Cannot get Plex to get Movies Metadata with either TMDB or Plex agents

Plex Media Server NAS & Devices
1

I’ve tried well over 10 different suggestions from everywhere, including these forums. I’ve read 100+ posts.
I am stuck and need some help!

At some point about a week ago, new movies will not get any metadata at all.
It all was working fine for years until about the same time I had a RAID drive fail. At that time, or relatively close my Movies (only) just will not scrape. It may have started before the actual failure but I don’t know the exact time or day since I am not sure what I added last before/after the failure happened.

  • I lost no data during the RAID drive failure (2 drive redundancy). Hot swapped the spare and rebuilt OK.
  • No other oddities on my system what-so-ever.

I’ve tried a ton of things.
I’ve removed my entire Library/Application Support folder and restarted no less than 10 times trying whatever I could think of and read here and there.

I am willing to blow it all up again if I know it will start to work again.

My setup right now:
Synology DS1812+
DSM version 6.1
PMS version 1.5.0.3501 (it started at 1.4.something… I’ve performed two upgrades during this time and the database has long since been started over (and over… and over… and over… and over… each fresh at the appropriate version of PMS)
PlexPass: yes

So…
I have a clean database and install after removing the Library/Application Support contents completely.

Basic things I’ve tried include, but aren’t limited to:

I add a new Movies Library (Movies) and used TMDB to scrape.
I add one directory with 3 movies in it.
Some movies manage to get the posters. Some do not.
None get any metadata. The only data they get is file data (codec and time).

I added another Movies Library (Movies2) and chose the Plex Movies agent.
Same basic result. No metadata.

Next…
I stop Plex.
I remove the Library/Application Support again.
Try again.
Same results.

Next…
I stop Plex.
I remove the Plug-in Support/Cache contents.
I delete the Metadata/Movies.
I make new folders to monitor and add 6 movies again.
Start Plex.
Refresh All.
Same results. No metadata.

I see no blatant errors in the logs (set to verbose logging).

TV scrapes fine. I get metadata and posters and everything.
It just happens with movies.

Other things I’ve tried along this long, 7 day or so journey:

  • I’ve re-organized the Agents order 7 ways from Sunday.
  • I unchecked Local Media Assets and moved that at the bottom for TMDB and Plex.
  • I’ve changed the options in the Libraries’ Advanced settings a bunch of ways depending on the agent selected.
  • Every time the database still exists after a test, I use the Refresh All option of course.
  • Confirmed Plex user has RW access to entire Plex Library folder/share

I don’t know what to try now.
I am at a complete loss and am just angry at this point.

I have a backup from just at the point where this started and can restore from there.
But each time I try to re-use it, all the new stuff is obviously still broken but my older stuff are fine of course.
I refuse to have to manually add data for all new stuff moving forward - but at this point, it seems like my only option that should work.

LOGS ATTACHED REFLECTING:

  • After stopping Plex…
  • I removed all old logs.
  • I removed Plug-in Support/Cache folder.
  • I removed Metadata/Movies folder
  • I only have three movies trying to be scraped.
  • Two Libraries (1) with TMDB as agent and (2) Plex Movie as agent
  • Refresh All
  • WAIT FOR COMPLETED IN STATUS…
  • Zipped Logs and attached…

So Help me Obi-Wan Plexi-Folks… you are my only hope!!! :smile:

cheers!
J

2

I have the same problem with 1.4.4.3495. It started on Mar 19 or 20. Plex is apparently downloading and loading metadata but none of it shows up.

3

If you look in the logs (and specifically in the directory), you will find there is a NFO file.

Mar 22, 2017 12:18:43.824 [0xf3f32780] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: /volume1/video/movies_new/r/xxxxxxx/xxxxxxx [1080p 9.5GB].nfo

The information found here will override the PMS agents.

If this is in XBMC format (xml), you need to add the XBMCnfoImporter plug-in and move it up on your Agent priority list.
If not XML format, the only information PMS will grab is the tt string (title id number) for that movie. If that number doesn’t resolve to a valid ID, nothing will be returned.

Does this help?

4

@ChuckPA

Thanks for checking.

Unfortunately removing the nfo file and trying from scratch again doesn’t change the situation. All nfo files are now deleted.

I installed PMS on a separate Windows PC and pointed it to the same shares and the Windows PC is fine.
Even before I removed the nfo files, the TMDB scraper ran without fail and grabbed everything. Worked as expected.

So I went back on my Synology box and figured I’d try Docker’s PMS container.
The docker config is its own directory (not using the original native directory).
The Docker image is now running on the same box as my main problem install that I described and the Docker PMS fails just like the native PMS client. :’(
The Docker image is at a different version than the native PMS on Synology (Docker Version 1.4.4.3495).

