Server Version#: 1.24.5.5173 (this has been happening for a long time…not new)
Player Version#:
There has been a perpetually frustrating issue that I’ve run into when adding 4k content right next to 1080p content. If the movie is already in my library and I add another copy of it in a different resolution, it will ALWAYS create a duplicate entry unless I manually remove the existing entry and do a re-scan.
Let’s say I have a move that has already been indexed by plex at \movies\MovieTitle\movie.title.1080p.mkv. Now months later, I get a 4k version and place that version at \movies\MovieTitle\movie.title.2160p.mkv. When I scan that folder, I get duplicate entries for Movie Title. Quite literally, I will see Movie Title and Movie Title each having it’s own version.
In order to fix this, I have to go in and unmatch BOTH entries and then do a re-scan. Only then will Plex recognize that they’re the same exact movie but with two different resolutions.
When you hover on a movie poster click the three dots menu on the lower right, choose Get Info. In the info window that opens on the bottom left there is a link to View XML. This will open a new tab or browser window showing the xml info for that movie listing in the database.
What I think is happening is you movies were matched with different agents. the XML will show which agent the individual entries were matched with.
Say your libraries default agent previously was Plex Movie (Legacy) you added Movie.1080p.mkv and it added and gets GUID IMDB://1234 which was unfortunately the wrong movie so you do a fix match but use TheMovieDatabase. It matches correctly and not had the GUID TMDB://4321. Then later on you add a 4k version of that movie. It ends up getting matched to the default Plex Movie (Legacy) agent and gets a GUID IMDB://3456. Them having different GUIDs from different agents causes them to have separate listing.
another example already had a movie that matched fine with default agent a the time which was TheMovieDB. then you switch your library to the new Plex Movie agent. If you do not refresh metadata to your entire library all the existing movies in library will retain their GUID from ThemMovieDB. But when you add new things they will use the new library default and get a GUID from the new Plex Movie agent. resulting in a different GUID so will have a separate listings.
When you unmatch both and rematch it gets them both the same GUID with the new Plexmovie agent that you currently have as library default and they are combined into one listing.
You can select both movies with the circle on the top left of the movie posters then in the menu at top you can Merge them which may be quicker than unmatching and rematching.
I personally would do a refresh metadata for the entire library to get everything on the new Plex Movie agent. The legacy ones will go away sooner or later and IMO will be better in the long run to get everything on the new one.
Just saw your replies…and I think you’re right. I’m going to refresh, as you mentioned, on the new agent and hopefully that addresses it. I’ll know tomorrow when another encode is done.
