Bug: Movies split by news or other short program are not recording the second half

[fedyszyn]

Looks like from reading multiple threads on here that this has been an issue on Plex for a few years now. When recording a film that is split into 2 parts on the guide, usually by a short news update or channel update message, the second half of the program is not recorded. These interludes are in the guide and the guide shows up correctly as if it will be recording both halves.

I don’t believe this is a guide issue, which seems to have been explored in multiple threads. I would say it’s more likely to be the code not looking forward in the guide correctly. It clearly matches the movies ID in both halves but maybe it’s treating the second half as a duplicate or simply ignoring it when it comes to recording.



Logically, anything on the same channel with the same ID and within an hour of the first match ending should be classed as a continuation and hence the end time should be extended to use from the second parts data. This would record straight through including the interlude and then allowing the set Minutes after end to work as expected.

With this bug present I am having to check every movie and find that I’m deleting probably 30-50% of my movie recordings.

A temporary work around is to set the Minutes after end to 90 so it will be forced to record straight through (I use 90 for speed when setting up). This work around does also mean that it’s increasing my post processing time as I now have to convert additional footage to H264 (MP4) that I might not want.

Recording settings:

• Prefer HD
• Replace lower res items = false
• Allow partial airings = true (tried false as well both same for this)
• Minutes before start: 2 (Like a little buffer for start)
• Minutes after end = 2 (Like a little buffer after)
• Limit channels = Any
• Limit Airings = any
• Remove commercials = No (find it cuts to much out or still leaves random ones in)
• No conversions, I just have it save the raw ts file and post process on separate computer later on
• Guide reports correctly even showing the recording symbol on both parts when set (see image above).

Ran a check on 2 other DVR platforms and they just record straight through including the Interlude. Devices I used: Virgin Media (which I think is a Tivo box) and Humax Freesat unit. Both never have a problem with split programs.

Server Version#: 4.33.1 on a mac mini
Player Version#: Not relevant as file not correct
Tuner Make/Model: Quad HDHomerun connect
Guide/Lineup name: Freeview Yorkshire OTA Broadcast (UK)
Using XMLTV?: Not sure where you find this
Channel number/Name: Effects multiple channels that do these type of splits, seen on Five, ITV (all) commercial channels started doing this a lot in the UK.

[Afullmark]

What are the other 2 DVR systems that can handle interludes?

[fedyszyn]

They are both set top boxes rather than ones connected to the network, the Humax might let you copy to USB drive though.

For free satellite: https://uk.humaxdigital.com/product/hdr-1100s/

Through Virgin Media (UK Cable) (TIVO box): https://www.virginmedia.com/help/virgin-tv-record-on-tv-box

Sorry the virgin media is their own box which is now the older model, see TIVO version for what I have.

[fedyszyn]

Just checked and attaching a HDD to my Sony TV lets me record as well, so this will make 3 external options to compare Plex too. The model I have allows aerial and satellite connections with a tuner built in for both, so I’ve setup a movie to record tonight via the same aerial connection used by my HDHomeRun. I would expect that it will record straight through to include the interlude like the other set top boxes.

Film for anyone testing a possible fix in the UK (Tonight at 11PM on Five or Five HD): The Expendables 3

[anon18523487]

Do the guides for these other systems also show the news break in the middle?

[fedyszyn]

Yes they all show the same way, when you set a movie to record both halves show up on the guide as to be recorded, which it looks like Plex is also doing, just it never gets recorded.

I’ve also setup a separate system tonight with its own instance of PMS on, there is nothing else on the server or set to record but the same program tonight. If it all works I should be able to share the logs if it helps and someone can tell me how to pass them over safely.

For reference you can see the interludes clearly on a regular TV guide: https://www.tvguide.co.uk/
Tends to be on Five, ITV or channels that might be sister channels to these providers, however, it should be the same on any channel.

[fedyszyn]

So some interesting observations now that the movie has started recording on both my test rig and main server. It’s about 30 minutes in now so the progress bar for a movie about 2 hours long should be approximately a quarter of the way through, however, as you can see the Test rig is well over half way which adds evidence that the recording engine you have is ignoring the second half.

