Turn Your Computer into a TiVo with Sick Beard - How-To Guide
Automating Your TV Show Collection with Sick Beard
Imagine a system capable of autonomously downloading, classifying, and arranging your preferred television programs – a genuinely set-it-and-forget-it approach. Such a solution exists, and this guide will demonstrate how to construct a powerful alternative to traditional DVRs using Sick Beard.
What is Sick Beard?
Sick Beard is a Python-based program designed to manage and download TV shows. It automates the process, freeing you from manually searching for and acquiring episodes.
Key Features and Benefits
- Automated Downloading: Sick Beard automatically searches for and downloads new episodes of your favorite shows.
- Categorization & Organization: Downloaded content is intelligently categorized and organized for easy access.
- Quality Control: You can specify preferred video quality settings.
- Integration with Usenet & Torrent Clients: Sick Beard works seamlessly with popular download clients.
Essentially, Sick Beard functions as a sophisticated media manager, streamlining your television viewing experience. It provides a 'fire-and-forget' solution for maintaining a comprehensive TV show library.
Building Your Supercharged TiVo
Setting up Sick Beard involves a few key steps, including installing the software, configuring your preferred download clients, and adding the shows you wish to track. Detailed instructions for each stage will be covered in subsequent guides.
With Sick Beard, you can enjoy a consistently updated and meticulously organized television show collection without the need for constant manual intervention.
Essentials and Purpose: A Comprehensive Overview
Transforming your computer into a powerful, internet-based television viewing device – akin to a TiVo – requires minimal resources. Let's clarify the necessary components and the scope of this setup. To begin, here’s a minimum “parts” list required to proceed with this tutorial:
- A functioning Usenet account, alongside a properly installed and configured SABnzbd client (refer to our detailed step-by-step guide).
- A complimentary PVR application, specifically Sick Beard.
For optimal performance, consider also having:
- A dedicated computer or home server that remains consistently powered on.
While not strictly required, a computer left running continuously significantly streamlines the process, enabling instant downloading and organization of shows, readily available for viewing.
What functionalities does Sick Beard provide? Sick Beard is a remarkable PVR system leveraging the power of Usenet. If you are new to Usenet, we strongly suggest reviewing our introductory guide to familiarize yourself with its capabilities. Those already utilizing Usenet, or those who gained initial exposure through our previous guide, will recognize that while superior to Torrenting, it can still be somewhat labor-intensive.
Consider the scenario of using Usenet to follow your preferred TV series. Without automation, you would need to, on a weekly basis after each episode airs, search a Usenet index for your shows, obtain the corresponding NZB file, and then initiate the download and unpacking process via your NZB client. Subsequently, you can view the show in the unpacked folder or manually organize it to align with your media center software’s library structure. This can be quite time-consuming. It becomes even more demanding when attempting to build a comprehensive archive of previously aired shows. Is dedicating time to manually cataloging episodes of numerous popular television programs a worthwhile endeavor?
This is where Sick Beard excels. It functions as a hybrid between a TV Guide, a TiVo, and a TV Show Organizer. Once Sick Beard is correctly configured, adding a television show to your collection is as simple as informing the application of your preference, and Sick Beard will manage all subsequent tasks, including locating, downloading, organizing, and notifying you of new episodes when you next access your media center.
This represents a substantial benefit, we understand. However, it’s important to define what Sick Beard *doesn’t* do. Despite our comparison to a TiVo – a concept familiar to many – Sick Beard isn’t a true digital recorder. It doesn’t record broadcasts from cable or over-the-air signals; it simply retrieves copies of shows uploaded to Usenet by other users. You cannot instruct Sick Beard to record a live sporting event. Sick Beard is ideally suited for downloading and organizing television series.
Let us reiterate: once Sick Beard is established and configured, it offers the most effortless method for downloading TV shows from the internet. The process is so seamless and intuitive that you’ll need to experience it firsthand to fully appreciate its capabilities.
Installing and Configuring Sick Beard
While Sick Beard is compatible with various Usenet clients, it’s specifically optimized for seamless operation with SABnzbd. Therefore, this guide concentrates on utilizing SABnzbd alongside the associated helper scripts included with Sick Beard.
Obtain a copy of Sick Beard tailored for your operating system from here. The Windows version is precompiled, while users of other OSes will need to download the Python-based source code. We will focus on installing the Windows version, as the configuration process is largely similar, with only minor differences like using .EXE helper scripts instead of .PY scripts.
