# Missing posters **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2022, 5:04am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830 "2022-04-30T05:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 1:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/21 "2022-05-20T01:19:47Z")
Ahhh! OK, I think I understand. I’m sorry for the roundabout trip. 🙂 Did you see @Divideby0’s comment about local metadata? Do you happen to have poster files or cover art files in the same folders as your media? What are these set to? `Manage Library` → `Edit...` → `Advanced` → `Use local assets` `Manage Library` → `Edit...` → `Advanced` → `Prefer local metadata` You probably don’t want `Prefer local metadata` to be enabled. Then, can you make sure Debug logging is enabled (it never needs to be disabled): `[Server Name]` → `Settings` → `General` → `Enable Plex Media Server debug logging` Then hit `Refresh Metadata` on that one item. And then share [server logs?](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) `[Server Name]` → `Manage` → `Troubleshooting` → `Download Logs` ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 2:34am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/22 "2022-05-20T02:34:40Z")
under \> Edit… \> Advanced I have Scanner \> Plex Movie Agent \> Plex Movie Visibility \> Include in home screen and global search Enable Cinema Trailers is checked Certification Country \> United States Use Original Titles is not checked Prefer artwork based on library language is checked Use Local Assets is checked Prefer Local metadata is not checked Find Extras is checked Only show trailers is not checked Allow Red Band trailers is not checked Localized subtitles is not checked Include Adult Content is not checked Minimum automatic collection size is disabled Ratings source is Rotten Tomatoes Enable video preview thumbnails is checked Collections is disabled i should have time to do the [server log](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) thing tomorrow. …do you mean Refresh metadata on the Beanstalk movie? I have about 800 movies that i got by using a screen recorder while the movie played on one of my monitors. It appears that plex is able to find the posters for those movies, plus for all the movies I got from my dvds, plus all the movies I downloaded from youtube. It seems plex can’t get the posters from movies I got using streamfab. I found that streamfab is an easier option than using a screen recorder, so I’ve been using it instead of the screen recorder. ---
**Author:** ![Volts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a5b964/32.png) [@Volts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Volts)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:00am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/23 "2022-05-20T03:00:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Scanner \> Plex Movie > Agent \> Plex Movie Good. > [@](#): > > Use Local Assets is checked When this is enabled Plex will use a local image file as the Poster if one exists. Are there any image files next to your movie files - such as **Beanstalk.jpg** or **Beanstalk/Poster.jpg**? If you don’t have _any_ Local Assets, such as Posters/Art/Subtitles/Extras/Trailers, you could even disable this. > [@](#): > > Prefer Local metadata is not checked Good. To be sure I understand, when you edit a show to manually choose a different poster, do other Plex-provided posters appear? Does the poster that you don’t want also appear in that list, as a horizontal “screenshot” apparently from the video? ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2022, 3:30am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/24 "2022-05-20T03:30:15Z")
If I download a file to use as a poster, I put it in a folder with all my other movie posters, and I don’t see any file in there called beanstalk. If I want to choose a different poster, plex will usually have several posters for me to select from. But anyway, while checking one of the movies i got by using a screen recorder i noticed there was no movie poster for it, which is odd because it seems plex provides posters for the other movies i got by using a screen recorder… but then when clicking on “get info” for that movie i saw that i had 2 copies of that movie, one was from using a screen recorder and the other copy was from using streamfab…so i moved the movie i got using streamfab out of the movie folder, refreshed the metadata for that movie, and the poster showed up…I then moved the streamfab movie back into the movie folder so that both movies showed up under “media info” and refreshed the metadata for that movie and the poster was gone…so it seems that plex has a problem with posters when the movie is from using streamfab, at least in my case. Anyway, thanks for being nice enough to spend your time helping me. I need to work on other stuff tonite but will check back tomorrow or on the weekend to see if there is any other messages. Thanks again for all the help. ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/25 "2022-05-22T17:26:28Z")
Hi. I got the plex [server logs.](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) [Plex Media Server Logs\_2022-05-22\_10-13-29.zip](https://forums.plex.tv/uploads/short-url/nBNM6Wd5b0PF7ANDzSy5i6OJAYe.zip) (7.0 MB) ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2022, 10:28pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/26 "2022-05-28T22:28:03Z")
Hi again. Is there anything in the Plex [server logs](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200250417-plex-media-server-log-files/) that shows what my problem might be? Also, I have 2 copies of a movie, …one copy is from using the streamfab program and the other copy is from using a screen recorder to record it from a monitor. If I remove the streamfab copy from the folder that Plex looks in and leave the monitor copy alone then refresh the metadata for that movie, the movie poster appears…If I remove the monitor copy from the folder that Plex looks in and put the streamfab copy back, then refresh the metadata for that movie, the poster vanishes and I’m left with a screenshot of the movie…so that has to be an important clue, but where it leads to I don’t know. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 4:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/27 "2022-06-08T04:48:15Z")
I found a couple more clues, in case it helps anyone to help me. First, when I use streamfab to get a tv show, the poster shows up. So it seems to only be the movie posters that Plex has a problem getting when i use streamfab to record the movie, not the tv shows. Second, I added some more movies using streamfab, and while i was watching the movies being added, i saw the posters appear, but then a moment later, the poster was replaced by a screenshot of the movie. So when i add a movie that i recorded using streamfab, plex does know how to put in a movie poster, but then for some reason plex replaces it with a screenshot of the movie. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 1:03pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/28 "2022-06-08T13:03:55Z")
