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Monitor and upgrade

This guide explains how to monitor your library and manage quality upgrades automatically.

Overview​

Cinephage continuously monitors your library and can automatically:

  • Find missing content - Search for episodes/movies not yet downloaded
  • Upgrade quality - Replace existing files with better quality versions
  • Detect new releases - Automatically add new episodes for monitored series
  • Cutoff unmet - Search for items below your quality cutoff

Understanding Monitoring​

What is Monitoring?​

Monitoring tells Cinephage to actively track content and search for it:

StateBehavior
MonitoredCinephage searches for this content automatically
UnmonitoredItem exists in library but won't be auto-searched

Monitoring Levels​

Cinephage supports monitoring at multiple levels:

Movie Monitoring:

  • Monitored: Search for this movie
  • Unmonitored: Don't search, but keep in library

Series Monitoring:

  • Series Level: Monitor all seasons/episodes
  • Season Level: Monitor specific seasons
  • Episode Level: Monitor specific episodes

Configuring Tasks​

Access Task Settings​

  1. Go to Settings > Tasks
  2. Review and configure monitoring tasks
  3. Enable/disable tasks as needed
  4. Set appropriate intervals

Core Monitoring Tasks​

Missing Content Search​

Purpose: Find and download missing episodes and movies

How It Works:

  1. Scans library for monitored items without files
  2. Searches indexers for available releases
  3. Selects best quality match
  4. Sends to download client

Configuration:

SettingDefaultDescription
EnabledYesEnable/disable this task
Interval6 hoursHow often to run
Search TypeMissingOnly searches for items with no files

Best For:

  • Filling gaps in your library
  • Completing seasons
  • Finding newly monitored content

Purpose: Search for items below quality cutoff

How It Works:

  1. Finds monitored items below cutoff quality
  2. Searches for upgrades meeting cutoff
  3. Downloads better quality versions
  4. Stops when cutoff is met

Configuration:

SettingDefaultDescription
EnabledYesEnable/disable
IntervalDailyHow often to run
ScopeBelow CutoffOnly items not yet at cutoff

Example Scenario:

You have: Breaking Bad S01E01 in 720p
Profile cutoff: 1080p BluRay
Result: Task searches for 1080p version

Purpose: Search for better quality versions of all monitored items

How It Works:

  1. Scans all monitored items (even above cutoff)
  2. Searches for higher-scoring releases
  3. Upgrades if better quality found
  4. Ignores custom format score improvements

Configuration:

SettingDefaultDescription
EnabledYesEnable/disable
IntervalWeeklyHow often to run
ScopeAll ItemsSearches everything, not just below cutoff

Difference from Cutoff Unmet:

  • Cutoff Unmet: Only items below minimum quality
  • Upgrade: All items, even those meeting cutoff
Use Sparingly

Upgrade search is resource-intensive. Weekly is usually sufficient. Use cutoff unmet for regular monitoring.

New Episode Detection (Series Only)​

Purpose: Automatically add new episodes for monitored series

How It Works:

  1. Checks TMDB for new episode listings
  2. Adds new episodes to monitored series
  3. Triggers search if episode is monitored

Configuration:

SettingDefaultDescription
EnabledYesEnable/disable
Interval6 hoursHow often to check
Auto-Monitor NewYesAutomatically monitor new episodes

When It Runs:

  • New season announced
  • New episode added to existing season
  • Air dates updated

RSS Sync​

Purpose: Check indexers for new releases

How It Works:

  1. Fetches RSS feeds from configured indexers
  2. Matches releases to monitored items
  3. Automatically grabs matching releases
  4. Bypasses search for immediate availability

Configuration:

SettingDefaultDescription
EnabledYesEnable/disable
Interval15 minutesHow often to sync
Rate Limits

Short intervals may cause rate limiting from indexers. 15-30 minutes is recommended.

