macos – How to fix: The file “Application.tvdb” cannot be read


When I start the TV app on MacOS Sequoia, I get an alert saying

The file “Application.tvdb” cannot be read. An unknown error occurred (-54).

After I dismiss this I see the normal contents, and I’m able to watch a show. But while I was watching, another alert showed:

The Apple TV Library file cannot be saved. An unknown error occurred (-54). If I dismiss it, it shows up again a few minutes later. This one has a checkbox “Don’t show this warning again”; I checked that to keep from being bothered repeatedly.

I haven’t used this application in a while (I usually watch Apple TV+ on my TV using Xfinity X1, my iPhone, or the browser on my Android tablet, but I’m away from home using my laptop today), so I don’t know what changes may have precipitated it.

Anyone know what causes this and how to fix it?

To answer the comment:

$ ls -@ORel Movies/TV
total 0
drwxr-xr-x@ 6 barmar  staff  - 192 Sep  4  2021 TV Library.tvlibrary
    com.apple.FinderInfo     32 
    com.apple.lastuseddate#PS    16 

Movies/TV/TV Library.tvlibrary:
total 64
-rw-r--r--@ 1 barmar  staff  -   268 Sep  4  2021 Application.tvdb
    com.apple.quarantine       27 
-rw-r--r--  1 barmar  staff  -  1260 Aug 29  2021 Library Preferences.tvdb
-rw-r--r--  1 barmar  staff  - 19144 Aug 29  2021 Library.tvdb
-rw-r--r--@ 1 barmar  staff  -    76 Aug 28  2021 Preferences.plist
    com.apple.quarantine       27