homelab-optimized/docs/services/arr-suite-language-configuration.md

Arr Suite Language Configuration - Trash Guides Implementation

Overview

Implemented Trash Guides recommendations for language preferences in Radarr and Sonarr to optimize content selection based on language preferences while maintaining flexibility for international content.

Implementation Date: 2025-02-12
Services Modified: Radarr, Sonarr
Configuration Method: API-based custom formats and quality profile updates

Objectives

• Always prefer English content for general media consumption
• Accept Japanese and dual audio for anime to support anime viewing preferences
• Allow foreign films in their original language (e.g., "Cold War" in Polish)
• Prioritize multi-language releases when available

Custom Formats Implemented

1. Language: Not English

• Score: -10000 (strongly discourage non-English content)
• Purpose: Ensures English content is always preferred over non-English alternatives
• Implementation:
  • Field: language (negated)
  • Value: English (ID: 1)
  • Applied to both Radarr and Sonarr

2. Anime Dual Audio

• Score: +500 (prefer dual audio anime)
• Purpose: Prioritizes anime releases with both English and Japanese audio tracks
• Implementation:
  • Field 1: releaseTitle with regex \b(dual.audio|dual.lang|dual.language|multi.audio|multi.lang|multi.language)\b
  • Field 2: language requiring English (ID: 1)
  • Field 3: language allowing Japanese (ID: 8, negated for optional)
  • Applied to both Radarr and Sonarr

3. Multi

• Score: +500 (prefer multi-language releases)
• Purpose: Prioritizes releases with multiple language tracks
• Implementation:
  • Field: releaseTitle with regex \b(MULTi)(\b|\d)
  • Applied to both Radarr and Sonarr

4. Language: Not Original

• Score: 0 (neutral)
• Purpose: Allows foreign films in their original language without penalty
• Implementation:
  • Field: language (negated)
  • Value: Original (ID: -2)
  • Applied to both Radarr and Sonarr

Quality Profile Changes

Radarr "Any" Profile (ID: 1)

• Language preference: Changed from "English" to "Any" to allow foreign films
• Custom format scores: Applied as specified above
• Result: Enables downloading of foreign films like "Cold War" in Polish while maintaining English preference

Sonarr "Any" Profile (ID: 1)

• Custom format scores: Applied as specified above
• Language preference: Maintained existing configuration
• Result: Supports international TV content with proper language prioritization

Expected Behavior

Content Type	Behavior	Score Impact
English Content	Always preferred	Non-English gets -10000 penalty
Anime (Dual Audio)	Preferred over Japanese-only	+500 bonus for dual audio
Anime (Japanese-only)	Acceptable if no English available	No penalty due to anime exception
Foreign Films	Original language acceptable	0 penalty for "Not Original"
Multi-language Releases	Preferred when available	+500 bonus

Technical Implementation Details

API Endpoints Used

• POST /api/v3/customformat - Create custom formats
• PUT /api/v3/qualityprofile/{id} - Update quality profiles with scoring

Configuration Files Modified

• Radarr: Quality Profile ID 1 ("Any")
• Sonarr: Quality Profile ID 1 ("Any")
• Custom Formats: 4 new formats added to each service

Service Configuration Locations

• Radarr Config: /volume2/metadata/docker2/radarr:/config
• Sonarr Config: /volume2/metadata/docker2/sonarr:/config
• Container Network: media2_net (172.24.0.0/24)
• Radarr IP: 172.24.0.8:7878
• Sonarr IP: 172.24.0.7:8989

Validation and Testing

Verification Commands

# Check custom formats
curl -s -H "X-Api-Key: API_KEY" "http://localhost:7878/api/v3/customformat"
curl -s -H "X-Api-Key: API_KEY" "http://localhost:8989/api/v3/customformat"

# Check quality profile scores
curl -s -H "X-Api-Key: API_KEY" "http://localhost:7878/api/v3/qualityprofile/1"
curl -s -H "X-Api-Key: API_KEY" "http://localhost:8989/api/v3/qualityprofile/1"

Test Cases

1. English Movie: Should be preferred over non-English versions
2. Foreign Film (e.g., "Cold War"): Should download in Polish without penalty
3. Anime with Dual Audio: Should prefer dual audio over Japanese-only
4. Multi-language Release: Should get priority over single-language versions

Maintenance and Updates

Backup Considerations

• Custom formats are stored in service databases within config volumes
• Quality profiles are part of the service configuration
• Changes persist through container restarts due to volume mounts

Future Enhancements

• Consider adding more specific anime detection patterns
• Implement region-specific language preferences
• Add custom formats for specific quality groups or release patterns

References

• Trash Guides - Source of configuration recommendations
• Radarr Custom Formats Documentation
• Sonarr Custom Formats Documentation
• Servarr API Documentation

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Custom formats not applying: Check API keys and service accessibility
2. Scoring not working: Verify quality profile has been updated with format scores
3. Foreign films not downloading: Ensure "Language: Not Original" score is 0 or positive

Rollback Procedure

1. Remove custom formats via API: DELETE /api/v3/customformat/{id}
2. Reset quality profile language preference to "English"
3. Clear custom format scores from quality profiles

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This configuration implements Trash Guides best practices for language handling in the arr suite, balancing English preference with international content flexibility.