Plex 'stacks' movies with two files?

[229Mick]

So I'm still new to PLex, and this is probably a basic issue, but I didn't have any idea how to search for this one!

 

I've noticed that when you have two files that are related on your server, Plex will 'stack' them so that one 'poster' shows up for them in the client, and the poster will indicate a '2'. 

 

In my case, I have I think the three different typs of problems with this that are possible:

 

First, I have 'the bridge on the river kwai', which is two separate files, and it recognized them, set one 'poster' for it, and stuck a 2 on it indicating it had both files, but when I hit play, it plays part two. 

 

Second, I have both versions of "I am legend", (theatrical and extended) and it combined them, so i have only the one icon or poster, and it has the 2 on it. i have no idea whcih one is primary since they start the same.

 

The third is 'Malcolm X', which is two files, but isn't recognized as the same film, and just has two posters one 'Malcolm X' and the other 'malcolmx2'. 

 

So my questions are: Does the 2 actually indicate, as I had presumed, that there are two parts to the film, and it will play both as you watch it (if not, what does it mean)?

If so, how do i tell it to play bridge on the river kwai 1 before 2? Is there a naming convention required, like there is for TV shows to work?

 

I expect the best idea for the two versions of I am legend is to just select the 'split apart' option, but how do I get it to recognize the other video as the extended cut?

For Malcolm X, I expect the answer for question 1 will give me an idea, but what's the best way to get plex to recognize that these are part 1 and 2 of the same film?

 

Thanks much for any input!!

 

Mick

[georgejolliffe]

See the naming guide.

I'm guessing you don't have pt1/2 or cd1/2 tagged at the end of the file names...

[jmckee]

As George said, you need to follow the naming guide for movies as well as tv shows to have it match properly with the agent.

The 2 in the top corner just means more than 1 version of the same movie.  Typically it will be for different resolutions of the same video IE 1080p/720p/480p or whichever you need.

If both parts are causing the 2 to show up, then they are being recognized as two of the same videos not parts 1 and parts 2.

[229Mick]

See the naming guide.

I'm guessing you don't have pt1/2 or cd1/2 tagged as the end of the file names...

Thanks that was it! Thanks for the link as well!

[229Mick]

As George said, you need to follow the naming guide for movies as well as tv shows to have it match properly with the agent.

The 2 in the top corner just means more than 1 version of the same movie.  Typically it will be for different resolutions of the same video IE 1080p/720p/480p or whichever you need.

If both parts are causing the 2 to show up, then they are being recognized as two of the same videos not parts 1 and parts 2.

That makes sense, but it sounds like the 'versioning' is just for resolution (as you can select from the pull down while playing) and not for the standard or extended verison? Meaning that the 'I am Legend' one that stacked, there's no way to leave it stacked and just select the extended version from there somehow. I'll have to 'split apart' and then manually label the extended cut?

Thanks again guys!

[jmckee]

That makes sense, but it sounds like the 'versioning' is just for resolution (as you can select from the pull down while playing) and not for the standard or extended verison? Meaning that the 'I am Legend' one that stacked, there's no way to leave it stacked and just select the extended version from there somehow. I'll have to 'split apart' and then manually label the extended cut?

Thanks again guys!

It will work for the extended cut, the only problem is the label when you select it won't show any difference.  For example in my plex library I have the disney originals and the dvd/bluray releases.  When selecting play for Mary Poppins the popup only displays the following options:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

It will work to separate between DC/EV and regular, but unless you have different codecs or resolutions the menu popup won't give you any clue as to which is which, yet.

[georgejolliffe]

Not so much for alternative versions of a whole movie but the new local extras might help at some point.

https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220677-Local-Media-Assets-Movies

[Scur827]

I was having terrible problems with spitting up the harry potter deathly hollows parts 1 and 2 (what happened to the split option that used to be in the details?). Tried the folder trick and all. Simply could not do it. Finally when I put (year) in the titles, 2010 and 2011, it saw them as separate movies.

edit: Just found 2 more that were stacked, but this time the 2 was in the poster and I had the split option. Ionno. At least I have stuff straight now, just confused why it showed the potter movies as a single movie even though it stacked them, and the others as stacked.

[jmckee]

I was having terrible problems with spitting up the harry potter deathly hollows parts 1 and 2 (what happened to the split option that used to be in the details?). Tried the folder trick and all. Simply could not do it. Finally when I put (year) in the titles, 2010 and 2011, it saw them as separate movies.

edit: Just found 2 more that were stacked, but this time the 2 was in the poster and I had the split option. Ionno. At least I have stuff straight now, just confused why it showed the potter movies as a single movie even though it stacked them, and the others as stacked.

Because if you have part 1 and part 2 in the titles without naming it properly it thinks they belong together in such a way that they are each considered half of the same movie and adds them together to make it the 'whole' movie.

The 2 only means that there are 2 different versions of the same movie (resolutions, different audio, whatever else).

So because it thought they were both different halves of the same movie you didn't get a 2 in the corner.

[SteveBrattin]

What about when you have the 2 on the poster, but when you check the movie info it has 2 entries pointing to the same file? I have several movies like this, 1 file, but there is a 2 on the cover and both point to the same file.

[blade86sam]

I’ve been getting the same thing happen lately and its quite annoying.

Im on PMS (not that PMS) Version 1.13.5.5332

I remove them (move them out of library) and once it scans the library detecting they no longer exist and thus removes them from plex, adding them back will then have them display with a single source.