I see kodi is now adding chapter images. This is my only feature request i have for plex.
Looks like were getting a bit of progress with the media index stuff, although chapter image markers like kodi and media browser 3 (also a server client program which does this on the server side to feed the clients) would be even better in plex as well.
I was going to try the media index out, I dont seem to have this option displayed in this image
I have enabled Generate media index files during scans and
Generate missing media index files during maintenance
I was going to try the media index out, I dont seem to have this option displayed in this image
It changed in the last release: Settings -> Server -> Library -> Generate Video Preview Thumbnails -> choose "as a scheduled task"
edit seems like its working.
If plex can already do this a chapter selection layout with images like this would be ideal like a bluray or dvd (or like mb3, or kodi now supports). In mb3 the server extracted the images at chapter markers and then it feeds all the clients.
Unfortunately this media image index is also not supported by plex home theater right now and several other clients....
I really have no other request for plex beyond this last one, this seems like part of the solution as plex already has extracted images, we just need selected images to correspond to chapter markers. And then get a chapter selection presentation interface in most plex clients.
Chapter selection images would also be less intensive then this one, you just extract images at the chapter mark points in a movie or tv episode instead of scrubbing the entire film for images.
After trying this media index thumbnails and comparing it to mb3 server chapter extraction (two methods but both extracting images for my movies and tv), its just to cpu intensive and makes my library far to large. Extracting images at just the chapter points was alot easier and less cpu intensive. mb3 maybe extracted 10 images total for a movie at various chapter points (give or take depending on chapters), this generating images for an entire movie maybe extracts 100, it seems to be taking far longer and taking up far more disk space then the media browser 3 chapter extraction since its generating images for an entire movie.
MB3 did my entire library in 4 hours, with this method im probably looking at 4 days and plex also crashed on me.
So i guess to add to this request chapter image extraction would also be nice for those who have low powered cpu's with not alot of disk space who cant use media index thumbnail files.
@ghostm MB3 also has something similar to media index. It's not a native feature though. Only for Roku. There is a plugin for it. "Roku Thumbnails".
C'mon! Just ripping many family videos right now with many chapter.. juste a lot easier to move from chapter to chapter than guessing on the video!
+1
I thought it might be worth pointing out that Plex partially supports chapter markers. I'll explain…
Background info
The MP4/M4V file container supports multiple track types including chapter markers. I think MKV file container also supports chapter information but I'm not so interested or familiar with this format (MP4/M4V is a bit more flexible in my environment – MP4/M4V file container video plays back in all OS X applications such as QuickTime Player while MKV doesn't).
Handbrake will preserve chapter information when ripping media from several formats (e.g. DVD-video) to MP4/M4V. Subler (OS X utility) has features to add/edit individual chapter makers or export/import entire chapter track information. mChapter is another OS X utility for manipulating chapter information. There are other utilities for adding, removing, editing chapter marker information.
All my media is in MP4/M4V format and many contain chapter tracks/markers.
Plex already has partial/limited support for chapter markers
It is helpful to remember there are several Plex playback components/applications and they don't all have exactly the same set of features. In my setup I regularly use three playback applications: Plex Web, Plex iOS app and Plex Home Theatre. Plex Web and Plex iOS don't have features to support chapter marker information but Plex Home Theatre does.
Solution
In Plex Home Theatre chapter markers at play back is supported via the [ key (Previous Chapter) and ] key (Next Chapter).
Solution Design
To view media on TV I built a Plex Home Theatre set-top streaming device by combining Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, Flirc IR remote receiver, Flirc Raspberry Pi Case (the aluminium enclosure is suitably robust/strong for home environment), RasPlex (great work guys), WiPi USB interface and Apple TV remote (Easy enough to program Flirc remote with Apple TV remote using the Flirc utility). RasPlex is basically Plex Home Theatre on a set-top streaming device.
I'm quite happy with basic chapter support (Previous Chapter and Next Chapter) in Plex Home Theatre running on desktop/notebook computer and running on RasPlex. I don't require the extra polish of chapter poster frames.
Other solution designs I considered but rejected:
I believe the Apple TV is the best commercial streaming device. Apple limits AppleTV apps ("channels") to big/mainstream content libraries to maintain an overall positive user experience as well as guide consumers to commercial media libraries. (Apple is rumoured to be preparing for an Apple TV related updates at WWDC June 2015). I have PlexConnect running nicely to view Plex Media Server media on AppleTV 3 at home. I believe this user interface to be better than any of the Plex Home Theatre skins. Setting this up (with and without the help of OpenPlex) was less than straght forward.
Solution Benefits
The benefits related to Plex Home Theatre on computer/notebook or on RasPlex/RaspberryPi2:
Summary
My requirement for chapter maker support is partially resolved by Plex Home Theatre. I'd previously overlooked Plex Home Theatre to concentrate on Plex iOS app and Plex Web but now I'm spending more time viewing media using Plex Home Theatre. It would be nice if Plex playback solutions (in particular Plex for iOS and Plex Web) supported the same set of features – chapter marker support features. This would certainly help manage Plex customer/consumer understanding, better manage customer/consumer expectations and add to the Plex customer/consumer experience.
