[great_vc]

For example, I just recently received a notice that trakt.tv is limiting API calls to 2000 per hour....undoubtedly a matter of time until they begin to charge a fee for api calls as well.

just a quick note about that since i'm an active member of the forum there, the reason behind that was the many timeouts on the site and 523 errors was due to the fact of o many apps out there that use trakt api and they are so poorly coden that keep hitting it without any need thus overloading the system cause the do not know how to build a sold app. Trakt was also solid with its customers and never keep anything hidden or behind the scenes. and no i do not work for them, just a 6 year member

[great_vc]

But there is a solution for both.

• If you don't mind paying, then you can still continue to use TVDB (assuming a scraper is available)
  
  
• If you don't want to pay, then switch over to TheMovieDB or TVMaze.
  

do you know if there is going to be an update about the TVDB sraper ? or what is the alternative addon, like TVMaze, is there one on the official kodi store ?

[Karellen]

like TVMaze, is there one on the official kodi store ?

Yes, check your repo in Kodi. Settings>Addons>Install from repo>Information Providers>TV Shows.

[Shredder_guitar]

For example, I just recently received a notice that trakt.tv is limiting API calls to 2000 per hour....undoubtedly a matter of time until they begin to charge a fee for api calls as well.

just a quick note about that since i'm an active member of the forum there, the reason behind that was the many timeouts on the site and 523 errors was due to the fact of o many apps out there that use trakt api and they are so poorly coden that keep hitting it without any need thus overloading the system cause the do not know how to build a sold app. Trakt was also solid with its customers and never keep anything hidden or behind the scenes. and no i do not work for them, just a 6 year member

2000 api calls an hour is reasonable as long as it does not continue to downtrend in number of calls and uptrend in charging for them.

[WhatZit]

So, the TVDB has always stolen data entered for free from the community, and then treated it as their own, irrespective of logic or morality.  Charging for it is simply another rung in their evolutionary ladder of undeserved, self-deluded entitlement.

It is a community effort. If you don't want to contribute to TVDB content, and only benefit from it, then stop boo-boo-ing. You can't have everything in life for free.

Over the years, I've contributed metadata to hundreds upon hundreds of episodes on the TVDB, and not been paid a single cent for any of my work.

So, based on my actual experience, I have every right to say what I have about the current situation.

Yes, I'm well aware that the TVDB allege that such a level of contributions as mine will earn a "free" tier (if you can believe/trust them, which I don't).

But, you see, I'm not a hypocrite saying crap like "You can't have everything in life for free"  when that is exactly how the TVDB acquired the database that it's now trying to sell.

So, on principle, I'll be abandoning TVDB to move my contributions over to another "community effort", and I'm 100% certain that I won't be the only one.

[Shredder_guitar]

So, the TVDB has always stolen data entered for free from the community, and then treated it as their own, irrespective of logic or morality.  Charging for it is simply another rung in their evolutionary ladder of undeserved, self-deluded entitlement.

It is a community effort. If you don't want to contribute to TVDB content, and only benefit from it, then stop boo-boo-ing. You can't have everything in life for free.

Over the years, I've contributed metadata to hundreds upon hundreds of episodes on the TVDB, and not been paid a single cent for any of my work.

So, based on my actual experience, I have every right to say what I have about the current situation.

Yes, I'm well aware that the TVDB allege that such a level of contributions as mine will earn a "free" tier (if you can believe/trust them, which I don't).

But, you see, I'm not a hypocrite saying crap like "You can't have everything in life for free"  when that is exactly how the TVDB acquired the database that it's now trying to sell.

So, on principle, I'll be abandoning TVDB to move my contributions over to another "community effort", and I'm 100% certain that I won't be the only one.

I agree with this.... I don't agree with crowdsourcing when it's the crowd that has built the data in the first place. Unortunately, I'm still stuck between a rock and hardplace on how to proceed as a few applications i use require a TVDB api key to function....There is no alternative.

[dm21912]

 
Now that I think about it, it's obvious that TVDB charging for the same thing that was built for free was always going to happen.

You see, the TVDB admin have always taken free community data and kept it for themselves, often ignoring the same community's protests over the manner in which they took it and the way that they've kept it.

Here's how it's worked since... forever:

1} The community spends massive amounts of time to create massive amounts of tvshow data for free
2} The TVDB admin immediately rearrange and/or modify that data to suit THEMSELVES, justifying it under an arbitrary set of rules that they themselves don't even follow most of the time
3} The community attempts to correct any wrong, contradictory, or just plain stupid, data rearrangement perpetrated by TVDB
4} The TVDB admin lock the data so only they can "fix" it, requiring the community to (fruitlessly) beg the TVDB to see reason, upon which the TVDB typically calls the community a bunch of ignorant idiots who don't comprehend the majesty of the "TVDB Bible"
5} The TVDB then leaves that locked data to rot, often for YEARS, without any updates or corrections, infuriating everyone in the community who knows better, which is EVERYONE compared to the TVDB admin
6} Rinse/Repeat steps 1-5 1000's of times

So, the TVDB has always stolen data entered for free from the community, and then treated it as their own, irrespective of logic or morality.  Charging for it is simply another rung in their evolutionary ladder of undeserved, self-deluded entitlement.

sometimes a post deserves more than just a thumb up. This is one of those times.

That sums up everything I feel about the TVDB, their Admins and general approach