Hi, I have Stargate SG-1 and the plex server seems to have issues with the name. I was wondering if I have to remove the dash in the titles. I have all the files in one directory called Stargate SG-1 in this format “Stargate SG-1 s01e10 titleName” Plex server shows only 1 dozen shows out of the 200 plus.
Do I have to add a dashes? “Stargate SG-1 - s01e10 - titleName”
Plex Naming Guide for TV Shows:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows
Here is exactly what my SG-1 folder structure looks like:
Still working on Re-Rips of Seasons 5, 6 and 7.
All named with FileBot for an instant, first time match - in about 15 seconds (link in my signature).
Note:
If you are using MP4 files (as I am) and those files have bogus embedded metadata in the Title Field (mine do not) throwing off a correct match you have two options:
- remove the bogus Title Field info
and the easier - Move Local Media Assets OUT of the top slot in every Agent list, under every tab by dragging it to the bottom of the lists.
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200241558-Agents
I did #2 (Peter Griffin Laugh) a long time ago…
Thanks. Do I have to have the seasons in separate folders? It’s not a great way to manage them when I view them in my wdtv-live.
@snevets.yarrum@gmail.com said:
Thanks. Do I have to have the seasons in separate folders? It’s not a great way to manage them when I view them in my wdtv-live.
You do not absolutely need to have separate season folders BUT it it is best practices for Plex and some shows will not match correctly without the separate folders.’
For Plex usage the naming guide that @JuiceWSA linked should be followed exactly because any deviation may cause mismatches and that naming actually seems easy once those of us that came from a different world gets used to it. I stubbornly resisted the Plex naming system but, a few years ago, I finally gave in to the pressure and suppressed my beliefs about naming and renamed my library to follow the Plex guidelines and, except for one or two files with improper metadata, I have not had even one mismatch. Fighting the great Plexosaurus is doomed from the start and simply not worth the effort.
While it is redundant to a large extent below find my general advice for naming TV series:
…
TV Shows <— The library points here
---------TV Show Name (Year first aired if needed) <— This folder holds the season folders
------------------Season 01 <— This folder holds all the episodes for season 01
-------------------------ShowName - s01e01 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------ShowName - s01e02 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------And so on for the rest of season 01
------------------Season 02 <— This folder holds all the episodes for season 02
-------------------------ShowName - s02e01 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------ShowName - s02e02 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------And so on for the rest of season 02
------------------Season 03 <— This folder holds all the episodes for season 03
-------------------------ShowName - s03e01 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------ShowName - s03e02 - Episode Name.ext
-------------------------And so on for the rest of season 03
Note: The year after the show name is only normally needed or desired if there is more that one show with exactly the same name. Check http://thetvdb.com/ if you are not sure and match exactly the name used there.
There are naming methods other than the above that work but this does work 99.9% of the time.
If you are going to use Plex it is best to use the proper naming conventions so Plex makes the best match possible. Trying to force Plex to use other naming methods is just asking for frustration.
https://plexapp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Based-TV-Shows
…
@snevets.yarrum@gmail.com said:
Thanks. Do I have to have the seasons in separate folders? It’s not a great way to manage them when I view them in my wdtv-live.
I suppose - in some Rod Serling dimension of time and twisted space - a name like
stargate sg-1 s01e01 snakehead city.xxx
may confuse Plex/TVDB due to there being only one dash in a name that should have three, setting up a rift in normal operations wherein Plex/TVDB thinks that the file belongs a show called
stargate sg
season 1s01
episode
01
and, of course, that might be a hell of a show, but it’s not listed at TVDB so Plex sure as little green apples won’t be able to find it. Without an important clue - LIKE A SEASON FOLDER - Plex/TVDB remain clueless and as such do the only thing they can do… erupt into a Super-Duper-Nova.
I can attest to the fact that when a file is named absolutely, positively correct (by FileBot) and placed into a structure without a Season folder (guilty as charged) it will be found so let me make this suggestion. Download the fraggin’ FileBot program - linked in my signature - and let it pre-match and re-name all your SG-1 episodes so at least you’ll have that going for you and try it.
Please do not do this while Stargate SG-1 is in the library… Remove the show from the library, update the library, clean the bundles, empty the trash, fix the show names, reload the now pristine episode file names into a brand new Stargate SG-1 folder and update the library… exactly in that order, without any deviations what-so-ever.
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— clean bundles, empty trash, update libraries
If you come back here and tell me it didn’t work and when I ask you if you are using MP4 files you answer in the affimative and then when I ask you if you moved Local Media Assets and you reply in the negative you’d better brace yourself 'cause you’re gonna get a smack.
lol
I deleted the “TV SHows” Library entirely.
I moved all the folders out of the “TV Shows 1” directory except for “Dark Matter” (less files = easier to manipulate)
I renamed all the files to the correct format
I cleaned the bundles.
I emptied the trash
I recreated “TV Shows”
It did Season 1 correctly, but doesn’t see Season 2 at all
Dark Matter - s01e01
Dark Matter - s02e01 - Welcome To Your New Home
They are MKV files and not MP4’s
If you want to ‘re-set’ a bundle for a TV Show you have to remove the entire show - that means everything. The Plex Dance® was invented for this exact purpose.
I’ll try this one more time…
The Plex Dance®:
1)remove show from library (the folder, the files… everything)
2)update library
3)clean bundles
4)empty trash
5)fix file names
6)replace show into library
7)update library
If you leave something behind Plex stubbornly hangs on to that bundle. You can’t clean an unused bundle while Plex has it shoved down it’s pants.
If you’re going to attempt to use this un-recommended and unsupported structure Your TV Show Library and Dark Matter MUST look like this:
A TV Show Library/ <-----------Plex TV Show Library aimed here
…Dark Matter/
…Dark Matter - S01E01 - Title.mkv
…Dark Matter - S01E02 - Title.mkv
…blablabla
…Dark Matter - S02E01 - Title.mkv
…Dark Matter - S02E02 - Title.mkv
…and so on
I can tell you this rogue usage of a TV Show will work because as fate would have it… right here it is… working… at my house 10 minutes before I watch another episode!
I’ll even explain why I use this rogue, unsupported method… Dark Matter isn’t good enough to take up permanent residence in my TV-SciFi Library. It’s just easier to drag and drop new episodes into the Dark Matter folder than to drill in any deeper. Sure… I’ll watch just about any SciFi offering, but when I’m done with a season of Dark Matter it’s injected unceremoniously into a decaying orbit around Jupiter.
Stargate SG-1, FireFly, Farscape and The Expanse, etc, for instance, are spaceships of a completely different color and they get the full blown recommended and supported treatment… 'cause I don’t want ANYTHING to EVER happen to them that makes them come up snake-eyes when it’s time for another Binge Watch.
On the one hand I know unsupported structures can and sometimes do create unpredictable results, but on the other hand if something bad happens I know exactly where to look and how to fix it.
Thanks JuiceWSA That did it.
BTW, I like your taste in TV. Though since Dark Matter is Canadian and done by Canadians I like it 
It’s a lot better than Killjoys.
Great news… you had me worried there for a minute…
What you see is just part of the SciFi library for TV… then there are:
SciFi Movies
SciFi Sets
and
SciFi Vintage
I’m still a little pissed that we aren’t riding around in flying cars by now… the future looked so much cleaner after having been promised so much in the 60s…
Dark Matter is absolutely watchable… I have passed on Killjoys a few times and from what I’m hearing that was probably the right call…
