Missing TV Series, I've tried 'everything'?

[gbonk]

Server Version#: 1.14.0.5470
Player Version#: 3.69.1

I have a couple of TV Series that appear to be correct but yet they do not appear in my list of available TV shows. I’ll focus on one of them here, it being Cosmos ( the original )

I’ve been through just about everything documentation related and double checking the setup etc but everything looks OK to me. I’m not really sure what to try next.

I did turn on the verbose logging, here’s a snippet…

Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:41822 (Loopback)] GET /:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos (12 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (gbonk)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * User-Agent => Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/47.0.2526.106 Safari/537.36
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * Host => 127.0.0.1:32400
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * Accept => */*
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * Accept-Encoding => gzip
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * X-Plex-Token => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f39dbffe700] VERBOSE -  * message => Scanning Cosmos
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f3a003fe700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:41822] 200 GET /:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos (12 live) GZIP 0ms 166 bytes
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f3a00bff700] VERBOSE - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f3a00bff700] VERBOSE - Auth: Came in with the master token, authorization succeeded.
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] DEBUG - Request: [127.0.0.1:41824 (Loopback)] GET /:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos%2FSeason%2001 (13 live) GZIP Signed-in Token (gbonk)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * User-Agent => Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; WOW64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/47.0.2526.106 Safari/537.36
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * Host => 127.0.0.1:32400
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * Accept => */*
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * Accept-Encoding => gzip
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * X-Plex-Token => xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f39c53ff700] VERBOSE -  * message => Scanning Cosmos/Season 01
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.163 [0x7f3a003fe700] DEBUG - Completed: [127.0.0.1:41824] 200 GET /:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos%2FSeason%2001 (13 live) GZIP 0ms 166 bytes
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.186 [0x7f3a00bff700] VERBOSE - WebSocket: processed 1 frame(s)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.252 [0x7f3a00bff700] VERBOSE - Auth: We found auth token (xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx), enabling token-based authentication.
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.252 [0x7f3a00bff700] VERBOSE - Auth: Came in with the master token, authorization succeeded.

AND

Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.138 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding subdirectory for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos"

...

Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.146 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG -     * Scanning directory /mnt/shows/Cosmos (parent: yes)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.146 [0x7f35f85c0800] VERBOSE -     * Noting that 'Cosmos' was updated at 2018-11-30 17:10:01
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.146 [0x7f35f85c0800] VERBOSE -     * Taking directory 'Cosmos' (9612) out of the map (786 left)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.150 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding subdirectory for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.150 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/.DS_Store"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.150 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding subdirectory for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/@eaDir"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.153 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Skipping over directory 'Cosmos', as nothing has changed; removing 0 media items from map.
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.153 [0x7f35e67ff700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG -     * Scanning directory /mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01 (parent: yes)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f35f85c0800] VERBOSE -     * Noting that 'Cosmos/Season 01' was updated at 2018-11-30 17:22:06
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.154 [0x7f35f85c0800] VERBOSE -     * Taking directory 'Cosmos/Season 01' (49811) out of the map (785 left)
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35e67ff700] DEBUG - HTTP 200 response from GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e05.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e04.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e08.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos - s01e01 - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e13.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e11.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding subdirectory for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/hidden"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos - s01e02 - One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.155 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e10.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e09.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e12.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e03.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e06.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding subdirectory for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/@eaDir"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.156 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: "/mnt/shows/Cosmos/Season 01/Cosmos s01e07.mp4"
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.161 [0x7f35f85c0800] DEBUG - Skipping over directory 'Cosmos/Season 01', as nothing has changed; removing 13 media items from map.
Dec 09, 2018 18:29:05.162 [0x7f35e67ff700] DEBUG - HTTP requesting GET http://127.0.0.1:32400/:/metadata/updateProgressMessage?message=Scanning%20Cosmos%2FSeason%2001

It’s being found but ignored? I tried ‘touching’ the files to a current date but nothing changed and they were still ignored.

Any other suggestions ?

