Right now we have extras support like behind the scenes, trailers, etc.
What is missing is "Alternate Editions". Many movies are increasingly coming out with director's cuts, extended editions, edits-that-exist-solely-to-show-how-stupid-studios-can-be (Brazil's Love Conquers All edition). Bladerunner currently has 5 different edits available. :)
When the movie scanner hits these, it has a tendency to combine them and not always in a way that allows me to pick one over the other. i then have to split them up, unmatch one (losing what IMDB info has come in) rename one of them, and hope that the next scan doesn't just recombine them again which happens more often than I'd like.
What I would like is the ability to pick one edit as the primary one in the library (say, the Extended Edition), then move the others down into the extras folder as Alternate Editions, where they can be found if desired, but out of the way of the main index pages.
It shouldn't be that hard to just add that as a valid folder and type string/suffix to the 6 already there, I think?
Was just coming to look n see if this was already mentioned.
Something along the lines of file/folder names having (directors cut) or (extended edition) and so on in them could be picked up. Most of the time just have one version of said movie, but on occasion its nice to have different versions as they can be vastly different from each other to the point of having unique story lines in each version.
How are people currently handling this? I have a lot of movies with alternate versions, some with many alternate versions (I'm looking at you Mr Bladerunner) and the only was that seems to work at all (and not well is to put them in a folder named scenes and name them things like directors cut, final, etc. Not ideal.
I've been using the 'Scenes' folder in much the same way. I'd agree that it's not ideal, especially when a movie also has other extras.
How are people currently handling this? I have a lot of movies with alternate versions, some with many alternate versions (I'm looking at you Mr Bladerunner) and the only was that seems to work at all (and not well is to put them in a folder named scenes and name them things like directors cut, final, etc. Not ideal.
That being said, it seems like this request is simply adding a new label, which, while still nice, wouldn't necessarily improve the situation. Now you would just have a folder named "Alternate Editions", but they would still just be sitting with the other extras. And, there would still be no way to tell when a movie has an alternate cut available (unless you remember to check the extras folder). I suppose the benefit is that since extras are ordered and grouped alphabetically, at least they would be easier to find at the top of the list.
Rather than just adding this new tag for alternate versions/cuts/editions, I think they should actually be handled somewhat differently. The various versions should be treated more like the normal movie than like an extra, and there should be some easy identifier for when multiple versions are available. Almost as if you'd select the desired version from a dropdown in the same way you select subs or audio track (not ideal...i'm sure someone has a better method for this, but hopefully you get the idea). It would be great to be able to sync the alternate versions as well (I understand that adding this new complexity is harder than just making it possible to sync extras in general...but thought I'd share my two cents).
Right now, since it's still not easy to identify what movies I might have multiple cuts of using extras, I'm still keeping things like LotR split into multiple items in my movies library (theatrical and extended). This also allows me to sync the desired version.
I really appreciate that they implemented extras--just can't wait for them to make their way onto iOS and Xbox One, and maybe a similar implementation for TV shows (not just the "specials" folder).
+1 on this one - I too have some movies with three, four, or more versions - Theatrical, Director's Cut, Extended Cut, Special Edition, Unrated Edition, etc. Right now I have separate subfolders - example, \movies\Gladiator (2000)\Extended Cut\Gladiator Extended Cut.mkv, and \movies\Gladiator (2000)\Gladiator 10th Anniversary Edition\10th Anniversary Edition.mkv - but it would be nice to just drop them both in the one folder and not have Plex just show them all the same (or is it only showing the one? I can't even tell...)
Actually, once I moved them from one folder to subfolders, I could tell which one I'd been looking at... when they were under the same folder, every one I selected gave me four audio options: two Asian language, DTS 5.1, and two English, Stereo 2.0... the two English ones both have commentary, the DTS ones have no sound at all. Now that they're separated I can see this is the 10th Anniv. version - the single folder didn't even give me the Extended Cut. When they're separated, I can see the Extended Cut provides only two audio options: French DTS 5.1, and English DTS 5.1... which the audio worked for an instant when I started it, and now the status LEDs on my Visio sound bar are blinking madly, indicating it doesn't know what to do with the signal...
Not that the audio problems are related to this, just the version issues....
Interesting thing is, Plex still knows they're the same movie - if I switch from one to the other, it offers to resume from wherever the previous one had advanced to. Playback setting (Direct, Transcode, etc.) is persistent as well.
The Alternate Edition Extra type is a new feature that I would use for my films like Blade Runner.
Maybe if Plex Server could allow us to create our own extra types, like Gag Reel, Shorts, Alternate Edition then we could create our own extra types for whatever movies that we have.
The extras will also need to be implemented on the tablet versions of Plex since I know that I watch movies on my iPad when I am away from the HTPC and being able to view the alternate edition feature on an iPad would be a must have feature.
Was about to suggest something like this as it is something that is sorely needed. I actually found a few threads in this category of getting something to this effect.
