The TV DB has some movies also listed under TV shows as specials. Assuming one wants them in both places, is there a way to link the file locations to a single source? Or do you have to duplicate the source file in Movies and then in TV Show XYZ > Specials? Thanks.
I use collections to handle these, but that also relies on my knowing when to view them 
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There isn’t a mechanism built into Plex for this.
I’d encourage you to pick one location and be happy with it.
You could use a Collection, with the same tags in the different libraries, to link them together. (Edit: yeah, what he said.)
Depending on the OS where you run your PMS, there is a thing called “hard links” but that’s … it’s confusing, at very least.
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I was actually just going to chime in to suggest using hard links. They’re available in one form or another on most supported operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS.
While there can initially be some confusion for those unfamiliar with them, they can be a powerful tool.
Using Firefly/Serenity as an example…
On Linux or macOS:
ln "/movie_library_base/Serenity (2005)/Serenity (2005).mkv" "/tv_library_base/Firefly (2002)/Season 00/Firefly (2002) - S00E01 - Serenity.mkv"
Or on Windows:
mklink /h "C:\tv_library_base\Firefly (2002)\Season 00\Firefly (2002) - S00E01 - Serenity.mkv" "C:\movie_library_base\Serenity (2005)\Serenity (2005).mkv"
This assumes Serenity exists in your movie library already and you’d like it to also appear in your TV Shows library. A link to the existing movie file is created in the folder for the TV show Firefly, using the appropriate special naming. The opposite could be done as well.
[Edited to add]
Something I neglected to mention is that care must be taken with embedded metadata when using this method with MP4/M4V/AVI files. In its default configuration, Plex reads the titles from those files and they can override the file name. This could adversely affect matching. If using these files, it’s probably best to demote “Local Media Assets” in priority for the TheTVDB agent.
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Personally, I try to think about it this way. Can I watch the movie without the TV show, and it still makes sense (yes for Serenity, or the first Stargate movie, no for the other Stargate movies)? If it still makes sense on its own, then it goes in movies, and I just use the collection tags to link them. If it doesn’t make sense and requires the TV show, then I add it as a special to the TV show. That way I’m minimising duplication across libraries, and people won’t try and watch a movie that doesn’t otherwise make sense. 
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Agreed. I don’t personally use links in my own library, I just let all movies live in my movie library.
I was going to say … NO MAN NO, that’s NOT a TV Special.
The Futurama “movies” annoy me to no end. I’ve decided to pretend they never existed.
I’ve got a nice spot all picked out for the Community movie already. It’s in Movies too.
Edit: at first I said I couldn’t think of any I’d put in TV, but I’m wrong. There are lots. I just don’t have many of 'em apparently.
Yeah, I just use Firefly/Serenity as an example because it’s one most people know; I should probably pick a better one. The only TV Show and movies for which I’ve bothered to even create collections are Stargate (with the later movies, not the first one). They are very much just long TV episodes that continue the TV series.
It’s interesting that Firefly/Serenity and Futurama are the poster children for incorrect broadcast order and “odd” associated movies.
I wonder if there was one person, and if they know what they did, and if they feel appropriate shame.
I use the mechanism that Plex provides. Namely
Show name - s00exx - Optional name.ext.
In a folder labeled - Season 00
I do not bother placing those movies in a movies library as they are really TV shows. In fact, in a TV library Plex usually plays the “movies” in the order they should be played if the naming conforms to what is found in TheTVDB. “Babylon 5” is a good example of this as all it’s “filler” movies that link sections but were made after the show stopped production play in the order that makes the most sense according to the “timeline.”
Yeah, I can understand that, but I still put the Star Trek movies into my Movies library, even though they add to the show
The Star Trek movies are a special case as mostly they were and are produced as theatrical productions. But there are a few that were not but were made for TV movies.
I also find that they stand on their own pretty well unlike the Babylon 5 movies that really need what went before to make sense.
Looking more closely at my libraries I see that I use the Season 00 method for those movies that are really part of the series while I use movies for things like most of the Star Trek movies that are truly movies. That is mostly if a movie was made as a TV production then it goes in a TV library while if it is a theatrical production, and released in theaters, I generally place it in my movies library.
Collections or hard links “can” place a show in both places but I almost never see the need for that. If I do I use collections as that way I do not have to worry about naming to conform to both movies and TV shows.
I love this post, because I can’t count the number of times I’ve debated the placement of the two X-Files movies.
I feel your pain about the Futurama movies, @Volts.
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before netflix etc, it was pretty unambiguous… it was either released in theatres or not.
but then there have always been those stephen king tv movies/miniseries, that often bounce back and forth between tvdb and tmdb.
When TMDB moves TV Movies into TV Shows - there’s no debating.
We use Personal Media - or we move Movies into Specials.
You know what doesn’t add to anything? This:
One Guess which one Plex chooses to display:
There’s something that can be avoided - somehow. If someone at Plex knew about it.
That’s not really relevant to this particular discussion, but perhaps @chrisallen might be interested in that 
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A post was merged into an existing topic: New Movie Agent Release Dates
A post was merged into an existing topic: New Movie Agent Release Dates
I like your idea. Unfortunately you may need to know of or watched the special movie/series to know. I myself just add the special/movie to the movie section regardless. I’ll let the peanut gallery sort out the details on what/how to watch them. With exception to Perry Mason movies. At a time they were in specials and movies but now they are listed as Perry Mason Returns… No more movies or specials for them.