Quality Upgrade System​

How Upgrades Work​

When Cinephage finds a better quality release:

  1. Score Comparison - New release scored against current
  2. Cutoff Check - If cutoff unmet, auto-upgrade
  3. Download - New release sent to download client
  4. Import - New file imported to library
  5. Cleanup - Old file deleted (per your settings)

Quality Scoring​

Each quality is assigned a score:

Resolution:     480p=20, 720p=50, 1080p=80, 2160p=100
Source:         BluRay=+40, WEB-DL=+30, HDTV=+10
Codec:          H.265=+20, AV1=+25, H.264=0
HDR:            Dolby Vision=+30, HDR10+=+20
Audio:          Atmos=+25, DTS-HD MA=+20

Example Scores:

ReleaseScore
1080p BluRay H.264120
1080p BluRay H.265 HDR10150
2160p BluRay H.265 Dolby Vision175

Upgrade Cutoff​

The cutoff is the quality level where upgrades stop:

Example Profile:

Qualities: [720p, 1080p, 2160p]
Upgrades Allowed: Yes
Cutoff: 1080p BluRay

Upgrade Path:

  1. First download: 720p HDTV (score: 60)
  2. Upgrade to: 1080p WEB-DL (score: 110)
  3. Upgrade to: 1080p BluRay (score: 120) ← Cutoff met
  4. No further upgrades (unless using "Upgrade Search" task)

Setting Up Monitoring​

Monitoring Movies​

When Adding Movies​

  1. Go to Discover or Movies > Add New
  2. Search for movie
  3. Before adding, toggle Monitor switch:
    • Monitored: Will search for this movie
    • Unmonitored: Adds to library without searching
  4. Click Add

Changing Monitor Status​

  1. Go to Library > Movies
  2. Find the movie
  3. Click the Monitor icon (eye):
    • Open eye = Monitored
    • Slashed eye = Unmonitored
  4. Toggle as needed

Bulk Monitoring​

  1. Go to Library > Movies
  2. Select multiple movies (checkboxes)
  3. Click Edit (pencil icon)
  4. Set Monitored to Yes/No
  5. Click Save

Monitoring TV Shows​

Series-Level Monitoring​

Monitor entire series (all seasons):

  1. Add series via Discover or TV Shows > Add New
  2. Set Monitor to one of:
    • All Episodes - Monitor every episode
    • Future Episodes - Monitor upcoming episodes only
    • Missing Episodes - Monitor episodes without files
    • Existing Episodes - Monitor episodes with files (for upgrades)
    • None - Don't monitor
  3. Click Add

Season-Level Monitoring​

Monitor specific seasons:

  1. Go to series page
  2. Find season in the list
  3. Click season Monitor dropdown:
    • Monitored - Monitor all episodes in season
    • Unmonitored - Don't monitor this season
  4. Or click individual episode monitor icons

Episode-Level Monitoring​

Fine-grained control:

  1. Go to series page
  2. Expand season
  3. Click episode Monitor icon:
    • Monitored: Will search for this episode
    • Unmonitored: Won't search

Monitoring Best Practices​

For Movies:

  • Monitor movies you actively want
  • Unmonitor movies you already have in desired quality
  • Monitor newly released movies to catch quality upgrades

For TV Shows:

  • Use "Future Episodes" for ongoing series
  • Use "All Episodes" for complete series you want fully
  • Unmonitor seasons you've watched and don't need
  • Monitor only missing episodes to complete seasons

General:

  • Don't monitor everything (causes unnecessary searches)
  • Review monitoring periodically
  • Unmonitor items you no longer care about

Managing Upgrades​

Automatic Upgrades​

With proper configuration, upgrades happen automatically:

  1. Task Runs - Cutoff Unmet or Upgrade task executes
  2. Search Initiated - Cinephage searches indexers
  3. Better Quality Found - Higher scoring release identified
  4. Download Started - New release sent to client
  5. Import - New file replaces old
  6. Cleanup - Old file deleted (if configured)

Manual Upgrades​

Force an upgrade for specific items:

  1. Go to movie/episode page
  2. Click Search button
  3. Cinephage searches immediately
  4. If better quality found, it's downloaded

Bulk Manual Search:

  1. Go to Library (Movies or TV)
  2. Select items with checkboxes
  3. Click Search Selected
  4. Cinephage searches all selected items

Blocking Upgrades​

Prevent specific releases from being used:

  1. Go to Activity > History
  2. Find the release
  3. Click Blocklist
  4. Release won't be downloaded again

Blocklist Categories:

  • Failed Download - Automatically blocklisted
  • Wrong Content - Manually blocklisted
  • Bad Quality - Block poor encodes
  • Wrong Language - Block wrong audio/subtitles

