[BUG] Playing always the same trailer prior to each movie - possibly based upon age ratings

Plex Media Server
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1

Server Version#: 1.40.3.8555
Player Version#: 10.16.0.758 (Fire TV)

I am playing movies from a local PMS (QNAP) with Plex players on Fire-TVs. I have activated trailers of my own movies in that library.

I have set the Fire TV app to play two (2) trailers before each movie.

The library contains more than 5000 movies, with several hundreds of trailers being available. I can manually play all these local trailers.

When playing a movie - no matter which one - always the same single trailer is playing.
This is a bug. Here’s the part of the logs which documents which trailers are going to be played. As you can see, only one trailer gets chosen.

It is okay, that no cinema and blu-ray trailers is being played.

Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.681 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] PlayQueue: 0 generated IDs compressed down to a 20 byte blob.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.683 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] PlayQueue: Start index: 0 End index: 0 Count: 1
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.683 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] PlayQueue: 1 generated IDs compressed down to a 24 byte blob.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.683 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] PlayQueue: Added 1 items in 0.0 sec.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.685 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Looking for extras for item local://193012 with unwatched: 1 fromLibrary: 1 fromTheater: 0 fromBluray: 0 and preroll count: 0.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.685 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Using allowable content ratings: G, PG, PG-13.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Found 2 extras from library.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 0.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Adding library extra: Musica (German Trailer 1).
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 1.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 2.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 0.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 1.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 2.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.710 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — [Req#2ba48a] PlayQueue: Added 1 items in 0.0 sec.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.715 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — We're going to try to auto-select an audio stream for account 1.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.715 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — Selecting best audio stream for part ID 300231 (language: )
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.715 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — We're going to try to auto-select a subtitle for account 1.
Jun 11, 2024 19:37:15.715 [139754085403448] Fehlersuche — Audio Stream: 1019670, Subtitle Stream: -1

Here are my library settings:

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Here are my agent settings:

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Here are my PMS settings:

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Here are a couple of trailers that are never chosen (out of several hundreds)… just as a proof that there ARE other trailers available:

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(both of them are local trailer files)

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(both of these are trailers automatically added by Plex)

When checking the logs, I found the following problem:

Using allowable content ratings: G, PG, PG-13

Excuse me… I have not set this (dunno where). I am using German age ratings… therefore, I only have xy movies in my large library with this age rating.

Total:
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With age rating G, PG, PG-13:

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How do I get rid of these stupid age ratings for my trailers… My age ratings are like “FSK 12” or “FSK 16”…

I am logged in as PMS admin account (Plex pass lifetime).

Please fix as soon as possible.

2

So these are local trailer files you have added? Are they also in German, with audio language tagged as such in file?

3

I added local trailers. But of the four examples, two are my own local files and two others are automatically added by Plex - I just wanted to point out that you can find all kind of trailers that are not pre-played before a movie.

I think the age restriction is applied falsely. I am logged in a Plex admin and have not implied any age restrictions.

To answer your question… I have no idea if the audio tracks are tagged correctly as “German”… not all of the 89 local trailer files audio tracks will be marked correctly, possibly… not all of thm marked wrongly, I suppose. But there are hundreds of “Plex”-added trailers that will probably have no audio track problem - though I cannot check easily.
I am not thinking this is the main issue here. What are you thinking?

4

By default the app only will play trailers that are available in the library language. 99% of the streaming trailers added by Plex are only available in English. We may only have access to one trailer in German.

There is a setting in on extras Always include English language Cinema Trailers for trailers of movies not in my library.

I need to talk with folks as far as how/if this works with locally added trailers. So am wondering how it will behave if you enable it.

5

Thank you, BigWheel…

All of the trailers hav German audio tracks (as you can guess when looking at the description below the trailer thumbnails). I checked the audio and it IS in German language in all four examples.

Two weeks ago, I had a completely working 2-trailers-before-the-movie setting with multiple trailers chosen. This has changed.

Don’t go the “language” path… this hasn’t changed. I can promise.

What is new to me, is that the admin account has implied age restrictions for non-German age ratings in a German library - as can be clearly seen from the log I cited.

From my more than 5000 movies with several hundreds of German trailers, only 28 movies have the cited age restriction nomination “G, PG or PG-13” (no wonder, the age labels are almost all German style).

One of these 28 has the trailer which is played all the time.

Apart from that, it is untrue that only German local trailers are pre-played with my settings.

6

Just as a side note: I removed one local file trailer… changed the audio track language with MP4box to German and re-introduced it as a trailer with a different description to the movie folder. Plex plays it (if I choose to play it manually) and shows a German language audio track while playing (also in the metadata XML).

And still… it does not change the fact that always the same single trailer from another movie is played while pre-playing trailers.

We now can be sure that language has no influence on the trailer bug.

I am willing to bet that it’s the age rating of movies and I still want to know why it is applied at all, and how to gt rid of it as a Plex admin account.

7

You have selected that only trailers of unwatched movies are shown.
How big is the percentage of unwatched movies in your library?

8

I have tested this just now on my server.

In general, the selected trailers are for movies which are either equal or a bit below of the age rating of the movie which was played.
This is to avoid seeing trailers for a horror movie before a family-friendly movie, or e.g. getting a trailer for a kid’s movie in front of an action thriller.

Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.670 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Using allowable content ratings: G, PG, PG-13, de/12.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.670 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Using genres: Drama, Historie.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.672 [6892] DEBUG - Request: [172.29.0.20:4134 (Allowed Network (Subnet))] GET /photo/:/transcode?width=1920&height=1274&minSize=1&opacity=10&background=343a3f&url=%2Flibrary%2Fmetadata%2F876786%2Fart%2F1716785716%3FX-Plex-Token%3Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (31 live) #1ef90 TLS GZIP Signed-in Token (OttoKerner) (Chrome)
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.672 [6892] DEBUG - [Req#1ef90] Photo transcoder: Request for url [/library/metadata/876786/art/1716785716?X-Plex-Token=xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] (is local: 1 upscaled: 0)
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.677 [6892] DEBUG - [Req#1ef90/Req#1ef93] It took 0.000000 ms to retrieve 194 items.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.677 [6892] DEBUG - [Req#1ef90/Req#1ef93] Calculated media file path for path [metadata://art/a2ba1636eccc164edaa0025cb7bd14487bd72c57]: ["P:\plexdata\Plex Media Server\Metadata\Movies\1\c4bff58fa87d5c389822ef82c07a911fd6c634b.bundle\Contents\_combined\art\a2ba1636eccc164edaa0025cb7bd14487bd72c57"]
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [6892] DEBUG - [Req#1ef90] Calling back into ourselves for photo to transcode, optimizing the process (status: -1)
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Found 2 extras from library.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 2.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 0.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Adding library extra: Trailer.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 1.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 2.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 0.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Adding library extra: Original Trailer 1.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.678 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] Extras: Attempting to add extra from source 1.
Jun 12, 2024 10:15:53.679 [4740] DEBUG - [Req#1ef8e] PlayQueue: Added 2 items in 0.0 sec.

As you can see, it lists the age rating de/12 among the allowable content ratings, which is exactly the rating that the main movie has.
The declaration de/nn is the equivalent for “FSK nn”.
The part of de/ is cut for display in the plex client user interface, so you will only see a number.

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If the string “FSK” is actually appearing in your library, then you are either importing embedded meta tags from your movies, or are using an outdated metadata agent.

You can see the actual string either when you edit the movie, or in the plex media info XML.

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9

percentage of unwatched movies is: 100 %.
Name of the library is: “ungesehene Filme” :slight_smile:

10

Plex doesn’t care about the library name. It goes by the “watched” flag (or rather the absence of it in this case).

11

Nice find…

All movies tested yesterday had the “Altersfreigabe” field not set (German TV productions). And in all cases, only “G, PG and PG-13” was filtered (which is extremely rare in my library).

I have several hundreds of movies with no age rating set.
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I have even more movies with “FSK 0” setting which should always be whitelisted in a German library:

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And these more than five hundreds should also be okay:

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Since for old movies, the classic FSK rating is what is dominant, I would be happy to see those ratings. Just make it a list of strings that are white listed, since I have age ratings of all kinds (french, british, US-TV, German FSK, German non FSK (“de/…”) in that field.

I would be happy to be in control which movie trailers are to be seen.
There are only adults in our household, so I don’t want to be any age rating applied to trailers at all. Is there a switch for that? If not, can we please have one?

I am the admin of my own server, after all.

As for your finding with age ratings set and being allowed as trailer age rating (thank you for finding out)… I will further test that tonight, but I fear that you do not handle those FSK ratings.

12

Not only old movies. The FSK is still the relevant rating board for DE.
But that is not the point.

The Plex-internal equivalent for FSK is de/. That’s what the Plex Movie agent is delivering and that is what should appear in your library. If you have “FSK” instead, then you are using a custom metadata agent or other unsupported 3rd-party tools.

13

Sure, this was more like a hint to you than to my Plex server.
I have no watched movies inside that library, so the number of unwatched movies in this library is the total number of movies in that library which is more than 5000… or 100% :wink:

14

We talk about this the fifth or sixth time.
I like to have the original and correct age ratings for all my movies. This has ben standard for a long time and I don’t want them to be something “plex internal” displayed on my TV.
It would be a great idea if age rating on trailers can be switched off - or be made more customizable (it is an editable field, after all). And why don’t I get trailers for my french movies with french age rating in my library? There is no good explanation of this other than it makes developer life easier (which I can completely understand).

Th collection of strings for the field could be scanned for numbers, for example. Would be happy to have a more flexible solution for trailers since my wife and me really appreciate this feature.

15

It won’t be displayed in this form on your TV. It will simply show up as a number, as per my screen shot above.

16

Yes, I know, thank you.
As this leads us away from the original topic, I want to please return:

I manually added (at this time, still working) one hundred German trailers to movies that do not have trailers added automatically by Plex.

I activated the pre-roll local trailer feature which is Plex pass if I remember correctly.

I can’t watch any of these trailers played with the activated feature because Plex has some age rating implementation that is no Gold standard…

a) It checks for non-German age ratings in a library full of German age ratings and limits the trailer feature to an almost empty subset of trailers (in my case).

b) It has a feature to check for trailers with a similar age rating as the movie you intend to play. But if the movie you want to view has no age rating implemented, you are left with the situation described above (a).

c) International age ratings are not flexibly looked into. Checking the fourty to sixty topmost age ratings is not being done, extracting numbers from age ratings and using these number is not done.

d) Trailers for movies with no age rating get ignored completely for that feature.

e) You cannot switch off any age check for trailers. Managed users may have an age configured. Is that being taken into account? For Plex admin accounts, you have no age settings at all.

f) If talking about playing local movies and local trailers, I don’t want a software to stand in my way of using a feature that is included in the set of features that I paid for with Plex pass. It’s okay to have age checks, if these can be configured (list of age ratings that are “okay” or switched off altogether if not needed.

I can understand that this is not a top priority if you get flamed for showing horror trailers prior to a fairy-tale. Accepted and good that you care about.

I really hope that you care about other use cases of servers, too, and allow for greater flexibility.

17

Small bump on this topic…

Age rating check on local trailers as pre-roll on local movies is not working for non-English libraries if you want to play movies that have an empty age rating metadata field.

See also my suggestions in the post above for better handling of this and the ability to switch that off for adult viewers.

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