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Lionz IPTV Downloader uses MeiliSearch to provide fast, typo-tolerant search across your entire media library. Search for movies and TV series by title, cast, director, genre, or plot description. There are two search interfaces available: Quick search for immediate results:
  • Accessible from the navigation bar or header
  • POST request to /search endpoint
  • Optimized for speed with minimal metadata
  • Perfect for quick lookups

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Full Search Page

Comprehensive search with filtering:
  • Navigate to the dedicated Search page
  • GET request to /search endpoint
  • Advanced filtering and sorting options
  • Paginated results with full metadata

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Search Query

Enter your search terms in the search box:
  • Partial Matches: Search works with incomplete words
  • Typo Tolerance: Handles spelling mistakes automatically
  • Multi-word Queries: Search multiple terms at once
  • Natural Language: Type naturally, no special syntax required
MeiliSearch’s typo tolerance means you can find content even if you misspell the title or actor name.

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Search Results

Search returns two separate result sets:

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Movies Results

Searches across VOD content:
  • Searchable Fields: Movie titles
  • Display: Title, cover art, rating, release date
  • Actions: View details, download, add to watchlist

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Series Results

Searches across TV series:
  • Searchable Fields: Title, plot, cast, director, genre
  • Display: Series title, cover, rating, metadata
  • Actions: View details, browse episodes, add to watchlist

Rich Series Search

Series search includes more fields than movies, allowing you to find shows by cast members, directors, genres, or plot keywords.

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Filtering Results

Refine your search with media type filters:

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Filter by Media Type

  • All (default): Shows both movies and series
  • Movies Only: Displays only movie results
  • Series Only: Displays only TV series results
Select a filter to update results instantly without a new search.

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Combined Results

When viewing “All” results:
  • Movies and series appear in separate sections
  • Each section shows its own pagination
  • Results are balanced between both types
  • Default: up to 50% of results from each type

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Sorting Options

Control the order of search results:
  • Relevance (default): MeiliSearch’s ranking algorithm
  • Date Added: Newest content first (for movies)
  • Rating: Highest rated content first
  • Title: Alphabetical order
Relevance sorting uses MeiliSearch’s advanced ranking rules, considering exact matches, word proximity, and field importance.

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Pagination

Search results are paginated for performance:
  • Default Page Size: Varies by filter (10-20 items)
  • Adjustable: Change items per page via query parameters
  • Independent Paging: Movies and series paginate separately when viewing “All”
  • URL Preservation: Page state is maintained in the URL

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Dynamic Page Limits

When filtering by media type:
  • Single Type: Full page limit (e.g., 20 items)
  • Both Types: Split limit between movies and series (e.g., 10 each)
1

Enter Search Query

Type your search term in the search box (movie title, actor, genre, etc.)
2

Review Results

See matching movies and series with cover art and metadata
3

Apply Filters

Narrow results to movies or series only, or adjust sorting
4

Take Action

Click any result to view details, start downloads, or add to watchlist

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Search Without Query

Accessing the search page without a query:
  • Empty search box is displayed
  • No results shown
  • Ready for you to enter a search term
  • Filters are available but inactive

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Search Performance

MeiliSearch provides exceptional performance:
  • Sub-millisecond Response: Results appear almost instantly
  • Indexed Fields: Pre-indexed for fast retrieval
  • Scalable: Handles large media libraries efficiently
  • Resource Efficient: Optimized memory and CPU usage

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Searchable Fields by Type

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Movies (VOD Streams)

Indexed fields:
  • name: Movie title

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Series

Indexed fields:
  • name: Series title
  • plot: Description and synopsis
  • cast: Actor names
  • director: Director names
  • genre: Genre classifications
Movies have fewer searchable fields compared to series. This is reflected in the source code’s toSearchableArray() methods.

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Search Actions

From search results, you can:

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Quick Actions

  • View Details: Click any result to see full information
  • Download: Initiate downloads directly from results
  • Add to Watchlist: Bookmark content for later
  • Check Status: See if already in watchlist
  • Browse Categories: Jump to category view from results
  • Series Episodes: Access episode list from series results
  • Related Content: Discover similar titles

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Integration with Scout

Search is powered by Laravel Scout:
  • Model Integration: VodStream and Series models are searchable
  • Auto Indexing: New content is automatically indexed
  • Sync Commands: Manual re-indexing available if needed
  • Queue Support: Indexing can be queued for large updates

MeiliSearch Features

MeiliSearch provides:
  • Instant search results (< 50ms response times)
  • Typo tolerance with smart corrections
  • Prefix searching (matches partial words)
  • Synonym support and custom ranking rules

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Advanced Search Tips

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Finding Specific Content

By Actor: Type the actor’s name to find their movies and shows 
Tom Hanks
By Genre: Search for genre keywords 
Action Comedy
By Plot: Use keywords from the plot description 
time travel adventure
Exact Titles: Type the full title for exact matches 
The Matrix

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Combining Search with Filters

  1. Perform a broad search (e.g., “comedy”)
  2. Filter to “Movies Only” or “Series Only”
  3. Sort by rating to find the best content
  4. Paginate through results

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Empty Results

If your search returns no results:
  • Check for typos (though MeiliSearch handles most)
  • Try broader search terms
  • Remove filters to expand results
  • Verify content exists in your library
  • Check if MeiliSearch index is up to date
If you’re not finding expected content, administrators can re-index the search database using Scout artisan commands.

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Technical Implementation

Search is implemented using:
  • SearchController: Handles full search page requests
  • LightweightSearchController: Handles quick search requests
  • SearchMovies Action: Executes movie searches with filters
  • SearchSeries Action: Executes series searches with filters
  • Pipeline Pattern: Applies filters and pagination sequentially
  • MeiliSearch Driver: Scout driver for search backend

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