PMS not using embedded Cover Arts

General Discussions
1

Hi All,

I’m coming back to an issue that has been raised a few times in the forum (all threads are now locked), but it still very much a problem.

  • All my mp4 files have carefully curated metadata.
  • I also make sure the movies have the proper naming allowing for their matching with the {imdb-xxxxx} tags according to this Plex article.
  • My Agents settings also specify that Personal Media Assets is enabled, and first in the list.

Despite all that, some of the files show up in the list without a cover art. I have to manually edit the files and reselect one for each of the affected movies.

Shouldn’t PMS simply use the embedded cover art I added to the metadata to begin with?? And even if it absolutely wants to use the ones found through matching, when it fails, shouldn’t it fall back to the one that’s embedded (since I’ve enabled Local Media Assets and as specified on this page)

Corentin

2

What agent are you using for your movie library?

I think that’s answered better than I can in https://support.plex.tv/articles/200220677-local-media-assets-movies/

3

You must use the Plex Movie agent and scanner for Plex to use the IMDB/TMDB tags.

If you are using the Plex Movie agent and scanner, the configuration options in Settings → Agents are not used. Those options apply only to the legacy agents and scanners.

Instead, options such using local metadata are configured on a per-Library basis.

Edit the library, choose Advanced, and choose appropriate options such as Use Local Assets and Use Local Metadata.

Rescan the library and refresh the metadata after setting the desired options.

Additional details are available in Plex Documentation → Scanners & Agents → Advanced settings Plex Movie Agent.

4

I have them both enabled… Still it’s not using embedded artwork :-\

5

I read this page, but it doesn’t seem to cover embedded metadata (such as what you can find in mp4 or mkv files for instance)/

6

I’m using Plex Movies, with the Use Local Assets and Prefer Local Metadata enabled.
To be honest, I fail to understand how that works since I virtually never see PMS “prefer” the local metadata. It always seem to use what it found through matching first.

7

So you have .mp4 files that have a selection of tags / metadata embedded.
Would it be possible to upload a sample file so we can look at what’s present?
Or you could give us steps to reproduce one of these mp4s like yours.
I mostly use mkv, but realize this is important.

9

@nibbles I created a small bogus mp4 file and used iFlicks to enter all the metadata as if it were Star Wars.
I placed the file online here for you.

A number of apps can add the metadata in the mp4 files. I use this one because it’s fast and convenient, but there are tons of options (including Apple’s own TV app).
You can do pretty much the same thing with .mkv with various annotation tools as well.

10

This is a strange issue. It seems hit or miss for Plex to pick up embedded cover art.

On my server, Plex picks up the Star Wars cover art in the file you provided.

However, I’ve other mp4/m4v files where Plex does not do so.

Looking for a pattern (size, jpg/png/other, etc), but unable to find one so far.

11

Yeah. And in my library, I can never know for sure since Plex does some matching as well. I can’t really tell whether the cover is coming from the matching or from my embedded data. I can only tell when it fails to get a cover on its own. Then it’s obvious it’s not using the embedded metadata either.

12

My scan also picked up the Star Wars poster that was embedded in the m4v.
I’m guessing size and color depth has to be in a given range. The sample had

Stream #0:2[0x0]: Video: png, rgb24(pc), 1607x2248, 90k tbr, 90k tbn (attached pic)

Can you use `ffmpeg -i “somefile.mp4” that doesn’t get it’s poster picked up and paste in the output? Maybe extract the poster and attach it.

13

Here’s some samples. Other than size, 1941 & 50 to 1 are the same. One displays, one does not.

All three files prepared the same way, (a) rip disc with MakeMKV; (b) transcode with Handbrake; (c) use Subler to import metadata and artwork.

Subler picked a mjpeg file for A Beautiful Mind. Understandable if that is not supported by Plex.

1941: Cover art displayed
Stream #0:5[0x0]: Video: png, rgb24(pc), 1653x2583, 90k tbr, 90k tbn (attached pic)

50 to 1: Cover art not displayed
Stream #0:5[0x0]: Video: png, rgb24(pc), 1013x1500, 90k tbr, 90k tbn (attached pic)

A Beautiful Mind: Cover art not displayed
Stream #0:5[0x0]: Video: mjpeg (Progressive), yuvj420p(pc, bt470bg/unknown/unknown), 1000x1500 [SAR 1:1 DAR 2:3], 90k tbr, 90k tbn (attached pic)

1941 (1979) (1080p HD).zip (6.9 MB)

50 to 1 (2014).zip (2.1 MB)

A Beautiful Mind (2001).zip (235.7 KB)

Screenshot (1474)

Screenshot (1475)
Screenshot (1475)733×528 205 KB

1 Like
14

I looked at two files I had where the cover art doesn’t display and it was’t anything to write home about.
The covers are 667x1000 and 1000x1500 respectively. Both in JPEG. Nothing massive at all and no weird image format.

Corentin

1 Like
15

Thanks for the PNGs. I worked with the first two, 50 to 1, and 1941.
Neither got picked up and used when I tried them, even as jpg.

I attached each to an mkv version of the film using mkvtoolnix-gui.
The result of that was the same output from ffmpeg as you showed:

  Stream #0:2: Video: png, rgb24(pc), 1013x1500, 90k tbr, 90k tbn (attached pic)
    Metadata:
      filename        : 50 to 1 (2014).png
      mimetype        : image/png

I think the Plex Media Scanner Analysis.log is telling us something after inspecting the streams, but as of yet I can’t decipher it.

Sep 23, 2022 12:40:58.728 [0x7f39f2337140] DEBUG - [FFMPEG] - nal_unit_type: 1(Coded slice of a non-IDR picture), nal_ref_idc: 2
Sep 23, 2022 12:40:58.730 [0x7f39f2337140] DEBUG - [FFMPEG] - no picture
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