Main server

• Set to start 2 minutes early
• Set to end 90 minutes after the scheduled time (temporary work around)

Test rig

• Set to start 2 minutes early
• Set to end 2 minutes after the scheduled time
• Simulating normal recording action

[anon18523487]

Yeah, I don’t think PMS handles split movies like this. This is something we’ll need to look into.

My question was mainly how other systems handle this? I don’t think guide data has a way to differentiate “part 1, part 2” of a movie when it is split like this, except in the description.

[fedyszyn]

Ok, the results are in:

Virgin Media - TiVO box

• Recorded straight through including the interlude
• Shows as one entry on the recordings
• Easy to skip ahead on the interlude
  
  
  
  To prove it records straight through:
  
  

Humax Freesat - HDR-1100S

• Surprising it shows as two recordings
• So it recorded all instances of the movie like it was a series I guess
• At least I can still get the complete movie but the experience is not great as you have to navigate to continue watching
  
  

Sony TV - Built in DVR running on the aerial tuner

• Split the recording just recording both parts, strangely it also had a 3rd recording to do with same movie, not sure what thats about.
• Again experience is messy
  
  

Conclusion
Of the set top DVR options I have on hand to test my current main system, the Virgin Media TiVO box, gives the best user experience and I guess the most reliable. Not sure if there are any options on these devices to change the behaviour, these are default settings.

[baldfox]

I’m experiencing the same problem on PMS (docker in unraid). I have been asking on the Facebook forums and just found this thread. Any workaround aside from extending manually the recording of the first segment?

[fedyszyn]

Not that I have seen, it looks like it’s a code problem.

Logic wise I think it should start recording as it currently does but the end time needs to come from a check that looks ahead for any matching movie/program IDs (maybe for 24 hours). Whatever it finds, which could be an array of parts, it should use the last entry as the source for the end time.

Theory being that they should not be repeating the same movie/program within the time period.

[anon18523487]

To me it looks like every one of those boxes is following the guide. On your Virgin box, the movie is listed as 1 entry so it records it as 1 movie. The other guides have it split and records every version. I’m guessing these boxes don’t have any restrictions on recording duplicate entries, since it doesn’t need to organize them into a library like Plex does.

I’ll pass this along to the team, but I’m not sure what can be done.

[fedyszyn]

The Virgin Media box definitely shows as a split movie, here’s one I just tested for a film tomorrow night, these interludes are scheduled short info bytes like news highlights etc. Again when I set the first part to record the second also shows up as scheduled to record.

[fedyszyn]

What source do you use for the feed? Is it http://www.xmltv.co.uk/

If it is this, then I can see the XML has no program ID so you must be using the title to do the matches.

<programme start="20200513210000 +0100" stop="20200513220500 +0100" channel="2d1aa09d26092ce1333150a3e6be4576">
    <title lang="en">Diamonds Are Forever</title>
    <desc lang="en">Bond movie starring Sean Connery and Charles Gray, 1971. James Bond pursues a case of diamond smuggling linked to a plot to destroy Washington, D.C. with a laser.</desc>
  </programme>
  <programme start="20200513220500 +0100" stop="20200513221000 +0100" channel="2d1aa09d26092ce1333150a3e6be4576">
    <title lang="en">FYI Daily</title>
    <desc lang="en">The latest news from the world of entertainment.</desc>
  </programme>
  <programme start="20200513221000 +0100" stop="20200513231500 +0100" channel="2d1aa09d26092ce1333150a3e6be4576">
    <title lang="en">Diamonds Are Forever</title>
    <desc lang="en">Bond movie starring Sean Connery and Charles Gray, 1971. James Bond pursues a case of diamond smuggling linked to a plot to destroy Washington, D.C. with a laser.</desc>
  </programme>

It does not have episode-num so that must be how you know it’s not a series.

