2 Plex drives, meta data different...frustrating

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
1

Server Version#: 1.40.4.8679
Player Version#:
<If providing server logs please do NOT turn on verbose logging, only debug logging should be enabled>

I’m trying to troubleshoot a problem that has me, er…per-PLEXED.
I have two mac os machines. Both are curating 8TB usb drives with Plex. I use one as a primary and the other as a spare/experimental. Here’s the relevant stats:

Machine #1 = 2023 Mac Mini, Mac OS 13.4.1
Plex Server Version # 1.40.4.8679
Using: 8TB usb drive, ExFat

Machine #2 = 2017 Macbook Air, Mac OS 11.7.7
Plex Server Version # 1.40.4.8679
Using: 8TB usb drive, ExFat

THE PROBLEM

  • An old 1950s tv show, “State Trooper,” seasons 0 - 3.
  • Machine #1, the Mini, lists all episodes with correct metadata.
  • Machine #2, the Macbook Air, screws up the metadata for seasons 2 and 3, but has 0 and 1 correct.
  • By “correct,” or “screws up,” I mean according to tvdb.com
  • State Trooper - Aired Order - All Seasons - TheTVDB.com
  • Another symptom, Machine #1 displays different poster art per each season, whereas Machine #2 has the same poster art for Seasons 1, 2 and 3.

Steps taken so far:

  • Using a metadata editor, I had blown away everything on the original files from Machine #1, which …when using naming convention such as S01E01 The Red Badge of Death, etc., caused everything to be displayed PERFECTLY on Machine #1.
  • The entire State Trooper folder from Machine #1 was xferred to a usb thumb drive, then loaded onto Machine #2 in the corresponding TV directory.
  • However, on Machine #2 a scan library files / refresh metadata resulted in the issue mentioned above.
  • Put more specifically, on the *correct Machine #1, S02E01 A Penny Saved appears correctly, with synopsis for that episode. But it *incorrectly appears on Machine #2 as The Black Leaper in the episode 1 slot, with synopsis for that one…even tho “get info” shows it pointing to the right video file.

What the heck can this be?
It’s the same version of Plex, using identical video files on both systems.
Obviously there’s a difference in the Mac OS, but I’m thinking this is a Plex thing, not a Mac OS thing.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Tim M.

2

Inspect the settings on the Advanced tab of the tv show library and compare them.
Additionally, edit the tv show as such, on the advanced tab look what has been set as the Episode Ordering.

Even if the settings are all identical, posters and descriptions can still be differing if one of the shows hasn’t been Refreshed (Metadata) for a long time.

3

HURRAY!!! That was it.
Setting in Machine #2 needed to be switched to episode sorting “The TVDB” in order to match up to Machine #1.
PROBLEM SOLVED!

Thanks so much!!!

[and definitely making a note of this in my own ‘cheat sheet’ list of details]

Tim M.

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