So I don’t understand what is happening and why two distinct instances of PMS cannot scrape movie data. TV is fine in docker too.

Its like Plex stopped liking Linux!
Man, I wish I had a set of logs that had good data in it so I can look to see what is expected and normal. Having only logs with bad data stinks.

Anything else I can try?

Thanks again, Chuck.
Jay :smiley:

5

Do me a favor please?

Stop PMS.
Get into Preferences.xml
Using a Linux-based editor, add LognumFiles="10" to it and save. This will give us bigger window of logs instead of the usual 5.
Start PMS.
Now go to Settings - Server - Agents and mimmick mine (accounting for your plug-ins as required). (remember / screen capture yours of course before)

I don’t have any scraping issues. Let’s see what happens next. This isn’t rocket science… it’s a simple web call.

g6jkm4bc39xj.png920×295 14.7 KB

froy9unsi5ln.png888×379 19.3 KB

9k6uwsgr50di.png941×372 19.3 KB

6

@ChuckPa

OK.
During my other attempts, I re-ordered the agents and last few attempts had the local media assets unchecked and only the primary agent for each other selected and moved to the top.

I added the local media assets back now and order like you have shown (with only one exception… for the TMDB agent, I do not have Plex enabled).

So with PMS stopped…

  • deleted Plug-in Support/Caches
  • deleted all logs
  • deleted Metadata/Movies
  • Started PMS
  • Deleted Movie library
  • Clean Bundles
  • Empty Trash
  • Optimize database

Add Movies library - TMDB agent - one directory with 4 movies (one of which has two different versions)
Add another Movies library - Plex Movies agent - same directory as the other

OOPS.. I thought I set the TMDB agent on the first one but didn’t, so after it scraped I changed it and just clicked ‘Refresh All’.
Figured that would be a bust and not a fair test, so I deleted that library and

  • Clean Bundles
  • Empty Trash
  • Optimize database

Add Movies library 3 - TMDB agent - one directory with 4 movies (one of which has two different versions)

Let scrape and walked away for about 30 minutes or so.
Stopped PMS and zipped logs (attached).
NOTE: I did add LognumFiles=“10” to my prefs using nano, but I don’t think it took?
Seeing all other prefs are more like CamelCase, maybe its LogNumFiles=“10” ? Not sure…

For some reason one movie did appear to get some metadata (Regression).
I see nothing out of sorts in the logs for the one odd success and all the other failures.

Results:

The Plex agent seems to Match (the option to Fix Match and unmatch are there on each)
ODD - no Match, unmatch or Fix Match option on Regression?!

The TMDB agent doesnt seem to match (only option to Match is there)

Here’s and idea of the results for reference:

601×540 204 KB

So i am stuck.
And same results for my Docker install.

I did try other movies as well and aside from this odd Regression movie, none are scraping so I have thought perhaps it really didn’t like my choices.
And again, these all scrape fine in the Windows PC.

ugghhhhhh

Thanks!
Jay

7

To make this a proper, unbiased test… In that library section. go to the upper right corner and ‘Refresh All’. This is a forced match and metadata refresh.

The reason for this is PMS keeps track of which agent did the matching… When the order changes, matching results will inconclusive unless you start fresh.

8

@ChuckPA

OK man… real quick… THANKS for trying to help man!!! B)
I really appreciate it no matter the end result!

OK…
So I removed the test movie databases, cleaned bundles, emptied trash, optimized database.
Stopped Plex
Deleted Plug-in Support/Caches
Deleted Metadata/Movies
Deleted all Logs
Started Plex

(FWIW deletion performed via **rm -rf *** via ssh, not via shares or other shenanigans)

Next:
Added Movie library with simple movie folder like before - TMDB agent.
Let it run. Wait a bit.
Added Movie library with simple movie folder like before - Plex Movies agent
Let it run. Wait a bit.

Same results. Odd that Regression again is OK?!

Went into each Library.
Clicked the … next to the Library name and then ‘Refresh All’.
I looked to see if the Refresh All option was available anywhere else while inside the library and the only spot I see it is in the tree view of libraries.

Stopped Plex.
Zipped Logs and attached.

Thanks again, man!
Jay

9

Ok, I owe you a bit of an apologie up front… It’s no longer in the upper right. :confounded: It’s under the ellipsis for each library now. I apologize because sometimes I’ve got several versions of PMS open at any one moment. With most still in the pre-V3 desktop, that’s what I was thinking and looking at when I wrote you.

First. Unmatch is under the ellipsis (i have no idea why) on the pre-play page after you select the movie.

