e2MDB

Metadata and artwork for recordings, media files and Live TV/EPG on Enigma2 / OpenATV.

e2MDB combines an Enigma2 plugin with the separate e2mdbd backend service. The plugin integrates metadata into the receiver UI and collects Live/EPG candidates. The backend scans media folders, queries providers, downloads artwork, maintains the database and serves the web interface.

User documentation: OpenATV e2MDB guide (English)

Features

• Scan recordings and media folders, with per-path content modes, exclusions and optional recursion.
• Read recording sidecars (.meta, .eit, .cuts and text descriptions) and derive search titles, season and episode hints from media filenames.
• Match movies, series and anime through configurable metadata providers.
• Cache metadata, posters, backdrops, title logos and episode images for reuse.
• Show enhanced Event Views for recordings and EPG events, with metadata integration for InfoBar, EPG and ChannelSelection.
• Queue missing Live/EPG metadata in the background and prefill future events for selected or frequently watched channels.
• Browse movies, series, seasons, episodes and cast in the web Media Browser; start and stop playback on the receiver.
• Inspect matches and alternatives in the web Editor, manage scan paths and monitor backend jobs, queues and database status.
• Run refresh, prefill, cleanup and SQLite maintenance through OpenATV scheduled tasks.

Repository layout

The installable sources live under src/. Documentation screenshots in assets/preview/ are separate from the plugin's runtime images.

.
├── README.md
├── assets/
│   └── preview/                       # Receiver screenshots used in this README
├── CI/                                # Repository maintenance scripts
├── .github/workflows/                 # Compilation, linting and release automation
├── pyproject.toml                     # Ruff and isort configuration
└── src/
    ├── setup.py                       # Package and installation layout
    ├── setup_translate.py             # Translation build support
    ├── init.d/
    │   └── e2mdbd                     # Backend service script
    ├── Components/
    │   └── Converter/
    │       └── E2MDBEventInfo.py      # Enigma2 skin converter
    └── e2MDB/
        ├── __init__.py                # Version, translations and configuration
        ├── plugin.py                  # Plugin registration and receiver UI
        ├── e2mdbd.py                  # Backend daemon, jobs and web/API server
        ├── e2mdbctl.py                # Backend command-line client
        ├── E2MDBBackend*.py           # Backend config, database, scanning and bridges
        ├── E2MDBScanner.py            # Shared scanner/provider matching logic
        ├── E2MDBRecordingParser.py    # Recording sidecar parser
        ├── MediaNameParser.py         # Filename parsing
        ├── E2MDBDatabase.py           # GUI/shared database access and MediaDB
        ├── E2MDBProviders.py          # Provider orchestration
        ├── E2MDBEventView*.py         # Event Views and integration
        ├── E2MDBComponentMeta.py      # Metadata on Enigma2 sources
        ├── E2MDBLiveEPG.py            # Live/EPG metadata integration
        ├── E2MDBPrefill*.py           # Prefill configuration and candidate collection
        ├── E2MDBSchedulerTasks.py     # OpenATV task bridge
        ├── provider/                  # Metadata and artwork adapters
        ├── images/                    # Runtime artwork, masks and icons
        ├── locale/                    # Translation sources and compiled catalogs
        ├── web/
        │   └── index.html             # Editor, Media Browser and tools
        └── setup.xml                  # Receiver/OpenWebif settings

Runtime and installation layout

The plugin targets the OpenATV Enigma2 environment and uses its screen classes, service references, EPG cache, configuration and FunctionTimer APIs. Skin integration depends on the metadata and service-list hooks available in the receiver image and on a compatible skin.

Python dependencies used by the source include requests, Pillow, Twisted and the standard-library sqlite3 module. The repository's compilation workflow uses Python 3.13.

Package configuration defines the following receiver layout:

Source	Receiver destination
src/e2MDB/	/usr/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/Extensions/e2MDB/
src/Components/Converter/E2MDBEventInfo.py	/usr/lib/enigma2/python/Components/Converter/E2MDBEventInfo.py
src/init.d/e2mdbd	/etc/init.d/e2mdbd

The plugin package includes the provider adapters, channel mapping, web page, images, setup XML and compiled translations. The supplied init script starts e2mdbd.pyc from the installed plugin directory, so a source deployment must also provide that compiled entry point. Service registration and dependency installation belong to the receiver image/package integration.

First setup on the receiver

The following steps provide a quick start. For the full user documentation, see the OpenATV e2MDB guide.

