Server Version#:1.22.0.4.163-d8c4875dd
Player Version#:4.51.3
When I add a TV series to my PLEX Server the seasons and episodes get mixed up. Multiple episodes get lumped together into a single episode. (e.g. 1-1 lists files 2-3, 2-1, 2-2, and 2-4);The seasons are sometimes confused. (e.g. Season 1 includes all 4 episodes of Season 1 plus 5-1, 6-1, 7-5 and 8-2). The titles and descriptions are sometimes incorrect or missing. This doesn’t happen with all the series or episodes, only with a few.
The files were originally used in iTunes/AppleTV where they work normally. The file names begin with S-E (e.g. 2-5) followed by the episode title and are either .mp4 or .m4v. I’ve been able to “correct” the issues partially by manually editing the entries in PLEX but it’s a lot of work. Is there a straightforward way to address this problem?
Would you mind sharing an example of the full file name / folder structure?
The “straightforward” way to address such issues is usually to follow the naming schema defined by Plex in their related support articles
Please show how you have the files named and organized - directory listing, screenshot, etc.
Plex is very picky with TV show naming and structure. Adhere as close as possible to the structure in the documentation: TV Show Files (Naming and Organizing).
Each show should be in its own folder, with subfolders for each season (even if just one season). Each episode should begin with the show name, not the season/episode numbers.
/TV Show Library/Show Name/Season xx/Show Name - SxxEyy.ext ← ext = mp4/mkv/etc
You may also run into issues with embedded metadata. If the metadata is incorrect, it can cause Plex to misidentify or misorganize a show. In Plex Media Server settings for Agents → Shows, drag “Local Media Assets” to the bottom of the list. The refresh the metadata for the show.
pretty sure all those names need to be fixed to the standard
S00E01 - Pilot
S01E01 - Whom the Gods Would Destroy
S01E02 - Old School Ties
S01E03 - Expiation
S02E01 - And the Moonbeams Kiss the Sea
Etc
If you want to put each season in a folder named Season 01, Season 02 as well that cna help
YOu can all add Lewis in front of the file name like Lewis - S01E02 - Old School Ties but that really isn’t required as long as the folder is named Lewis at the top level.
What tramp78 said… Plex does not recognize that naming schema at all.
That being said it should be relatively simple to fix it using Finder’s built-in renaming feature:
select all files
replace - by e0
add text Lewis - s0 before the name
This should produce some compatible naming (e.g. Lewis - s01e01 Whom the Gods Would Destroy.mp4). Afterwards you best group the files of each season in a dedicated Season XX folder (where XX is the respective season number).
Depending on which agent you’re using in your tv-show library, the episode numbering for season 1 needs some minor tweaking:
Your suggestion for formatting the file names (S01E01) appears to be working. Season 1 seems to be okay now. I’ll try the other seasons tomorrow. Thanks.
If you find yourself with hundreds of files to rename, you might try speeding things up with Bulk Rename Utility. It is a free program that is amazing. https://www.bulkrenameutility.co.uk/