Second, I REALLY appreciate you sticking in here with me like this. Regressions are NOT cool. Synology recovers from failures flawlessly if parity is intact (I have one too).

If you are willing to spend a few and go one little step further… I would like to try something.

  1. Stop PMS
  2. Open the Plex share (FileStation). If you can’t see it, I’ll show you how
  3. Rename Library to Library.KEEP
  4. Start PMS

You’ll come up just like a first-run. Define one section with one media directory (the one containing those movies).
Let’s see what it does stock.

If this works, then something happened in 1.4.x which corrupted your DB at a level neither it nor we can figure out.
If that’s the case, having set the DB aside this way will allow the dev team to look at it directly in the failed state and UN-regress it. (see how i avoided the word? LOL)

Unmatch/fix-match individual item

Force Refresh-All (entire Library section)

10

@ChuckPA

I’m more than willing to work to fix it. :smiley:
I completely understand the brain farts when dealing with multiple versions and trying to help folks.
I’m a dev for my company (and fun) and know its tough keeping multiple versions straight in your head at times. :#

OK…
Stopped Plex
Moved Library (mv Library/ Library.KEEP)
Restarted Plex
Initial setup screen… set server name and skipped auto Library setup.
Once in the UI, added one single Movie library (using TMDB).
No Settings changed (web nor server sections - so all at default)
waited…
Same results.
Stopped Plex.
Zipped Logs and attached.
The only real difference this time aside from the entire Library being blown out is when I created the Library, it was just one and only used TMDB - where before I was creating one for each agent.
I can repeat with the Plex Movie agent if needed but my feeling is that it won’t matter. :expressionless:

Man… I just don’t get this.
I WANT to see ERROR flags in the logs!! Those are easier to fix! haha

Jay

11

You mean like THESE? :smiley:

Mar 23, 2017 18:17:07.701 [0xf07ffb40] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:07.701 [0xf07ffb40] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with the master token, authorization succeeded.
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:07.702 [0xea447b40] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:59109 (Loopback)] GET /services/tmdb?uri=%2Fsearch%2Fmovie%3Fquery%3DMiss%2BPeregrines%2BHome%2Bfor%2BPeculiar%2BChildren%26year%3D2016%26language%3Den%26include_adult%3Dfalse (11 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (psybertech)
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.521 [0xf0511b40] DEBUG - handleStreamRead code 2: End of file
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.529 [0xf07ffb40] DEBUG - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.529 [0xf07ffb40] DEBUG - Auth: authenticated user 1 as psybertech
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.530 [0xf07ffb40] DEBUG - Auth: Came in with a super-token, authorization succeeded.
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.530 [0xea159b40] DEBUG - Request: [192.168.0.151:57162 (Subnet)] GET /player/proxy/poll?deviceClass=pc&protocolVersion=1&protocolCapabilities=timeline%2Cplayback%2Cnavigation%2Cmirror%2Cplayqueues&timeout=1 (10 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (psybertech)
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:11.532 [0xea159b40] DEBUG - Beginning read from two-way stream.
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:23.214 [0xea447b40] ERROR - Error issuing curl_easy_perform(handle): 28
Mar 23, 2017 18:17:23.216 [0xf0511b40] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:59109] 408 GET /services/tmdb?uri=%2Fsearch%2Fmovie%3Fquery%3DMiss%2BPeregrines%2BHome%2Bfor%2BPeculiar%2BChildren%26year%3D2016%26language%3Den%26include_adult%3Dfalse (7 live) GZIP 15515ms 376 bytes

Curl error 28 is communication timeout

Please do a sustained ping and see if you’re dropping packets to TheMovieDB and IMDB.

While you’re doing that, I’m going to ask questions.

12

@ChuckPA

TheMovieDB.com or are there specific subdomains (api. or whatever. )? (same for IMDB)

Any specific IPs in general?

Running right, via SSH… :
TheMovieDB.com
64 bytes from ip-50-63-202-14.ip.secureserver.net (50.63.202.14): icmp_seq=2 ttl=53 time=76.8 ms
all sub 100 so far…


64 bytes from 210-29.amazon.com (72.21.210.29): icmp_seq=1 ttl=235 time=60.3 ms
all sub 100 so far…

13

silly question:

In your TMDB query… Danish?

Disregard: Smudge on my glasses :stuck_out_tongue:

Let’s open up that media itself since Miss Peregrine is popping here.

  1. Get Info for it (encase in “Code” paragraph formatting from above
  2. Continue to “View XML” and also encase that in “Code” paragraph formatting. It may require two posts.
14

I need to go AFK for 15 minutes… SO SORRY MAN!!!

