Z-Keeper

How to use Z-Keeper

The 30,000-foot view: what Z-Keeper does, how to get started, and the rhythm of keeping your Zidoo catalog healthy.

Getting started

  1. Find your Zidoo. In Settings, let Z-Keeper scan your local network with the Scan for Zidoo button. Make sure the Zidoo is powered on — it will almost certainly be found on your LAN. (If not, you can enter its IP address yourself.)
  2. Add your movie folders. Also in Settings, add the root folder(s) of your video files — the same "sources" mapping you gave your Zidoo.
  3. Run your first Sync. Go to the Sync page and click Start Sync. This is where the magic happens. Your first Sync will be an adventure, especially for large movie catalogs.

Ongoing catalog maintenance

Once you're set up, keeping the catalog healthy is a simple loop:

  1. Make changes. Fix whatever needs tweaking — create NFO files, do a Zidoo rematch, rename files, build collections… Or maybe you've simply added new video files that the Zidoo has (hopefully) registered.
  2. Let the Zidoo scan. If your changes created NFO files or renamed files, have the Zidoo run a Scan on the sources so it ingests what you just did.
  3. Sync again. Run a new Sync in Z-Keeper — it walks you through seeing and approving (or fixing) the changes the Zidoo just made. If the only change was adding some new movie files, a Fast Sync is all you need.

One thing to be aware of

Z-Keeper currently behaves best when your PC has access to the video files your Zidoo sees. It works to a limited degree when the files are out of your PC's reach — such as on a HDD inside the Zidoo itself — but in its current state we wouldn't recommend using Z-Keeper that way. It rather misses the point of what the program is for.

Zidoo-centric vs. file-centric — and "Local Truth"

Some people manage their catalog file-centrically: NFO files and images they curate themselves, perhaps with a tool like tinyMediaManager (TMM). Z-Keeper currently takes a Zidoo-centric approach: tools that speak directly to the Zidoo to make changes, and a workflow where you see and approve every change the Zidoo makes — maintaining what you believe should be an accurate movie catalog. Z-Keeper calls that curated state your Local Truth.

A future Mode switch that leans further into the file-centric approach is under consideration — thoughts welcome in the community.

Demo mode

Want to explore Z-Keeper with a large movie catalog — no Zidoo or video files required? Turn on Demo mode in Settings. Your own data is kept safe and restored when you turn it off; while it's on, every action that would reach out to a Zidoo or the filesystem is simply turned off. Anyone can run it.

Questions?

The community Discord lives right here on z-keeper.com — that's the place to carry on the conversation. Or email support@z-keeper.com.