Hi Chaps,
As I add more and more stuff to plex I have started using filebot (really good) but so far, although filebot has seen and renamed several movies and TV documentary series, Plex doesn’t seem to see them.
The entire Police Academy series (don’t laugh) and World War 2 in color documentary series plex doesn’t want to know despite them being in the directories specified.
Does anybody know just how to get around this?
Thanks
James
Even if you are using FileBot (good)
please tell your folder layout.
Also of interest is whether your files are in the mp4 format. Embedded metadata could interfere here.
Have you looked up your documentary series at TheTVDB?
Cut to the chase - save a lot of time:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200250417-Plex-Media-Server-Log-Files
Drag zip file to message window and drop it.
Nobody judges around here. I have the entire run of Lexx. Proud of it too.
lol
Here’s my logs attached… or should be if I got it right!! LOL
M:\Movies\Police Academy 2 Their First Assignment (1985).mp4
M:\Movies\Police Academy 3 Back in Training (1986).mp4
M:\Movies\Police Academy 4 Citizens on Patrol (1987).mp4
M:\Movies\Police Academy 5 Assignment Miami Beach (1988).mp4
M:\Movies\Police Academy 6 City Under Siege (1989).mp4
M:\Movies\Police Academy Mission to Moscow (1994).mp4
Yep, looks like FileBot has been working (still a LOT of work to do, but a fine start). MP4 files and Considering where these files came from I can almost guarantee Embedded Metadata in the Title Fields are throwing Plex into a tailspin.
FileBot is the Miracle Worker, but what FileBot can’t do is remove possible embedded metadata in the Title Field of MP4/M4V files. Plex will read this info and prefer it over a perfect file name/structure, but you can combat that situation by moving Local Media Assets to the bottom of every agent list you can find. All tabs in TV Show and Movies here:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200241558-Agents
Just drag LMA to the bottom of the list and drop it. If you do have embedded metadata (likely) this will cure the issue, if you don’t it won’t matter. LMA will do what it has to from the bottom.
Renaming/restructuring is best performed OUTSIDE the library and you’ll need to write a new bundle for the show/movie so The Plex Dance® was invented:
The Plex Dance®:
All Steps. In Order. No Shortcuts.
Couldn’t find World War II in Colour. Is it in a Movie Library or TV Show Library? Otto will have some tips on getting it to show up in a log.
Here are the directory structures:
G:\Documentaries\Documentaries\World War 2 in Color\ files.mp4.
After some searching this turns out to be a collection of single documentaries not an actual series! Moving it to a directory which is for single documentaries and set up under the movies type and Plex has found all! 
The police academy series is, like the rest of my movies on a hard drive Movies (M:)\ Movies\ Police academy 1 (etc)
Erm, I don’t see much FileBot usage among your movie file names:
Arthur.2.On.the.Rocks.1988.BluRay.480p.H264.mp4
No, that won’t do.
Plenty of mp4 files though, so first thing to do is telling Plex to disregard embedded metadata.
Do check if your files are in mp4/m4v format.
Go to Settings - Server - Agents - Shows - TheTVDB
In there, grab the line ‘Local Media Assets’ with your mouse and drag it downwards, so it ends up being at the bottom of the stack of active agents.
Repeat the same under
Settings - Server - Agents - Shows - TheMovieDatabase
+
Settings - Server - Agents - Movies - Plex Movie
+
Settings - Server - Agents - Movies - TheMovieDatabase
Make sure, you have set your Filebot to use the correct Plex renaming patterns
Then:
Separate your ‘series’ from your movies.
Horatio Hornblower is a series. It belongs into a ‘TV Show’ type library.
Do also try to find your comedy/standup content on the TVDB. I think they will do better in a tv show library as well. You certainly won’t get a match on them with the Plex Movie agent.
Made the changes you said for LMA and did a complete restart of the computer. What do you know! Police academy showed up!
Just need to do some renaming within Plex now!
Hornblower, although a TV show wouldn’t show up through Plex in TV shows, but did in movies with no problems at all.
Although recognised by us all as a multi-episode TV show, they are in fact TV Movies!
with regarding the Comedy/stand up I got matches by telling Plex to use the Movie Database!
How about adding IMDB too???
but seriously! Thanks for the help, guys! You are the best!
@snapdragonxxx said:
Just need to do some renaming within Plex now!
I don’t recommend doing that.
I advise you to solve the problem at the root: the file name. Make that compliant with Plex’s requirements and subsequent library rescans will go much more smoothly.
Hornblower, although a TV show wouldn’t show up through Plex in TV shows, but did in movies with no problems at all.
That’s because you don’t have the file names as required for a tv show.
see https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201543057-Why-is-some-of-my-content-not-found-
Although recognised by us all as a multi-episode TV show, they are in fact TV Movies!
with regarding the Comedy/stand up I got matches by telling Plex to use the Movie Database!
Yes, that is a good strategy for “non-cinema movie” content!
How about adding IMDB too???
‘Plex Movie’ already queries many informations from the IMDb.
Horatio is both:
a Classic Movie with Gregory Peck (and a good one):
A Movie Library/
…Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951).xxx
and a TV Show:
A TV Show Library/
…Hornblower/
…Season 01/
…Hornblower - S01E01 - The Even Chance (The Duel).xxx
There are 4 seasons of Hornblower, so I’d make sure those go in a TV Show Library. Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951) is a great Movie and deserving of it’s Movie Listing, but if you just have to put these two things together (sacrilege!) you could make the Movie a special of the Hornblower TV Show by naming it at least one episode higher than the listed specials at TVDB - there are none, so…:
http://thetvdb.com/?tab=series&id=71493&lid=7 - Hornblower at TVDB
A TV Show Library/
…Hornblower/
…Season 00/
…Hornblower - S00E01 - Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951).xxx <---- you’ll have to hand edit all the info.
…Season 01/
…Hornblower - S01E01 - The Even Chance (The Duel).xxx