    <episode-num system="onscreen">s09.e175</episode-num>

So because it’s showing both parts on the guide as recording I would guess your script there just looks for the title on the visible time frame.

I would also guess that you have some form of scheduled task that is how you que up the recordings. As it’s not a series you ignore any future recordings as duplicates once the first completes, it can do this as its treating it as two separate airings rather than a continuation.

So…
When you are setting up the schedule task you need to perform a forward check for other matches of the title and if found read the stop datetime from that, plus add on the end edition and that should then record straight through with any desired extra time.

[fedyszyn]

Just found this online version of Virgin Media TV guide for any comparisons.

TV Guide | Live TV Listings | Virgin Media

Looks like the webpage uses a JSON feed from the following API
https://web-api-pepper.horizon.tv/oesp/v3/GB/eng/web/programschedules/20200513/1

Search for FYI Daily which is the title of the Interlude used on some channels.

Again looks like they use the title to match.

{
	t: "The Missouri Breaks",
	e: 1589325000000,
	s: 1589321400000,
	c: "lgi-gb-prod-master:genre-50-CS2009",
	a: false,
	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FMV002845810000-imi:b18c33c847ba1fbd1f969444dbdb0700ed26c186498fedef4096edd6e913bf17",
	r: false,
	rm: true
}, {
	t: "FYI Daily",
	e: 1589325300000,
	s: 1589325000000,
	c: "lgi-gb-prod-master:genre-20-CS2009",
	a: false,
	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FEPSH013908630000-imi:42cf3b802ffc64e0d90a4960faaf494a826aa61d56174063d6879325e65f0882",
	r: false,
	rm: true
}, {
	t: "The Missouri Breaks",
	e: 1589330700000,
	s: 1589325300000,
	c: "lgi-gb-prod-master:genre-50-CS2009",
	a: false,
	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FMV002845810000-imi:3032b3aab84320a1bf8339d85062fd15517edcbbab7751fafa10fcfb8c22233a",
	r: false,
	rm: true
}

Unless it is using part of this to match them up:

	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FMV002845810000-imi:b18c33c847ba1fbd1f969444dbdb0700ed26c186498fedef4096edd6e913bf17",
	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FEPSH013908630000-imi:42cf3b802ffc64e0d90a4960faaf494a826aa61d56174063d6879325e65f0882",
	i: "crid:~~2F~~2Fvirginmedia.com~~2Fcontent~~2FMV002845810000-imi:3032b3aab84320a1bf8339d85062fd15517edcbbab7751fafa10fcfb8c22233a",

FMV002845810000 is on both parts.

[melevittfl]

Hi,

Just wanted to add that I have the same problem.

I’ve switched from mythTV. It didn’t automatically record the second half of a split movie. It would pick up the second part as a duplicate recording, but you could manually set it to record anyway and you’d at least get both parts.

Given how common this is in the UK, I’d love to see a solution where Plex automatically just recorded the first part until the end of the second part.

[yakox]

I am also encountering this problem regularly. I recently switched from an ancient Topfield DVR that handled these split program entries just fine so I would also love to see a solution for this in Plex.

[fedyszyn]

Additional info on movies getting cut off at the start, missing the first half as apposed to the second half.

Something in the recording priority logic thinks the second half (after the interlude) is a separate movie. As a result it decides not to try recording the first part because of the clash in priority and instead picks up just the second part. You can tell this by adding additional time to the end of the movie, when it records it starts mid way through but with extra time expected from the first part. If you add some time to the start as well you catch the interlude program and possibly even a snippet of the the first half ending.

[fedyszyn]

That said above, I’ve just noticed on the guide for today that the guide and the limit to airing times don’t match up for at least one movie.

It looks like the end time of the first part pulling through. the 11:55 instead of 10:55

[nmorgan976_aol_com]

Was there an answer to this issue?
My server is recording the first half of movies and then does not record the second half. Can the advertisement algorithm not be changed to detect the news breaks.
Each movie show that it is set to record both halves in the guide but I have got numerous recordings that only has one half.