Upgrade History​

View your upgrade activity:

  1. Go to Activity > History
  2. Filter by Upgrade type
  3. See:
    • Original file quality
    • New file quality
    • Date of upgrade
    • Release used

Advanced Monitoring​

Delay Profiles​

Set delays to avoid "bad" releases:

Purpose: Wait for better quality releases before downloading

Configuration:

  1. Go to Settings > Profiles > Delay
  2. Set delays per quality: 
    HDTV: 0 minutes (download immediately)
    WEB-DL: 180 minutes (wait 3 hours)
    BluRay: 1440 minutes (wait 24 hours)

How It Works:

  1. Content becomes available (e.g., HDTV)
  2. Timer starts based on delay profile
  3. If better quality available before timer expires, wait
  4. When timer expires, download best available
Use Case

Set 24-hour delay for BluRay to avoid early low-quality encodes. If a good WEB-DL releases within 24 hours, you'll get that instead of waiting for BluRay.

Release Profiles​

Create rules for automatic release selection:

  1. Go to Settings > Profiles > Release
  2. Add preferred words:
    • Must contain: Required words in release name
    • Must not contain: Rejected words
    • Preferred: Bonus points for these words

Example:

Must contain: x264
Must not contain: HC, FRENCH, GERMAN
Preferred: REMUX (+50 points), SPARKS (+30 points)

Custom Formats​

Advanced scoring with custom format rules:

  1. Go to Settings > Profiles > Custom Formats
  2. Create format with conditions:
    • Contains "HDR" → +50 points
    • Is "HDTV" → -20 points
    • Group is "YIFY" → -100 points (reject)
  3. Apply to quality profiles

Troubleshooting Monitoring​

Items Not Being Searched​

Check Monitoring Status:

  1. Verify item is monitored (eye icon open)
  2. Check parent is monitored (season/series level)
  3. Review monitoring settings

Check Tasks Are Enabled:

Settings > Tasks > Missing Content Search = Enabled
Settings > Tasks > Cutoff Unmet Search = Enabled

Check Quality Profile:

  1. Verify quality profile allows desired qualities
  2. Ensure cutoff is set correctly
  3. Check custom formats aren't rejecting releases

No Upgrades Found​

Check Current Quality:

Current file may already be at cutoff:

Movie: 1080p BluRay
Cutoff: 1080p BluRay
Result: No upgrades needed

Check Upgrade Task:

Settings > Tasks > Upgrade Search

This task searches above cutoff. If disabled, no above-cutoff upgrades occur.

Check Indexers:

  1. Verify indexers are configured
  2. Check indexer tests pass
  3. Ensure categories are correct
  4. Check rate limits aren't blocking

Too Many Upgrades​

Set Cutoff Properly:

Lower cutoff to stop sooner:

Before: Cutoff = 2160p (too high, many upgrades)
After: Cutoff = 1080p BluRay (stops at good quality)

Disable Upgrade Task:

Turn off aggressive searching:

Settings > Tasks > Upgrade Search = Disabled

Use Custom Formats:

Require specific qualities:

Format: "High Quality Only"
Condition: Quality is 1080p or 2160p
Score: -1000 for anything else

Duplicate Downloads​

Causes:

  • Multiple indexers finding same release
  • RSS sync grabbing before search
  • Manual search + automatic search

Solutions:

  1. Check Activity > Queue for duplicates
  2. Cancel duplicate downloads
  3. Add one release to blocklist
  4. Adjust RSS sync interval

Best Practices​

For New Users​

  1. Start Conservative - Monitor only content you really want
  2. Set Realistic Cutoffs - 1080p BluRay is good for most
  3. Enable Core Tasks - Missing Content + Cutoff Unmet
  4. Check Results - Review Activity regularly

For Power Users​

  1. Custom Formats - Fine-tune scoring for your preferences
  2. Delay Profiles - Avoid bad early releases
  3. Multiple Indexers - More sources = better results
  4. Review Blocklist - Keep it clean for better performance

Efficiency Tips​

  1. Don't Monitor Everything - Focus on what you watch
  2. Use Future Episodes - For ongoing series, not all episodes
  3. Set Quality Profiles Per Item - Different needs for different content
  4. Regular Review - Unmonitor items you no longer care about

See Also​