metadata problems after update

Yeah. Subler scrapes themoviedb.org, which doesn't have short descriptions, so just adds the same movie overview to both tags. This would be fine, but iTunes/ATV2 obviously doesn't like too much text in the short desc field..... another annoyance.

iDentify does the same thing via IMDB (see attached pic).

I'm quite attached to Subler 😉 and really can't be bothered re-tagging all my movies anyway.

So ATV2 completely ignores the 'Long Description' tag. You'd think they could at least use it when you push up twice on the remote whilst watching the movie.

Sorry if this has been mentioned earlier, been trying to keep up with the thread but its getting long now

I have the same issue with long description, but my workaround is

Use MetaX as normal to tag the items

Before I click on the write option, copy the long description field

After this has finished I open up Doug's Applescript for "Enter Long Description Text for Selected"

Paste it in here and hit enter

Its an extra step, but it just an easy script to run to add this data back in

works flawlessly

I think this is a very good idea. I modified the windows script to do the same.

This script will go throught all the selected tracks in iTunes and allow you to edit the "long description" field. By default, the dialog box will contain the "short description" field.

Even if the "long description" field is not supposed to be limited to 255 character, iTunes & iPad still display only the first 255 characters....

Here is the code, to copy in a file with the extention .wsf

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>

<job id="editLongDesc">

<script language="VBScript">

<![CDATA[

Function WSHInputBox(Message, Title, Value)

' Provides an InputBox function for JScript

' Can be called from JScript as:

' var result = WSHInputBox("Enter a name", "Input", test);

WSHInputBox = InputBox(Message, Title, Value)

End Function

]]>

</script>

<script language="JScript">

<![CDATA[

// Create the WshShell object (needed for using Popup).

var WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell");

// iTunes stuff

var iTunesApp = WScript.CreateObject("iTunes.Application");

var i = 1;

for (i = 1; i <= iTunesApp.SelectedTracks.Count; i++)

{

var track = iTunesApp.SelectedTracks.Item(i);

var result = WSHInputBox("Enter the new long description: ", "Edit long descript of "+track.name, track.description);

if (result != null)

{

track.LongDescription = result;

}

else {

break;

}

}

]]>

</script>

</job>

A new software update (4.2.2) was just released that has fixed this issue for me!

Eureka! I’m looking forward to seeing all of my descriptions back in place. I’ll do this update as soon as I’m home. I was also having an issue with descriptions not showing up on the iPad. I would get short descriptions on my movies and no descriptions on the TV shows. Any word from anyone on this?

tsdesigns: The Apple TV update posted today fixes the description issue only for the Apple TV2. I just reinstalled iTunes 10.2.2 (from 10.1) and I can now view media descriptions for media added to my iTunes library.

As for my iPad (iPad 2), I cannot view any descriptions for new media added (added to my iTunes library after I installed 10.2.2; media added into iTunes 10.1 is not affected).

So it looks like the above posters were correct, this is both and Apple TV and iTunes issue.

Buckethead 82:

Looks like you were right! Did a quick test with my Apple TV2 using both iTunes 10.1 and 10.2

10.1 WILL display the full description on the ATV2 when you hit the up button twice. 10.2 will not! This only applies to media added to the 10.2 library. For example, Movie1 added to the 10.1 library then 10.2 is installed, no issues (full description displayed). If Movie1 is added to the 10.2 library, it will now display the description (complements of todays ATV2 update), but it's truncated like you mentioned earlier. Well, that was fun. Now I'm going back to iTunes 10.1.

This new update fixed the metadata issue for me on the Apple TV2. All descriptions are back.

So let me get this straight, are you saying that iTunes 10.1 shows the short descriptions when browsing through your movies on ATV2 and shows the long description(and not truncated) when pressing up twice whilst playing a movie?

Buckethead82:

When using iTunes 10.1.1 and ATV2 4.2.2. I opened up Movies (ATV2 - Computers) and selected the film Top Gun. When I hit the up button twice, the entire long description was displayed. The "brief" description on the left side under the artwork was limited to four lines and followed by a ... to indicate more text.

I installed 10.2.2 and tested it again, again with the same results as 10.1.1. I removed the film from my iTunes library (still using 10.2.2 here) and added it again. I viewed the film again on the ATV2 and pressed up twice, but this time the full description was clipped and not fully displayed.

10.2.2. is not displaying the long description at all. (This is me guessing here so please don't be too critical): I'm guessing 10.1 displayed the full (long) description, but shortens it to four lines under the artwork so the image resize wouldn't be too small. 10.2 does the same thing, but truncates the description when you hit the up button twice when using the ATV2.

I don't see what the major issue is. If Apple could make iTunes 10.2 and beyond handle media descriptions the same way 10.1 did, this issue is resolved for both the ATV2 and mobile devices (iPad, iPhone etc).

Yeah that makes sense. iTunes 10.2.2 definitely displays the short description tag in both areas on ATV2, as I have tested movies which have different text entered in their description & long description tags.

Check a movie that has different text entered in both desc tags just to make sure that it is displaying the long description in both areas of ATV2. (You maybe had the exact same text entered in both desc tags for Top Gun).

Good idea Buckethead, I think we're getting somewhere!

Just tested it (using iTunes 10.1.1 and ATV2 4.2.2): The short description is displayed under the artwork and the long description is displayed once the media is playing and the up button is pressed twice.

Oh that's good news. That's the ideal scenario for displaying the tags. Looks like I might downgrade to 10.1.1 if no iTunes update comes out soon sorting this.

Right, I think we've established that:

iTunes 10.1.1 - No problems (outputs short dsc tag below artwork, and long dsc whilst movie playing on ATV2)

iTunes 10.2.2 - Outputs the short dsc tag to both fields on ATV2

ATV2 4.3(4.2.1) - Doesn't display description tags

ATV2 4.2.2 - Description tags working again