[tom80H]

can you confirm they’re not showing up “somewhere else” (e.g. because of embedded metadata in the mp4 files)?
if something actually gives Plex the hiccups you could try removing the show folder completely from the library folder, re-scan the library, empty caches/trash, move the folder back and scan the library again (“plex dance”)

[gbonk]

Love the technical term, plex dance

I was clicking around and I noticed there is a way to view my TV shows by folder, and the Cosmos directory is there.

Sure enough, clicking into there the episodes are there and when I clicked on info, I discovered that Plex has assigned them to the newer Cosmos (2014) series.

I’m guessing that’s what you mean by somewhere else. Any way other than the Plex Dance to prevent plex from getting confused in the first place ? I’ll give the Plex Dance a try and report back

[tom80H]

best include the year the show first aired in the file/folder names to avoid such confusion… can be a pain but helps keeping your library clean.

[grhiner]

I agree. The TVDB gives the new series the name Cosmos (2014)

Your folder and shows should reflect this.

The Older series does not have the year and is named
Cosmos

[gbonk]

Yes, I have ‘Cosmos’ and I have ‘Cosmos (2014)’ would a Cosmos (1980) have helped ?

SO, I did the dance and the result was Plex deciding to merge both folders into one and marked it as the older series. It was then an easy matter of performing the Split the merge/un-merge ( or what ever it’s called).

While I’m disappointed that Plex is not following the naming as recommended I’m glad it’s at least correct now.

[ChuckPa]

are they MKV or MP4 with embedded titles?

I have both as MKV without issue.

[ChuckPa]

As example of how I handle Cosmos, which is per TVDB naming,

[chuck@lizum /vie.103]$ ls -la /vie/tv2/Cosmos\ \(2014\)/Season\ 01
total 49056664
drwxr-xr-x 2 chuck chuck       4096 May 22  2018 ./
drwxr-xr-x 3 chuck chuck       4096 May 22  2018 ../
-rw-r--r-- 1 chuck chuck 6440506120 May 27  2018 Cosmos (2014).S01E01.Standing Up in the Milky Way.mkv
-rw-r--r-- 1 chuck chuck 3515686276 May 27  2018 Cosmos (2014).S01E02.Some of the Things that Molecules Do.mkv

[chuck@lizum /vie.104]$ ls -la /vie/tv3/Cosmos/Season\ 01
total 9243164
drwxr-xr-x 2 chuck chuck      4096 Mar 29  2018 ./
drwxr-xr-x 3 chuck chuck      4096 Feb  6  2018 ../
-rw-r--r-- 1 chuck chuck 728792342 May 27  2018 Cosmos - S01E01 - The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean.mkv
-rw-r--r-- 1 chuck chuck 723121681 May 27  2018 Cosmos - S01E02 - One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue.mkv

[gbonk]

thank you Chuck, I would certainly say my setup is comparable to yours.

I checked for embedded titles and I didn’t find anything but I might not be doing it correctly. Any recommendations on how to check ?

[ChuckPa]

mediainfo will tell you if it has an embedded name (the title property in MKV parlance)

This entire process for me in Linux is trivial, I can show you how when they’re MKV

#!/bin/sh

for i in *.mkv
do
  mkvpropedit -s title=  "$i"
done

Sets a null title property value

Not only are MKV easier to operate on (IMO), they use less disk space

[fahqnix]

easiest way is to check https://www.thetvdb.com/series/cosmos/seasons/1 make sure your file names are close, I just had same issue with a show and it was SHOW NAME 01x01 - .mkv but their listed on thetvdb as PART 1.mkv etc, not the name of the show, and soon as I fixed ep 1 it worked fine.

drove me crazy for 30 min…

[ChuckPa]

The exact format is:

Show Name <delimiter> SeasonEpisodeIdentifier  <optional delimiter><optional title>

Examples are:

Cosmos - S01E01.ext
Cosmos.1x1.ext     -- Allowed but no longer actively supported

Notice when spaces are used.

Full media preparation documentation can be found here.
https://support.plex.tv/articles/200220687-naming-series-season-based-tv-shows/