I know this has come up many times before and I’ve read a lot of posts about it, but I’ve never seen a post about this…
Firstly I am running PMS 0.9.12.11 which PMS says is the latest version.
Ok, so I have noticed when I have a Directors Cut and Theatrical Version of the same movie, even if I split them and apply different artwork with different names, Plex will still treat them as the same movie. I did find a way around this, by getting the metadata from different agents, such as freemake and TMDB.
This stops plex from treating them as the same movie and also allows different local extras to be attached to the movie, which previously when plex treated them as the same movie (even if split apart) would either have the extras from one of the versions shown in both versions.
Now, this is fine when you have 2 versions, but in the rare case like Blade Runner were several versions exist how can you make plex think they are different movies with only 2 agents.
Are there more agents i can download or is there another solution i haven’t found?
So,I figured there are two solutions to this problem.
Have the different versions of the movie as extras, just by using the identifier -scene
or
Join them all as one movie and use the resolution identifier even though they are all the same resolution, but then plex will scrub them as one movie but different versions.
Solution 2 I like, so I don’t have to keep searching for the version I want, Plex just asks which version I want. The only problem with this solution is now the extras (actual extras), Plex doesn’t display them. I have tried just using the -scene or -interview method and placing them in a subfolder labeled Interviews or Scenes but Plex refuses to show them.
Is there some issue were Plex can’t cope with both multiple versions and extras?
Plex PLEASE fix this!!! I need to be able to be able to create a Poster in the library and have multiple versions of that movie inside of it. I don’t want to tag them as extras or -scene. I have all James Bond movies and I would love to have one James Bond Poster on my screen that I click on and then see a list of all Bond movies, INSTEAD of 25 bond movies all over my Movie Library Browse window, This seems like a no brainer. Please Help!
I too have this same problem. The only difference is the year the movies were made which has been added to the file using the proper naming convention. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t
Same issue here. I’m ripping all of my DVDs to put into my Plex libraries. I have the original Stargate movie from 1994. But I have two discs. One is the Director’s Cut and the other is the Theatrical Cut.
I agree with @dmuennich. I’d like to click on “Stargate” then see the two versions. Right now, plex only lists them as one, but will play them back to back. That’s a little strange to me.
Stargate (1994) [Theatrical].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Director’s Cut].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Extended].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Naked Alien Version].xxx <---- don’t have that one.
Note: Anything in [Brackets] is ignored by Plex, but since they’re different file names you can add them to the same library and Windows won’t complain.
When added to a Movie Library Plex will ‘Merge’ them into one item that you can select at playback time with Play Button #2 (under Play Button #1), the Play Version or From Beginning button.
You can also ‘Split’ ‘Merged’ Versions into separate items. Then give each a separate poster and edit the description a bit. Unfortunately the way Plex deals with these Versions is a little (a LOT) whacky in that when you watch one Plex thinks you’re watching all of them.
@JuiceWSA being able to spilt the movies and assign different posters is fine, but that doesn’t stop plex treating them as the same file. You play one and it plays the other(s).
It would be great if plex could solve this issue rather than users having to figure out workarounds that don’t solve the solution.
I can’t believe Plex is so bad on core library issues like this and box sets. Pretty interface sure, but I’m starting to see the cracks… Looks like I might need to switch to a difference media service - anybody have suggestions on a media service that actually has their $**t together?
@sambarlick said: @JuiceWSA being able to spilt the movies and assign different posters is fine, but that doesn’t stop plex treating them as the same file. You play one and it plays the other(s).
It would be great if plex could solve this issue rather than users having to figure out workarounds that don’t solve the solution.
Yep, been this way for years and I don’t expect it will change any time soon.
It’s not actually ‘playing’ the different version, but Plex thinks it is. No workaround for that, unfortunately.
Threats to leave Plex for other Media Solutions are fairly empty threats. Many leave in a great huff with much fanfare - then slink back into the encampment under cover of darkness when the realization that Plex is the best game in town sinks in. Much of the problem lies in the fact that Plex knows this. They can do what ever the heck they want to and get away with it.
If you’re the guy with all the water - you’re gonna sell a lot of water.
Note: Anything in [Brackets] is ignored by Plex, but since they’re different file names you can add them to the same library and Windows won’t complain.
When added to a Movie Library Plex will ‘Merge’ them into one item that you can select at playback time with Play Button #2 (under Play Button #1), the Play Version or From Beginning button.
Thanks for the great info JuiceWSA.
I have my files named much the same as above, but is there a way to change what Plex displays as the version?
