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Search and Download

This guide explains how to search for media and download it using Cinephage's integrated search system.

Goal​

Find and download movies and TV shows from your configured indexers.

Prerequisites​

  • Indexers configured and working
  • Download client connected
  • Quality profile set
  • Media added to library with monitoring enabled

Time Estimate​

5-10 minutes per search

Understanding the Search Process​

Cinephage searches follow this workflow:

User Initiates Search → Query Indexers → Score Releases → Select Best → Send to Download Client → Monitor Progress → Import File

Automatic Search:

  • Triggered by monitoring tasks
  • Runs on schedule (hourly by default)
  • Finds best release automatically
  • No user intervention needed

Manual Search:

  • User initiates on specific item
  • See all available releases
  • Choose specific release
  • Immediate action

How It Works​

  1. Monitoring Tasks run on schedule
  2. Check all monitored items
  3. Search indexers for missing/upgradable content
  4. Score and select best release
  5. Send to download client
  6. Monitor until complete
  7. Import and organize file
  1. Go to Settings > Tasks
  2. Enable Missing Content Search
  3. Set interval (default: hourly)
  4. Enable Upgrade Monitoring (optional)
  5. Click Save

Monitor Automatic Searches​

Check Activity > History to see:

  • What was searched
  • What was found
  • What was grabbed
  • Any errors

Search a Movie​

  1. Go to Library > Movies
  2. Find the movie you want
  3. Click on it to open details
  4. Click Search tab
  5. Click Search button

Review Results​

Results appear with columns:

ColumnDescription
IndexerSource of the release
TitleRelease name with quality info
SizeFile size
PeersSeeders/Leechers (torrents only)
ScoreQuality score based on profile
AgeHow old the release is
GrabButton to download

Understanding Scores​

The Score column shows:

  • Green (100+): Excellent quality match
  • Yellow (50-99): Good quality
  • Red (<50): Lower quality

Hover over score to see breakdown:

Base: 80 (1080p)
Source: +30 (WEB-DL)
Codec: +20 (x265)
Audio: +5 (AAC)
Custom: +10 (Preferred group)
Total: 145

Grab a Release​

  1. Find desired release in results
  2. Check score is acceptable
  3. Click Grab button
  4. Confirm in dialog
  5. Release sent to download client

Grab Best Release​

To automatically grab highest-scoring release:

  1. Click Grab Best button
  2. Cinephage selects best option
  3. No need to review individually

Part 3: Search TV Episodes​

Search Entire Series​

  1. Go to Library > TV
  2. Click on series
  3. Click Search tab
  4. Choose search type:
    • Missing Episodes - Only unwatched/missing
    • All Episodes - Everything monitored
    • Selected Seasons - Specific seasons
  5. Click Search

Search Specific Episode​

  1. Go to series details
  2. Expand season
  3. Find episode
  4. Click episode to open details
  5. Click Search tab
  6. Click Search button

Part 4: Search from Discover​

Search Before Adding​

  1. Go to Discover
  2. Find movie or series
  3. Click on it
  4. See Available Releases count
  5. Click to view release list
  6. Review quality options
  7. Then click Add to Library to download

Preview Quality Availability​

In Discover view:

  • Green badge: High-quality releases available
  • Yellow badge: Medium quality available
  • Red badge: Only low quality available
  • No badge: Not searched yet

Part 5: Advanced Search Options​

Filter Results​

In search results, filter by:

Quality:

  • 2160p (4K)
  • 1080p
  • 720p
  • 480p

Source:

  • BluRay
  • WEB-DL
  • HDTV
  • DVD

Custom:

  • Minimum score
  • Maximum age
  • Specific indexers

Sort Results​

Click column headers to sort:

  • Score - Best quality first
  • Size - Smallest or largest
  • Age - Newest or oldest
  • Peers - Most seeders (torrents)

Compare Releases​

To compare similar releases:

  1. Select multiple releases (checkbox)
  2. Click Compare
  3. See side-by-side comparison:
    • Resolution
    • Source
    • Codec
    • Audio
    • Score breakdown

Part 6: Handling Search Results​

No Results Found​

If search returns nothing:

  1. Check indexers:

    • Verify indexers are enabled
    • Test indexer connections
    • Check indexer categories

  2. Try different search:

    • Search by TMDB ID (in URL: /discover/movie/27205)
    • Use alternate titles
    • Wait and try later (new releases)

  3. Check filters:

    • Remove quality filters temporarily
    • Check custom formats are not blocking
    • Verify language settings

Too Many Results​

If overwhelmed with results:

  1. Apply filters:

    • Filter by minimum score
    • Filter by resolution
    • Filter by source

  2. Sort appropriately:

    • Sort by score to see best first
    • Sort by size for storage concerns

  3. Refine quality profile:

    • Tighten custom formats
    • Adjust scoring rules
    • Block unwanted sources

Low Scores​

If best score is low:

  1. Check quality profile:

    • Verify profile assigned to item
    • Check cutoff settings
    • Review custom format scores

  2. Consider waiting:

    • Better releases may appear later
    • Enable upgrade monitoring
    • Set appropriate cutoff

Part 7: After Grab​

Monitor Download​

  1. Go to Activity > Queue
  2. See download progress
  3. Click item for details:
    • Download speed
    • ETA
    • File size
    • Release details

Download Complete​

When download finishes:

  1. Cinephage detects completion
  2. File imported automatically
  3. Organized according to naming settings
  4. Added to library
  5. Notifications sent (if configured)

Failed Downloads​

If download fails:

  1. Check Activity > History
  2. See failure reason
  3. Check Activity > Blocklist
  4. Release may be auto-blocklisted
  5. Next search will try different release

Part 8: Search Best Practices​

Quality over Speed​

  • Do not grab first available
  • Wait for quality releases
  • Use cutoff to prevent endless upgrading

Diversify Indexers​

  • Use multiple indexers for coverage
  • Different indexers have different content
  • Some specialize in specific types
  • Add items with monitoring enabled
  • Let automatic search work
  • Manual search for immediate needs only

Respect Rate Limits​

  • Do not search too frequently
  • Indexers have API limits
  • Use reasonable monitoring intervals

Review Before Grabbing​

  • Check release names for quality indicators
  • Verify file sizes are reasonable
  • Look at release groups (if you have preferences)

Troubleshooting​

Searches Take Too Long​

Problem: Searching is very slow

Solutions:

  • Reduce number of enabled indexers
  • Disable slow indexers
  • Check network connectivity
  • Increase indexer timeout settings

Results Not Appearing​

Problem: No results from working indexers

Solutions:

  • Check indexer categories are correct
  • Verify API keys are valid
  • Test indexer individually
  • Check for indexer site issues

Wrong Quality Downloaded​

Problem: Lower quality than expected

Solutions:

  • Check quality profile assigned
  • Verify cutoff is set correctly
  • Review custom format scores
  • Check if better release was filtered

Cannot Grab Release​

Problem: Grab button does nothing or errors

Solutions:

  • Check download client connection
  • Verify download client has space
  • Check path mappings
  • Review download client logs

Next Steps​

After searching and downloading:

See Also​