Plex developers are working on improving their product components and I'm impressed with the terrific features added to regular software releases/updates. The passion and products produced by Plex devotees (e.g. RasPlex) is also impressive and appreciated.
Solution
In Plex Home Theatre chapter markers at play back is supported via the [ key (Previous Chapter) and ] key (Next Chapter).
I didn't even notice that was working! Yep, it does. Thanks!
I didn't even notice that was working! Yep, it does. Thanks!
To note, if there is any kind of transcode that happens (not terribly likely in PHT) you won't get them any more, pretty sure this only works when you direct play a video.
To note, if there is any kind of transcode that happens (not terribly likely in PHT) you won't get them any more, pretty sure this only works when you direct play a video.
Yep, that's why I didn't notice them before. Only when I'm out of the house and transcoding do I want to use chapters because Rasplex can't remember where I left off to save its life. At home with direct-play that is not problem, so I didn't even notice (or care) that chapter support was working.
To note, if there is any kind of transcode that happens (not terribly likely in PHT) you won't get them any more, pretty sure this only works when you direct play a video.
Thanks adamskoog for pointing this out. I hadn't noticed this additional limitation until now. It frustrates me that chapter support is dependent on so many variables:
• Playback app: Plex Web App, Plex Home Theatre, SmartTV app etc.
• Direct Play versus Transcoding.
It would be nice if chapter track information could be passed to the playback app during "server-client handshaking" so that it can be supported even when playback involves transcoding. This might be challenge and be a reason for Plex developers to push improved support for chapter tracks further down the list of priorities (really, I understand there must be higher priorities). It also might be technically impossible with existing key components.
If the feature can't be supported can more information be communicated to the user in interface?
Plex apps have sooo much bling (graphical elements with a presentational purpose rather than functional purpose) i.e. clear art, cast and crew information, yet there is no information in the interface for the user to learn about chapter track (present in media or not?):
I understand why Plex might decide to omit this information from the user interface. Including this information will likely prompt more users look for features supporting this and they then will discover the inconsistent or limited support.
To avoid consumer confusion and frustration perhaps Plex could drop all features relating to chapter tracks until it can be implemented more fully or at least more consistently. Of course, if developer waited for everything to be implemented in-full a product would likely never get released and if consumers waited for all their desirable features to be implemented they might turn their attention to other activities. It is better to have part implementation rather than no implementation.
If chapter track information is not listed in the user interface how about a support page?
Plex team has done a lot to manage consumer expectations by structuring support documentation and adding detailed information. Perhaps a page on features relating to chapter tracks would help manage consumer expectations. There is a "Using Subtitles" section in the support pages, how about a "Using Chapters" section? Short of that, this forum is the next best place for this information (what we are doing here :) ).
Chapters are not supported by Plex yet. Period.
If they get implemented, they will very likely be supported at the server level so that all clients can make use of them.
That you can use chapters at present when Direct Playing (which means PHT gets the file unmodified and with chapter markers from the server) in Plex Home Theater is only because PHT is a modified XBMC and therefore inherits that functionality.
A visual menu system is overkill and it really doesn't jive with the Plex UI style (same reason they don't want to implement DVD/Blu Ray ISO images). Plus, there are some movies out there that have nearly 100 chapters - it could make navigation a real pain to generate pages with screenshots.
With that said, I would love to see support for chapter markers in mkv/mp4 files. Some simple code to read/implement chapter markers and two buttons (forward one chapter and backward one chapter) would accomplish 90% of what everyone in this thread is hoping for.
It's a pretty glaring omission for a video player to not support this as it makes navigation of movies a huge pain without it. Also, handbrake embeds these markers from DVDs and Blu Rays by default - I'm betting many people have them already and don't even know it.
A visual menu system is overkill and it really doesn't jive with the Plex UI style (same reason they don't want to implement DVD/Blu Ray ISO images). Plus, there are some movies out there that have nearly 100 chapters - it could make navigation a real pain to generate pages with screenshots.
That's why it would most likely be a user option. You enable it if you want it or disable it if you don't. Simple. Very simple
Similarly to "Extras", there can also be a button to view all chapters thumbnails. Extras isn't an overkill on the plex UI, is it?
since we lost all ‘Likes’ in the course of moving the forums over, all involved please ‘Like’ the first post of this thread again.
Sorry for the inconvenience!
@bigtimebooch said:
A visual menu system is overkill and it really doesn’t jive with the Plex UI style (same reason they don’t want to implement DVD/Blu Ray ISO images). Plus, there are some movies out there that have nearly 100 chapters - it could make navigation a real pain to generate pages with screenshots.
The Extra’s are implemented quite nicely, and a similar implementation would look very nice IMHO…
Jaap
See kodi now supports this and naturally the community is quite excited as it was requested a few years ago quite a bit…so we have Mb3, kodi now supporting it…plex?
Would love to see that feature implemented in Plex Home Theater!
+1
Just wanted to mention to, it does not have to be just plex home theater, mb3 which is basically a server client setup exactly like plex has the server create the chapter markers and images as a scheduled task, then it feeds the clients, so you could be on an android phone and have chapter selection support.
