How to name a file to get a correct match

General Discussions
4

@kotten said:
Some of my MKV-files dont get a correct match, even if the Movie itself is a famous one and i have named it exactly what the name is.

Is there a way to see somewhere how i can help Plex to find the file. For example, i have the Movie Alien vs Predator - Requiem, if i name this file like this, Plex wont find it. I have also tried AVP2 and AVP requiem. I have also put the year in the filename. It would be hand if i can see somewhere on internet (database), how this Movie should be named so Plex will find it.

Of course i can do a manuell match and then it works perfect. But some day i maybe need to wipe my Plex server install and do a new metadata find and all my files i have manually matched, i must do that once again.

It should be a way how to name the Movie so Plex will find it imediately.

FileBot - again - link in my signature.
The beauty of FileBot is it ‘pre-matches’ TV Shows and Movies by going to the online database in question and getting the name they use. That pretty much eliminates all possibilities for error. When you drop a FileBot named file in your library it’s already been matched, so it’s scanned and populated instantly. No Muss - No Fuss.

If you don’t use FileBot - you go to the database in question:
https://www.themoviedb.org/ - Movies (Plex Movie uses IMDB and that is arguably your WORST choice - TMDB is king)
https://www.thetvdb.com/ - TV Shows
Get the name they use, name and structure your file according to the Packaged Plex Instructions:
LInked a bunch already above
and away you go.

A TV Show Library/
…TV Show Name/
…Season 01/
…TV Show Name - S01E01 - Episode Name Optional.xxx
…TV Show Name - S01E02.xxx
^ That’s IT. There is no wiggle room.

A Movie Library:
…Movie Name (YEAR).xxx
or
…Movie Name (YEAR)/
… Movie Name (YEAR).xxx

MP4/M4V files with embedded Title Fields brings down a whole bunch of bad ju-ju on the hapless Plex User. 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 Show 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.

Renaming/restructuring is best performed OUTSIDE the library and you’ll need to write a new bundle for the show so The Plex Dance® was invented:

The Plex Dance®:

  1. remove show/movie from library
  2. update library
  3. empty trash
  4. clean bundles
    https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— update library, empty trash, clean bundles
  5. bring names and structures into compliance/ or the ultimate bundle reboot operation
  6. replace corrected show/movie into library
  7. update library

All Steps. In Order. No Shortcuts.