Sick Beard is distributed as a .ZIP archive and doesn’t require a traditional installation process. Simply extract the folder to a suitable location, such as C:\Sick Beard\, and execute Sick Beard.exe to begin. Your web browser should automatically open to http://localhost:8081/home/. You’ll be presented with a screen similar to the one shown.
Configuration Setup
Let's proceed with the configuration. Careful attention to detail during setup will ensure optimal functionality from Sick Beard. Avoid rushing and double-check each setting to prevent potential issues and frustration. Click on the Config tab. We will systematically configure each sub-category within the configuration menu, working from left to right.
Within the General tab, you can specify whether Sick Beard should launch the browser console upon startup, automatically check for updates, and define the logging directory. You can also adjust settings for the Web Interface—if you intend to access Sick Beard from outside your local network, this is the appropriate time to add a username and password. Remember to click Save Changes. Ensure you save changes after editing each tab and section as we progress.
The Search Settings tab contains more complex options. Under the ‘Episode Search’ sub-heading, check Download Propers (Sick Beard will re-download shows if a superior copy becomes available, such as one with corrected audio synchronization or other issues). Set the Search Frequency to 60 minutes (or 30 if you’re particularly eager) and the Usenet Retention to match the retention period offered by your provider.
Under NZB Search, check Search NZBs and then select NZB Method to SABnzbd. Fill in the details for your SABnzbd installation, including the console URL, username/password (if required), API key, and the default category for downloads, like “TV”. Incorrect configuration of this SABnzbd section will prevent Sick Beard from sending found NZB files to SABnzbd.
Search Providers
The Search Providers section allows you to configure NZB indexes for Sick Beard to locate TV shows. Check the providers to enable them and drag and drop them to adjust their order. Womble’s Index and Sick Beard Index are free to use and require no configuration. Other indexes may require information such as usernames, passwords, and/or API keys. Consult the respective websites for further details (we recommend obtaining an NZBMatrix account for $1 per year, at a minimum). To begin, select Womble’s Index and Sick Beard and move them to the top of the list.
Post Processing
The Post Processing Configuration tab presents the most extensive configuration screen. Take your time and proceed carefully. The first section, Post-Processing, defines what Sick Beard should do with downloaded shows. Leave TV Download Dir blank, even if you have a dedicated TV show directory. A helper script will be configured shortly, which would conflict with a manual entry here. Uncheck Keep Original Files, as they will be moved to a new location and duplicates are unnecessary—if you’re concerned, you can temporarily check this setting but remember to uncheck it once you’re satisfied with Sick Beard’s behavior. Also, check Move Associated Files and Rename Episodes (Sick Beard excels at cleaning up file names).
The Metadata section is crucial if you use a media center application like XBMC, WDTV, the PS3, or TIVO. Sick Beard can automatically download metadata for your shows. We are fans of XBMC and have configured it to download all available metadata. Check all the metadata you wish to download.
The Episode Naming section allows for customization of file naming conventions. We opted for a simple Show Name - S01E01 - Ep Name layout, but you can tailor it to your preferences.
Finally, the Notifications section allows you to configure alerts via various methods, including XBMC, Plex Media Server, Growl, and Twitter. While most notifications simply inform you of Sick Beard’s activity, the XBMC notifications are interactive. You can configure XBMC to receive notifications when a new show is ready and even trigger a library update. Sick Beard functions perfectly well without any Notification settings. We recommend enabling the XBMC library update for a seamless experience.
Note: If you enable XBMC-based library updates and push notifications, ensure you navigate to Settings -> Network -> Services in XBMC and enable control via HTTP; otherwise, your notifications and updates may not function correctly.
Before proceeding, revisit every sub-menu to double-check your settings. Identifying and correcting any omissions now will save you potential headaches later.
Now, before adding shows to Sick Beard, let’s configure SABnzbd to ensure compatibility.
Integrating SABnzbd with Sick Beard
Initiate your SABnzbd application and access its console interface. Proceed to the Config menu. Select the Folders sub-menu within this section.
Locate the Post-Processing Scripts Folder entry under the Folders tab. Designate a sub-directory within your SABnzbd installation as this folder, such as C:\Program Files\SABnzbd\Scripts\. While the location isn't strictly defined, maintaining organizational structure is recommended.
Script Placement
Browse to the directory where you uncompressed Sick Beard. A folder named autoProcessTV will be present in the main Sick Beard directory. This folder contains essential helper scripts.