This is what I mean: When I select “Play Version”, it shows the two available versions like this:
10.6 Mbps, 1080p
6.4 Mbps, 720p
So, the only way for me to know what version I’m choosing (Theatrical or Directors Cut in this case) is to go to the computer & either browse the file system or in Plex go to Get Info to see the file details in there. It’d be great if there was some way I could tell Plex to display the file name or some piece of metadata that’s actually useful. Any ideas?
Nope…
Unfortunately Plex doesn’t think it’s important to be able to name/identify those Versions so some rather clever ‘Detective’ work on your part is necessary.
What most of us do - is to identify the subtle differences and make note of those in an ‘Edit’ to the local Description… or a post-it-note stuck to the monitor/TV… or something…
The problem is greater than Plex. ALL of the metadata sites such as IMDB or TMDB which Plex bases their data off of don’t treat versions as separate movies with unique ID tags. Star Wars is always the same ID tag regardless of version. Same with other versions such as LOTR, Blade Runner and others with multiple cuts.
I have setup my library with several movies that have multiple cuts using the scrappers built in to pull the metadata for my movies. Problem as many are aware of is the editions get stacked. The only workaround is to disable the future library updates from online services, otherwise my movies will just get stacked again.
The only way this issue will get resolved is for either metadata sites like TMDB or IMDB to tag every version with a unique ID or PLEX to recognize versioning off a single tag#. Versioning through Plex can create more trouble than it’s worth in database errors. That’s probably why we may not see a fix any time soon. We can hope.
What makes this so frustrating is that it would be SO EASY for the Plex team to fix it. They should just let the media server display the text between brackets to solve the issue once and for all:
Stargate (1994) [Theatrical].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Director’s Cut].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Extended].xxx
Stargate (1994) [Naked Alien Version].xxx <---- best version hands down
They should all be the same item in the library, as they are now, BUT they should all display their version names (the text in brackets) when you select it
Theatrical
Director’s Cut
Extended
Naked Alien Version
Really the ONLY thing they’d have to do to add this feature is to let Plex display that text instead of just displaying bitrate infos (which is becoming more and more useless by the minute, since the more time will pass, the more any device will be able to play any codec at any bitrate)
PLEX has a feature called COLLECTIONS. When you add the folder there is a pulldown to decide how you want collections to appear. I personally chose “Hide Items which are in collections” Add each version and have Directors Cut, Extended Edition, 3D, Remastered etc. for each title. You can edit the cover art individually. Now choose EDIT and select the TAGS tab. At the Bottom in Collections add the movie title. Do this for Each Individual Version. Now if you chose to Hide items which are in collections the movie Title will only show up once. When you select this Title, the different versions will show up Inside this container.
I have 3 different files for The Martian. The 3D copy, 1080P & 4K. The 1080P & 4K are together under 1 title where you can chose Play Version.
1 Movie can be in multiple Collections.
I do this for Trilogies or to Catalog all the Marvel Movies.
Just make sure to lock the title and Catalog to ensure the seperate titles dont merge as 1 title again.
while still waiting for a “proper” multi-version-of-the-same-movie solution… there is a workaround which has been described in the forums earlier which will allow you to treat the movies independently. After splitting the items, fix-match 1 of them with a different agent (e.g. Plex Movie / The Movie Database). This should make Plex pull a different ID for this movie. As Plex uses those IDs (e.g. TMDB vs. IMDB ID) to distinguish movies (even across libraries), this will allow you to have your own playback states etc. for both of them.
An alternative workaround is linked to the inline-collections feature described by satkiwi. You an move your “alternative versions” into a separate library and assign the original as well as the different cut to the same collection tag. This will result in Plex displaying your alternative cuts as “Other movies in XYZ collection”. Weak spot… you’ll end up with single-movie collections which isn’t really the way to go.
For Plex Pass members… to upvote, like the original post of this feature request!
Where did you get all the 3D covers? I have many 3D movies but I am unable to find matching 3D covers for them. Any suggestion would be helpful. Thanks
@satkiwi said:
PLEX has a feature called COLLECTIONS. When you add the folder there is a pulldown to decide how you want collections to appear. I personally chose “Hide Items which are in collections” Add each version and have Directors Cut, Extended Edition, 3D, Remastered etc. for each title. You can edit the cover art individually. Now choose EDIT and select the TAGS tab. At the Bottom in Collections add the movie title. Do this for Each Individual Version. Now if you chose to Hide items which are in collections the movie Title will only show up once. When you select this Title, the different versions will show up Inside this container.
I have 3 different files for The Martian. The 3D copy, 1080P & 4K. The 1080P & 4K are together under 1 title where you can chose Play Version.
1 Movie can be in multiple Collections.
I do this for Trilogies or to Catalog all the Marvel Movies.
Just make sure to lock the title and Catalog to ensure the seperate titles dont merge as 1 title again.
