from TheTVDB and rules you configure.

Beyond renaming, the tool can:

  • Monitor specified folders for new TV show files
  • Copy or move files from monitored folders into your Media Library
  • Download TV show posters and images and create metadata automatically
  • List missing TV show episodes or seasons in your library
  • Create web searches to help you find missing TV show files
  • Tell you how long until the next episode of a current favourite show airs
  • Create .nfo files
  • Search for missing episodes and calendarize favourite TV shows
  • Integrate with TheTVDB and μTorrent

Before You Start

A few things to have in place:

  • A Windows 10 or later PC. This is the stated requirement; the tool runs on Windows 10 and later.
  • Your media locations. Know where your TV show and movie files live — a folder or folders on your PC, a NAS, or similar. TV Rename calls this your Media Library.
  • A decision on copy vs. move. When TV Rename transfers files from monitored folders to your library, it can either copy or move them. Decide which behaviour you want before your first scan.

Step-by-Step: First Run

  1. Get the latest version. Download it from the site and install it on your Windows 10+ machine.
  2. Set your preferences. The site describes TV Rename as "super customizable": library language, show and episode images, metadata, TheTVDB and μTorrent integration, and virtually every other aspect are configurable. Set these before scanning so the results match how you want your library organised.
  3. Point the tool at your collection. Set your TV show and movie collection location(s) — your Media Library — and any folders you want monitored for new files.
  4. Run a scan. This finds out what is current in your library. The site's own summary of the flow: set your preferences and locations ("on-your marks"), then run a scan and "sit back, relax, and watch it go."
  5. Review the results. Check the renamed files, downloaded posters and images, and generated metadata. The tool can also list any missing episodes or seasons it finds.

Follow the Guides in Order

The site is explicit that newcomers should read the Quick-Start Guide first, then move on to the other basic guides. Starting with the quick-start avoids configuring preferences or library paths in a way you'll have to redo later.

Common Sticking Points

  • Skipping the Quick-Start Guide. The documentation treats it as the prerequisite for the other guides, not an optional extra.
  • Unclear library structure. Because TV Rename copies or moves files into your Media Library and lists missing episodes against it, a messy or split library makes scan results harder to interpret. Settle on your folder layout first.
  • Expecting a one-click fix. The tool is fully automatic once configured, but the configuration step — preferences, locations, naming rules — is where the work happens.
  • Licence questions. TV Rename is open source and free for non-commercial use; you may modify it, but improvements should be fed back to the project, and any distributed modified version must stay open source under the same licence.

What to Expect After the First Scan

Once your library is set up, TV Rename keeps working in the background: it monitors your specified folders for new files, renames and files them automatically, and keeps posters, images and metadata in step. It can also tell you when the next episode of a favourite show airs, so you know how long you'll be waiting for new content.