For Windows operating systems, transfer sabToSickBeard.exe and autoProcessTV.cfg.sample into the Scripts folder you previously defined. Users of other operating systems should copy the corresponding .PY files instead of the .EXE files.
Configuration File Editing
Utilize a text editor to open the autoProcessTV.cfg.sample file. The file's initial content will resemble the following:
[SickBeard]
host=localhost
port=8081
username=
password=
web_root=
Modify the file to align with your specific Sick Beard installation. Ensure the host, port, username, and password are accurately inputted. Incorrect settings will prevent proper post-processing by Sick Beard.
Save the modified file. Subsequently, rename it to autoProcessTV.cfg by removing the ".sample" extension.
SABnzbd Category Setup
Return to the SABnzbd console. Navigate to Config –> Categories.
Within the Categories menu, create a new category specifically for your TV show downloads. Name this category "TV" (or a name of your choosing, consistent with your Sick Beard configuration). Set the priority to High.
Crucially, utilize the Script pull-down menu to select sabToSickBeard.exe. Failure to select and save this script will prevent SABnzbd from forwarding downloads to Sick Beard for post-processing.
After creating the TV category, all necessary configurations are complete. You can now return to Sick Beard and begin selecting the shows you wish to track.
Getting Started with Show Downloads in Sick Beard
Initiating downloads with Sick Beard can be accomplished in two primary ways. You can instruct the software to locate and download new episodes of shows not currently present in your media library, or you can direct it to scan your existing TV show collection for organization and updates.
We will outline the essential steps for each method, aiming for a streamlined and trouble-free experience. Begin by accessing the Sick Beard console and navigating to Home –> Add Shows.
Adding New Shows
If you are starting with an empty collection, the process is straightforward. Sick Beard is designed to manage everything automatically. Select Add New Show to begin.
As an example, enter "The Twilight Zone." Given that this show has been revived multiple times (originally airing in the 1950s, then in the 1980s, and again in the early 2000s), you will be asked to specify which iteration you prefer. Proceed to the next step.
Designate the primary folder for your TV show collection and select Set as Default. Confirm your selection by clicking next.
This stage allows you to customize your download preferences. The initial status assigned to episodes is crucial. Choosing "Wanted" will ensure all episodes are flagged for download. Alternatively, "Skipped" will bypass older episodes, focusing solely on future airings.
For a show like "The Twilight Zone," which is no longer in production, selecting "Wanted" for all episodes is likely appropriate. However, for a currently airing show with a substantial backlog, such as "The Daily Show," "Skipped" is recommended to avoid a lengthy initial download.
Ensure Seasons Folders is checked to maintain an organized directory structure.
Finally, choose your desired download quality: HD, SD, or Any. Selecting "Custom" offers greater control but may significantly limit your options. We suggest keeping it simple: HD if you have sufficient storage and an HDTV, and SD if storage is limited or you lack an HDTV.
A useful tip: you can add shows that haven't premiered yet. If you anticipate a new show and want to ensure you don't miss it, add it to Sick Beard now. The software will monitor the show and automatically download and sort episodes upon their initial broadcast.
Adding Existing Shows
Now, let's explore adding your pre-existing TV show collection. Navigate to Home -> Add Shows -> Add Existing Shows.
Within the Manage Directories tab, specify the folder containing your TV shows. Sick Beard will scan the directory and present a checklist of detected shows. Select or deselect shows to indicate which ones you want the software to monitor.
Move to the Customize Options tab and set the default status to Skipped. This is a recommended approach, especially if you have a large TV show directory. It prevents Sick Beard from mistakenly attempting to download HD replacements for all your existing content.
For increased caution, check Prompt me to set settings for each show. This enables granular control over individual show configurations.
Once you've added new shows or scanned existing ones, further adjustments are made from the Home screen. Click the Home tab to view a list of all your shows.
Selecting a show allows you to modify options, including marking episodes as wanted, already downloaded (from alternative sources), skipped, or archived (backed up to external storage).
Advanced Management
As you become more familiar with Sick Beard, explore the Manage tab and its Mass Update menu. This feature allows you to batch edit your entire collection or specific subsets.
You can rename shows in bulk, sort by airdate, or adjust download settings for multiple shows simultaneously. It’s an efficient way to manage your collection without individually editing each show.
You should now be fully configured and ready to use Sick Beard. If you have any further questions, please post them in the comments section or consult the Sick Beard Wiki for additional support.