How to specify the versions names of same episod on a TV show?

[frarev]

Server Version#: Version 1.32.6.7557
Player Version#: Version 4.108.0

Hello.

I have two versions of each episod of a TV show : english and french.
I can’t merge them into one MKV file because they have different technical specification (fps).

So, I copied the two episod files in the same tv show library.
Plex shows correctly one episod with 2 versions.
I can choose the right version with the interface.

But the version’s names are not user friendly :

• 2.1 Mbps 1080p
• 2.6 Mbps 576p

Do you know a tip to set a specific name for the versions ?
I tried with {edition-} but works only for Movies and not TV shows.

Thanks for your help.

Franck

[FordGuy61]

Put the versions separate folders. Use square brackets (ignored by PMS) to delineate between versions.

/TV Shows
  /ShowName (year) [English]
    /Season 01
      /ShowName (year) - s01e01.mkv
  /ShowName (year) [French]
    /Season 01
      /ShowName (year) - s01e01.mkv

Plex will initially combine the different versions.

Using Plex Web, go to the library containing the TV show, mouse over the show icon, click on the three dots in lower right corner, and choose split.

Correction: Go to the TV Show listing. Click on the three dots (“More”) and choose split apart.

You should see two entries for the show, named the same.

Manually edit the show name to include “English,” “French,” etc. and lock in the changes (mouse over show icon, select pencil in lower left corner, change title name, click lock to make change persistent, save changes).

Note:

Plex still considers them as one show. Play progress, watched status, etc will be the same. For example, if you watch an episode with French audio, the episode with English audio will also be marked as watched.

What is displayed in Continue Watching will be similarly affected. You’ll need to go into the TV show library and navigate to the specific episode you wish to watch.

[frarev]

Hello FordGuy61,

Thanks for the quick answer.

I did what you request with two main directories [french] and [english].

As before, Plex see correctly two versions and I can choose a specific version through the technical names (2.1 Mbps 1080p or 2.6 Mbps 576p).

But I can’t choose “split” in the three dots menu : i have no “Split” menu.

Where i can find this Split menu ?

Thanks again.

[blim5001]

It looks to me like they might have moved the split option.

I do not see it in the 3 dots in the TV Library, I have go to the top level of the show itself.

Edit:

TV Library:

Show:

[FordGuy61]

@blim5001 Yep. It was removed from the Library page at some point. I was going off an old post.
Thanks for noticing this. I’ve corrected my post.

[frarev]

Exactly Blim5001 !

That works well now and i get effectively two entries in my TV Shows library that i can personalize.

Thanks for your help

(It’s bad that the {edition-} option doesn’t word for tv shows)

[plex_8887]

Just want to say thank you for posting this question and those that provided answers. I had the same problem when adding the 2023 Blu-Ray edition of Babylon 5. I wanted to keep the lower DVD version as that’s how I remember watching it over 30 years ago on broadcast TV.

This has also inspired me to go back and add my DVD version of Friends. I choose to put my Blu-Ray version in Plex as that is closer to what aired. But the DVD version has extra content included in several of the episodes. It’s nice to be able to access both from my Plex server now.

Edit: When using this technic on the original Star Trek series (Blu-Ray has both As Aired and Enhanced Graphics versions) I added Seasons 2 and 3 then went back and added Season 1 later. The only way I found to make the “Split Apart” method work was to 1) move the files outside of my Plex library folders. 2) Run Scan Library Files. 3) Move the files back to my Plex library folders, including Season 1. 4) Run Scan Library files. 5) Repeat the Split process. The down side was I had to redo all my edits (posters, name changes, collection tagging, etc.)