1. Open e2MDB from the plugin browser and press Menu for settings.
2. Set the cache base path and provider search language. Enter personal API keys for enabled providers that require them, or disable those providers. Save the settings.
3. Return to the scanner and use Green — Paths to add media folders, select content modes and enable recursion where needed.
4. Select the paths to process and use Blue — Start scan. The scanner displays backend progress and allows the running scan to be stopped.
5. Open http://<receiver-ip>:6066/ for the web interface. The port is configurable; when OpenWebif integration is available, its e2MDB entry redirects to this interface.

The backend service must be running for scans and the web interface. On an installed receiver, check it with:

/etc/init.d/e2mdbd status

The same service script accepts start, stop and restart.

Architecture

flowchart TD
    UI[Enigma2 plugin and screens] -->|Media scan requests| Backend[e2mdbd backend]
    UI -->|Live and EPG candidates| Queue[Live/EPG queue]
    Queue --> Backend
    Backend --> Scanner[Recording and media parser]
    Scanner --> Providers[Metadata and artwork providers]
    Backend -->|Queued Live/EPG lookup| Providers
    Providers --> Store[SQLite, JSON and artwork cache]
    Store -->|Cached metadata| UI
    Backend -->|Metadata update notifications| UI
    Web[Web Editor and Media Browser] <-->|HTTP/API| Backend
    CLI[e2mdbctl] <-->|Unix socket| Backend

Loading

Provider requests and artwork processing run in the backend. Enigma2 collects events, displays cached results and receives update notifications. Scheduled prefill collects future EPG candidates in Enigma2; the backend processes the resulting queue.

Module	Responsibility
plugin.py	Registration, scanner/setup screens, path selection, diagnostic tools, Event View hooks, OpenWebif link and playback bridge
e2mdbd.py	Backend lifecycle, job queue, automatic Live/EPG worker, web/API server and command socket
E2MDBBackendMetadataScanner.py	Entry point for daemon scans, path filtering and recording/media parsing
E2MDBRecordingParser.py, MediaNameParser.py	Recording sidecars and filename-derived title/episode information
E2MDBBackendProvider.py, E2MDBScanner.py	Provider enrichment and shared matching logic
E2MDBBackendDatabase.py	Backend SQLite schema, media catalog, provider results/assets, Live/EPG queue and maintenance
E2MDBDatabase.py	GUI/shared database access and recording MediaDB support
E2MDBProviders.py, provider/	Metadata provider selection and adapters
E2MDBHelper.py, E2MDBImageDownloader.py	Cache paths, JSON and artwork helpers
E2MDBComponentMeta.py, E2MDBBackendNotify.py	Metadata on Enigma2 sources and backend update notifications
E2MDBEventInfo.py	Skin access to metadata text, artwork paths and availability flags
E2MDBBackendConfig.py, E2MDBSchedulerTasks.py	Persistent backend configuration and OpenATV task integration

Providers

The following roles reflect the adapters and settings in the current source:

Provider	Use in e2MDB
TMDb	Movie and series metadata/artwork; personal API key
TVDb	Series and episode metadata/artwork; personal API key
OMDb	Optional metadata fallback; personal API key
TVmaze	Optional series fallback without a configured API key
Cinemeta	Optional movie/series fallback with English metadata
TVSpielfilm	Preferred metadata source for German Live/EPG
fernsehserien.de	German Live/EPG image fallback
Wikimedia / Wikipedia	Optional Live/EPG artwork fallback
AniList and Kitsu	Optional providers for Anime/Manga path modes
FanArt.tv	Artwork enrichment after a metadata match; personal API key

TMDb, TVDb, TVSpielfilm and fernsehserien.de are enabled by default. The IMDb adapter remains in provider/IMDB.py, but is disabled in the current provider orchestration and setup.

Configuration and scheduling

Receiver settings are defined in init.py under config.plugins.e2mdb and exposed through setup.xml.