It really sounds like streamfab might include a local poster automatically. Internal or externally, there must be a poster, and Plex is using that instead of online metadata. Is there an option in streamfab to disable a “poster” selection when recording a file? Is the file created by streamfab an mp4 file? I don’t know anything about logs to be able to parse them to see if during movie detection the logs state that it is selecting a local poster from the file rather than another source. Do we got a dev or someone more knowledgeable that can look? ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/29 "2022-06-08T16:30:14Z")
Thanks for your help but Plex isn’t showing any poster that streamfab might be pointing to, it’s just a random screenshot from the movie. I guess I could once again start to choose posters from the ones that Plex shows, but after spending about 20 hours doing that, a metadata refresh just cleared out all of those posters. So if I choose posters that way again, if I have to do a metadata refresh for my movies, it might just wipe out all those posters again. I’m wondering if instead of choosing one of the posters that plex shows, if I instead choose a picture for the poster and save it as a file, will that poster remain when I do a metadata refresh for the movies library? Maybe I will choose a few posters that way, then do a metadata refresh to see what happens. If it works, it will probably take me several months to choose the rest of the posters that way. I will hold off on doing that for awhile incase someone else knows a better way. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 5:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/30 "2022-06-08T17:34:09Z")
Well, it’s what I’m concerned about. I suspect that Streamfab might be just choosing a scene 15 minutes into the file (or another arbitrary time) and taking a screenshot. Then, in the metadata of the file, it might set that image as the poster. If it does this, Plex can be set to honor local metadata over metadata taken from online sources by the Plex Movie Agent. If we can get rid of any possible source of a “local” metadata option for a poster from being generated, then there shouldn’t ever be a poster change in your library if you refresh the library’s metadata. It’s strange that Plex seems to be wiping out your existing poster choices on a library refresh though. Otto’s post up there (I missed it the first time) is a neato command to force a lock on all your CURRENT movie library’s posters which should prevent this. Setting a poster manually should have locked it, though, so it’s more of a bandaid fix. And you will likely have to keep doing the command every now and then as you add to your library. This is why I seem so focused on finding out where this screenshot “poster” is coming from. I don’t have Streamfab, but it looks like a great program I’d like to have, but the price is ick. I’m going to try to download the free demo and try it out, see if I can find a setting that might be causing this. ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/31 "2022-06-08T18:11:15Z")
Trying it now. Doesn’t appear to be that professional of a program. It has zero options for selecting video formats, simply asking if you want one of various qualities (480p, 720p, full HD 1080p, etc). I am EXTREMELY hesitant to log into my streaming services within the program, so I am only able to test using their “free” youtube downloader (which promptly slapped me with a “You may only do 1080p 5 times!” message). Currently downloading a video file anyhow. Will see what metadata it includes. Edit: I might be on a wild goose chase here. At least when it came to a youtube-DL vid, it included zero metadata. I added the small vid to my library as a random movie I don’t have, and it only picked up the posters for the random movie from TheMovieDB (I assume). It didn’t even generate a random image from the file as a poster for it. I didn’t test it under a major provider (Netflix), so I can’t tell if the program does it differently for big-name services, but I doubt it. I am not willing to enter my info into this program, so I guess I’m out of ideas. /bowing out ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/32 "2022-06-08T18:55:33Z")
Thanks. I’m not very picky about the video quality. I just use streamfab for adding movies to my plex library so I have a selection of movies to watch. I have dvds and blurays of movies for the ones I"d like to watch with the best quality. Anyway, thanks for giving it a try. ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 9:06pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/33 "2022-06-08T21:06:05Z")
ok, i have a breakthru i hope…so i copied 3 of the movies that I got by using streamfab which don’t have posters into a different folder called Movie Test, and i made a new movie library in Plex called Movie test, and added the Movie Test folder to that new movie library, and now when I go to the Movie Test library in plex, all 3 movies have the posters for each movie. ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 9:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/34 "2022-06-08T21:16:17Z")
That sounds like the movie library you currently have uses an old agent. But that is strange, as Plex the server is VERY OBVIOUS about not wanting you to run an old agent and WILL LET YOU KNOW that. If this works well for you, consider remaking the library (or make a new library that points to the same file folder, leaving the old library in place for now). I hope you didn’t have a lot of manual edits to your movies, but if starting over seems fine and it fixes the poster issue, that may be an option. ---
**Author:** ![RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@RINGADINGDONG\_SHAW\_CA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/RINGADINGDONG_SHAW_CA)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2022, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/35 "2022-06-08T22:15:23Z")
Thanks. I think I’ll delete the 3 movies that are still in the old folder since i now have a copy of those 3 movies in the new folder with posters, then I’ll start moving more movies from the old folder into the new folder while i watch what happens with the posters. Then once the old folder is empty I’ll delete it and make new folders to add to the new movie library and move the rest of the movies from the other old folders into the new folders so i end up with a new movie library which has all new folders. At least that will be a lot faster than having to manually choose posters for the movies and with a new library and new folders whatever was causing the problem should hopefully not resurface…and if for some reason it does happen again I can just make a new library with new folders. That seems like something i should be able to do in a few hours spread over a few days. I do have some manual edits, like for example I might put a prefix in front of the title of the movie to indicate a have included certain features with that movie, but I guess I can just make notes of those title changes in an excel file to make it quicker to add them back if I want to. So I guess the problem is solved. thanks ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 10:16pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/missing-posters/790830/36 "2022-09-06T22:16:23Z")
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