Ping(s) will continue… I just need to eat dinner or I will not live it down for not being present at the table.
I hope you understand… WAF! haha

Let me know the next steps and I’ll get back ASAHP

Jay
:smile:

15

Yes I do. Dinner is served… The family eats together… else pay the consequences. :slight_smile:

16

@ChuckPA

OK… 2 tacos down and a beer and I am back :smiley:
… pings still running …
Some do spike above 100 and a few even get around 250ms, but nothing I’d say bad and no time outs on either server.

TMBD
2500 packets transmitted, 2500 received, 0% packet loss, time 2506468ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 64.413/93.928/283.269/28.615 ms

IMDB
2493 packets transmitted, 2493 received, 0% packet loss, time 2499652ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 51.179/67.268/304.898/24.172 ms

restarting pings in the meantime…

…

17

@ChuckPA

… pings stopped for now… didn’t want to pi$$ off either service…

I’m still around but we can continue tomorrow if you want and/or are willing

<img src=
“i-am-a-kneeling-begging-dude.selfie”
commitment=“1138%”
reference=“lucas”
OnYouLookingAtThis="tfn(data-commitment*10000+andThenSome)’
/>.
:wink:

18

sorry… need to knock off for the night. 10 hour day for me… 5th day in a row… tomorrow?

19

@ChuckPA

Sure thing.
I’m US Central time and work from home so I am very flexible for the most part.
Just ping me here and as soon as I see the response via email notification of a reply, I’ll be all over it… might take a bit initially, but I’ll be watching! :smiley:

Thanks again!!!
g’nite

cheers
Jay

20

Wow… sorry again.

Thankfully I re-read this before signing off for the night…
You must have edited your post about the XML data since I didn’t see the request for the output of Miss Pere… I just saw strokeouts… anyway…

Miss Pere… raw data C/P:

Files

/volume1/video/movies_new/Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children (2016)/Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children 2016 1080p.mp4
Media

Video Resolution 1080p
Duration 2:06:55
Bitrate 2175 kbps
Width 1920
Height 1024
Aspect Ratio 1.85
Container MP4
Video Frame Rate 24p
Web Optimized Yes
Audio Profile lc
Has 64bit Offsets 0
Video Profile high
Part

Duration 2:06:55
File Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children 2016 1080p.mp4
Size 1.93 GB
Audio Profile lc
Container MP4
Has 64bit Offsets 0
Web Optimized Yes
Video Profile high
Codec H264
Bitrate 2051 kbps
Bit Depth 8
Chroma Subsampling 4:2:0
Frame Rate 23.976 fps
Height 1024
Level 4.1
Profile high
Ref Frames 4
Stream Identifier 1
Width 1920
Codec AAC
Channels Stereo
Bitrate 124 kbps
Profile lc
Sampling Rate 48000 Hz
Stream Identifier 2```

Here is the XML:
```<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionTitle="Movies" librarySectionUUID="21550253-706a-425e-9f70-7bf015eab77e" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1489719859">
<Video ratingKey="1" key="/library/metadata/1" guid="local://1" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/1" type="movie" title="Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children" summary="" year="2016" thumb="/library/metadata/1/thumb/1490312041" art="/library/metadata/1/art/1490312041" duration="7615702" addedAt="1489605854" updatedAt="1490312041">
<Media videoResolution="1080" id="1" duration="7615702" bitrate="2175" width="1920" height="1024" aspectRatio="1.85" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="aac" videoCodec="h264" container="mp4" videoFrameRate="24p" optimizedForStreaming="1" audioProfile="lc" has64bitOffsets="0" videoProfile="high">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="1" key="/library/parts/1/1489605854/file.mp4" duration="7615702" file="/volume1/video/movies_new/Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children (2016)/Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children 2016 1080p.mp4" size="2070448378" audioProfile="lc" container="mp4" has64bitOffsets="0" optimizedForStreaming="1" videoProfile="high">
<Stream id="1" streamType="1" default="1" codec="h264" index="0" bitrate="2051" bitDepth="8" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" frameRate="23.976" hasScalingMatrix="0" height="1024" level="41" profile="high" refFrames="4" streamIdentifier="1" width="1920"/>
<Stream id="2" streamType="2" selected="1" default="1" codec="aac" index="1" channels="2" bitrate="124" profile="lc" samplingRate="48000" streamIdentifier="2"/>
</Part>
</Media>
<Extras size="0"></Extras>
</Video>
</MediaContainer>```

Until tomorrow................ @ChuckPA 

cheers!
Jay

Moderate edit to add  3 ` marks for 'Code' formatting (or use the dropdown after selecting)