Setting	Default	Purpose
enableDatabase	True	Database/cache integration
cachePath	/media/hdd/	Base directory; e2MDB appends e2MDB/
webPort	6066	Backend web interface port
lang	Receiver language, with English fallback	Provider search language
showInMainMenu	False	Optional main-menu entry
scannerRescanExisting	False	Reprocess existing media when enabled
epgMetaEnabled	True	Live/EPG metadata cache
epgEventViewUseE2MDB, mediaEventViewUseE2MDB	True	Enhanced Event Views
epgInfoBarEnabled, epgChannelSelectionEnabled	True	Live metadata integration
epgRetentionDays	3	Matched Live/EPG retention after an event ends
epgNoMatchRetentionHours	1	No-match Live/EPG retention after an event ends
epgPrefillHorizonDays	2	Future EPG horizon for prefill

Saving the setup exports backend settings to /etc/enigma2/e2mdb/settings.json and requests a backend reload. Scan paths are stored in paths.json. Personal API keys are saved to api_keys.json on setup save and restored into plugin configuration at session start.

In the setup, Yellow — Prefill channels selects channels for prefill. Blue — More... opens queue diagnostics, retry of missing media metadata/artwork, database maintenance, manual prefill and ignore-pattern tools.

Planned runs use these entries in the OpenATV task/timer menu:

• e2MDB Refresh
• e2MDB Live/EPG Prefill
• e2MDB Live/EPG Cleanup
• e2MDB SQLite Maintenance

The daemon's separate scheduler has been removed. The automatic Live/EPG queue worker still runs in the backend.

Storage

The default cache root is /media/hdd/e2MDB. Both backend configuration and cache helpers derive it from cachePath. A base path of / resolves to /e2MDB.

Location	Contents
<cache>/results.db	Central SQLite database for media, recording catalog, provider matches/assets, Live/EPG events, queue and backend state
<cache>/media.db	Recording MediaDB maintained by the scanner
<cache>/data/	Primary metadata JSON
<cache>/results/	Search results, recording catalog JSON and job history
<cache>/series/, <cache>/seasons/, <cache>/index/	Shared provider details, episode indexes and artwork
<cache>/cover/, backdrop/, titlelogo/, image/, preview/	Artwork cache directories
/etc/enigma2/e2mdb/	Persistent settings, API keys, scan paths, prefill/ignore configuration and scan/provider state
/var/run/e2mdb/	Runtime status, command/notification sockets and GUI requests
/home/root/logs/e2MDB.log	Plugin log when file logging is selected
/home/root/logs/e2mdbd.log	Backend output from the init service

SQLite is central to the current backend and web interface. JSON metadata and cached artwork are also reused by the receiver UI.

Primary JSON and item-specific artwork paths use a hash of the reduced media path. Shared series/season data uses provider and ID directories:

<cache>/data/<first-hash-char>/<hash>.json
<cache>/cover/<first-hash-char>/<hash>.<ext>
<cache>/image/<first-hash-char>/<hash>.<ext>
<cache>/series/<provider>/<id>/data.json
<cache>/series/<provider>/<id>/cover.<ext>
<cache>/index/<provider>/<id>/data.json
<cache>/seasons/<provider>/<id>/S01/data.json

Backend diagnostics

e2mdbctl.py talks to the running backend through /var/run/e2mdb/e2mdbd.sock. From the installed plugin directory, useful read-only commands are:

cd /usr/lib/enigma2/python/Plugins/Extensions/e2MDB
python3 e2mdbctl.py status
python3 e2mdbctl.py media status
python3 e2mdbctl.py db status
python3 e2mdbctl.py live-queue status
python3 e2mdbctl.py jobs history

For packages that ship compiled Python files only, use e2mdbctl.pyc in place of e2mdbctl.py. Further commands for scans, metadata retries, cleanup and job control are listed in the client's usage() function.

Screenshots

These screenshots show e2MDB on an OpenATV receiver. Layout, colors and the available channel-list views depend on the installed skin and its settings.

Event View

Series episode details with title logos, artwork, descriptions, cast and episode information.

12 Monkeys	24

Live TV and EPG

Program artwork in the InfoBar and artwork with the selected event's description in the graphical EPG.

InfoBar	Graphical EPG

Channel lists

Channel-list layouts can combine program artwork, event descriptions, progress indicators and upcoming programs. This full-width column view shows several channels side by side:

More channel-list layouts, including live TV preview

Full-width rows with progress bars	Full-width rows with progress percentages

Rows with live TV preview and progress bars	Rows with live TV preview and progress percentages

Columns with live TV preview	Grid with live TV preview

Plugin menu and scanner

Open e2MDB from the extensions menu, then select media paths and start a backend scan.

Extensions menu	e2MDB scanner

Credits and source notices

Source headers credit Mr.Servo and jbleyel at OpenATV, with skin and design by stein17. Licensing notices are present in the individual source files.