How To Fix Incorrect Grouping TV Shows

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
1

I have a number of shows that I had manually ripped & tagged & added to iTunes. They are all non-DRM files. Each is sorted properly within iTunes, but Plex seems to want to clump them together. I have tried adding each show’s folder one at a time, completely re-adding them all in 1 swoop, but they always get lumped as a single show. But it is not always the same. Sometimes they are all Legend Of The Seeker, sometimes all Caprica, sometimes all Kyle XY, Sometimes they are half in Kyle XY & Half in Legend Of The Seeker & sometimes the ones that belong to Legend Of The Seeker are in Kyle XY even though others are in Legend Of The Seeker. It will show episode 1 as having 7 files, from 7 different folders, all grouped together as the same episode of whichever it decided to group them as.

No Matter What I do I can’t get it to fix. I am not willing to remove the metadata, I spend a great deal of time making very good Metadata Tags for my Rips.

Here are 2 that are shown as the same thing

Here is the Tag Information for each file

2

how is the folders in your library set up

3

@BigWheel: how much does it matter…
it’s bad practice to just assign the iTunes folder structure and file names, and then to hope it’ll just work ignoring the Plex naming guides.

@LostOnTheLine:
Plex doesn’t just digest the embedded metadata. It’ll determine the details of the show based on the file names / folder structures.
For your TV Shows, this should look like this:

TV Shows ← this folder is added to the Plex library
.. / Kyle XY ← optionally include the year the show first aired (e.g. Kyle XY (2006))
.. .. / Season 01 ← use 2-digit season folder numbering
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s01e01 - Pilot.m4v
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s01e02.m4v ← the episode title is optional in the file name… so let’s skip it
.. .. .. / ...
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s01e10.m4v
.. .. / Season 02
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s02e01.m4v
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s02e02.m4v
.. .. .. / ...
.. .. .. / Kyle XY - s02e23.m4v

.. / Legend of the Seeker ← again… optionally use Legend of the Seeker (2008) in case there’s some future revival
.. .. / Season 01
.. .. .. / Legend of the Seeker - s01e01.m4v
.. .. .. / ...

also… be careful about the season/episode order of iTunes. Plex uses TheTVDB as its data source.
You can find the correct ordering and structure using the links below:

4

@tom80H said:
@BigWheel: how much does it matter…

it matters quite a bit what folder or folders he added to the library. While the naming in guide is highly suggested other naming will work fine much of the time, the regex is more forgiving than folks realize. I am suspecting that he aded each individual show folder to library which is very wrong and usually the cause of completely different shows getting combined. but I wanted to ask first rather than assume.

5

Issue One:
Poor File Naming while using TV Show Library Type - won’t work - period.

Issue Two:
The default location of Local Media Assets makes the use of M4V/MP4 files quite impossible - Plex Employees absolutely refuse to see the light of day on this matter because in the time that’s passed since Plex was invented, until right now, Plex hasn’t found it important to change the default location of Local Media Assets… and that means that out of the box, Plex won’t work with M4V/MP4 files for the overwhelming majority of Plex Users. At this point we’re not exactly sure who is in the user group that actually needs LMA in the top slot - but one thing is certain - I don’t know any of them and that user group is microscopic in comparison to the vast majority of users that DO NOT want LMA in the top slot… and that is an irrefutable fact.

Fix One:
Name and Structure your files following this guide to the letter:
https://support.plex.tv/articles/categories/media-preparation/
Particularly:
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200220687-naming-series-season-based-tv-shows/
Incidentally, Tom has provided some perfect examples above.

Fix Two:
FileBot (link in my signature) can handle that naming and structuring for you automatically or manually in seconds.

What FileBot can’t do is remove possible embedded metadata in the Title Field of MP4/M4V files. Plex will read this info and prefer it over a perfect file name/structure, but you can combat that situation by moving Local Media Assets to the bottom of every agent list you can find. All tabs in TV Shows and Movies here:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200241558-Agents
Just drag LMA to the bottom of the list and drop it. If you do have embedded metadata this will cure the issue, if you don’t it won’t matter. LMA will do what it has to from the bottom.

Fix Three - The Plex Dance®

Renaming/restructuring is best performed OUTSIDE the library and you may need to write a new bundle for the show or movie so The Plex Dance® was invented. TV Shows are so messed up right now - by Plex’s Own Hand - you may as well start over with a new bundle - and The Plex Dance® is the ONLY way to make that happen:

The Plex Dance®:

  1. remove show/movie from library - the entire show/movie
  2. rescan library files
  3. empty trash
  4. clean bundles
    https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— scan library files, empty trash, clean bundles
  5. bring names and structures into compliance/Move LMA/etc
  6. replace corrected show/movie into library
  7. rescan library files

All Steps. In Order. No Shortcuts.

After you do all this - it’s still very likely you’ll have to Fix Match. Until Plex finally realizes (I’m not holding my breath) the epic mistake of this:


Fix Match will be the ONLY solution for many shows that simply won’t match.

Follow the instructions for TV Show naming and structuring - what else can we do? When that fails - as it will - often - Fix Match. Sometimes Fix Match won’t even work. In those cases Hand Edit.

Still No Joy?

Log Files:
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/
Drag zip file to message window and drop it.

Epilogue:
Twice this week already I’ve had to Fix Match for 2 Movies - that never used to happen - ever. Both were remakes.

These:
Death Wish (2018),xxx
Fahrenheit 451 (2018).xxx
can NOT be ‘mistaken’ for these:
Death Wish (1974).xxx
Fahrenheit 451 (1966).xxx
unless you reside on Planet Plex… apparently.

6

I don’t know if it will help anyone else, but the steps described above by JuiceWSA didn’t work for me. What worked was the following steps…

  1. Unmatch the show
  2. Move the files out of the library
  3. Delete the show in Plex
  4. Move the files back into the library
  5. Rescan
7

I had one Show that was not grouping by Season, just showing all episodes. All my other Shows were fine. This is what worked for me

  • Click on the pencil
  • Go to Advanced
  • For “Season” choose “Library Default”

If you choose “Hide”, it will hide the seasons and only show the episodes. This was the setting my Show was set to, once I changed it to “Library Default” then everything went back to normal. If you want to override the “Library Default” grouping then choose “Show”

Also, if you wish to change the “Library Default”, then click on the three dots next to the library you wish to change. Pick “Manage Library”, then “Edit…”. At the next Window, choose Advanced then scroll down and look for Season and pick your the option you want.

Hope this helps.
Server Version 1.18.0.1944 (Windows)

1 Like
8

This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.