Backup posters and artwork

[rbeatse]

Most Plex users, I think, choose the poster and artwork that is displayed. Sometimes that means finding correct images and uploading the file or URL. I would like the ability, on a library basis, to have Plex take the file that has been designated and place that in the appropriate folder and anmed so that Plex will find it as the image. I have curated my images for many years and would like to not have to do that again, if I lost my server or had to reinstall. If the files are there in the folder, then when the metadata agents run, it should use the images saved in the folder. (I know that the Plex agents need to be set to use local content first, and mine are). This should work for movies and TV shows (the show and the seasons)

Background I have a large number of libraries and movies/shows in those libraries. I also use subfolders for each movie, show, most seasons, etc.

For example:

M:\Movies\The Last Samurai (2003)\The Last Samurai (2003).m4v

M:\Movies\The Last Stand (2013)\The Last Stand (2013).m4v

M:\Movies\The Last Starfighter (1984)\The Last Starfighter (1984).m4v

T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01\s01e01 - 12:00 A.M. - 1:00 AM.m4v
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01\s01e02 - 1:00 A.M. - 2:00 AM.m4v
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01…

A great bonus would be if it worked for Music to get albums/artists also and if it could find the picture used for Collections and put them into a folder so that they could be recreated if needed (I know that Plex doesn’t have a naming convention for collections but something could be kept).

The resulting would look like

M:\Movies\The Last Samurai (2003)\The Last Samurai (2003).m4v
M:\Movies\The Last Samurai (2003)\The Last Samurai (2003).jpg
M:\Movies\The Last Samurai (2003)\The Last Samurai (2003)-fanart.jpg

M:\Movies\The Last Stand (2013)\The Last Stand (2013).m4v
M:\Movies\The Last Stand (2013)\The Last Stand (2013).jpg
M:\Movies\The Last Stand (2013)\The Last Stand (2013)-fanart.jpg

M:\Movies\The Last Starfighter (1984)\The Last Starfighter (1984).m4v
M:\Movies\The Last Starfighter (1984)\The Last Starfighter (1984).jpg
M:\Movies\The Last Starfighter (1984)\The Last Starfighter (1984)-fanart.jpg

T:\TV Shows\24\show.jpg
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01\Season01.jpg
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01\s01e01 - 12:00 A.M. - 1:00 AM.m4v
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01\s01e02 - 1:00 A.M. - 2:00 AM.m4v
T:\TV Shows\24\Season 01…

M:\Movies\Collections\MCU.jpg
M:\Movies\Collections\MCU-fanart.jpg
M:\Movies\Collections\The Maze Runner.jpg
M:\Movies\Collections\The Maze Runner-fanart.jpg

T:\TV Shows\Collections\MCU.jpg
T:\TV Shows\Collections\MCU-fanart.jpg
T:\TV Shows\Collections\Agatha Raisin.jpg
T:\TV Shows\Collections\Agatha Raisin-fanart.jpg

The job should also check to see if the file is already there (and matches the file that is being used currently) and then not overwrite it. If the picture in the folder is different than one that is being used in PMS, then it should update the folder.

Full disclosure, this has been created in a very useful form by @anon18523487 in an earlier version of his applicaiotn but having it within the applicaiotn as part of the scheduled tasks would be even better.

[Mowee]

+1 for this

[axemanuk666]

@rbeatse

if I lost my server or had to reinstall

This shouldn’t be a problem as you should be doing regular backups of the Plex AppData location.

Surely you are backing that up? Right?

[Maltavius]

I use an external media manager (tinyMediaManager) instead and just tell Plex to prefer local Metadata.

[jackthegiantkiller]

Plex really should add this functionality, most of the solutions people list are scripts that are outdated or require so much IT knowledge and/or don’t function well in a Mac environment. Please please PLEASE add this function so your regular users aren’t losing all their custom posters.

[SergeiAK]

It would be nice to have such a function

[bo6403]

Backup and the lacking restore complete solution is needed. In my case, I frequently move my server between Windows PC’s, virtual or physical. As noted in various posts, the current backup is incomplete. The full database, support material, and registry, etc. need to be saved. Once the server is moved, a full restore function would return the database to its full functionality. As a note, my video collection is over 900 and my music library is over 127,000. About 10% of the video library required manual matching or setup to correctly identify the video version, poster, and wallpaper. Finding and updating after every move takes over 6 hours.

[tom80H]

@bo6403

Backup and the lacking restore complete solution is needed.

There’s a dedicated suggestion for this:

Full Restore From Backup

I have been forced to restore my Plex from backups several times recently (my own fault). Almost everything works, except that movies with different editions (Director’s Cut, Unrated, etc.) do not restore the poster for any of the editions. For example, after a restore, both Alien and Alien [Director’s Cut] are missing the poster, although they are still split into two movies in the main interface. If I am doing it wrong, please advise on how to restore properly. Otherwise, would you please inc…

[spmcgraw]

I love the way I can drag and drop a poster onto a movie but it would be nice to have it become a true “local asset” by copying the image I am dropping into the folder with the movie instead of storing it wherever Plex stores it.

So if I have “Movie A” located in C:\Movies\Movie A (2009)\
When I drop the poster into the movie in Plex Web, the image gets saved in "C:\Movies\Movie A (2009)" using proper local media asset naming rules. (poster.jpeg or Movie A (2009).jpeg)