Server Version#: 1.27.1.1571-2fface66
Player Version#: any
Tuner Make/Model: M3U
Guide/Lineup name:
Using XMLTV?: Yes
Channel number/Name: any
After the show has been recorded via DVR and saved into the DVR Schedule, no further shows with the same name could be scheduled for the record. The Record radio button simply doesn’t turn red. At the same time, any show with another name could be scheduled and recorded just fine.
[edit: Typo and clarification]
I’ve got what the bug is.
There’re shows, for example, “News” in EPG, that repeats every day, or even few times a day. If I want to record that future airing, once it happens, it saves under the \News\News.ts path in the chosen media library.
So if you want to record the next News airing from the EPG, it fails, because the same file/folder already exist in this library. You have to manually delete the previous recording of the same show, before you can schedule its next airing!
Probably there needs to be a timestamp hardcoded into the every recording file or folder name, so that series of the selected show could be recorded automatically.
OK, so no season/episode info to differentiate.
Yes, agreed. This is worth reporting here to get Plex to recognise this as a date based show.
This is the Plex info on date-based naming:
Date-Based Television Shows
TV Shows that are date-based should be named as follows:
- /TV Shows/ShowName/Season 02/ShowName – 2011-11-15 – Optional_Info.ext
- /TV Shows/ShowName/Season 02/ShowName – 15-11-2011 – Optional_Info.ext
Where you specify the appropriate date. The date can use either the YYYY-MM-DD or DD-MM-YYYY formats and can use different separators:
- Dashes (2011-11-15)
- Periods (2011.11.15)
- Spaces (2011 11 15)
[edit: Typo]
Thanks for this reporting link, but it looks like it’s more relative for Plex’s own area-specific EPG providers. I use my own custom XMLTV source, how to deal with this? Where else can I file this bug?
Agh, didn’t realise.
You’ll need to report the problem to your XML source provider.
But this provider is me 
…then you need to get to a quiet corner and have a word or two with yourself (no violence please)
I guess it comes down to the code you have written to make the XML. Can you get it to recognise shows that have nothing unique about them (i.e. has no date-based or series/episode based uniqueness) and then make them unique by adding date/time (using the Plex recommended format)?
I thought it’s a standard, what XMLTV format Plex expect for the show to be unique to form the filename? Every xml I see uses such format:
SportI’m sorry, I don’t understand the question.
What I am trying to say is - if you are creating the xml, then you need to create it with unique show names (eg: use the date if there is no series/episode info).
Plex own area-specific EPG providers use absolutely the same EPG format and sources, I use my own just to add some more local channels. For example, “News” daily show will be the “News” show as well, not “News 29.01.2021” in the Plex’s approved provider’s EPG.
Are you positive about that? For my own local news channels each broadcast gets its own unique name in the Plex-provided EPG data:
It’s the same for all my local news channels (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC). And each, when recorded, is named with the displayed name, with a date where the season/episode information would be in the filename.
When you use the Plex guide data, all the listings just display as “News?” If so, maybe it’s a regional thing. But at least in my area all the locals name their news broadcasts.
But, back to your XML data, you should be able to do something similar; that is, change the name from just “News” to “Station Name News at Time” or something similar when you’re generating the XML document.
Lucky you are!
I’ve set up the same configuration on the famous Plex Opensource competitor, with absolutely the same XMLTV source for EPG, same show series scheduled for recording. And what did I see in the DVR folder?
\Show Name\Show Name 2021_01_29 - Brief description.ts
So, the series recordings names will never overlap!
I love Plex, I don’t believe it couldn’t be fixed, why should I pay for it then? :^)
I am not sure how this is a problem with Plex. If you haven’t made the show unique in your xml, Plex will naturally assume it is a repeat of a preiously recorded show.
Can you please share your xml for one of the shows?
I guess so, but I wasn’t trying to rub it in 
. I agree with @JCHH, it may be helpful to have a look at the actual XML for one of the problematic shows. Understanding that it works as-is with the competitor, it may only require a small modification to work with Plex as well.
Here it is, BBC news have a lot of such shows, as an example
epg.zip (493.1 KB)
OK, so this is what I mean by an example or 2…
<programme channel="23" start="20210128100000 +0300" stop="20210128103000 +0300">
<title lang="ru">BBC News Special</title>
<desc lang="ru">The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective. Discussion and analysis of news topics.</desc>
<video></video>
<date></date>
</programme>
...
<programme channel="23" start="20210128110000 +0300" stop="20210128113000 +0300">
<title lang="ru">BBC News Special</title>
<desc lang="ru">The latest national and international news, exploring the day's events from a global perspective. Discussion and analysis of news topics.</desc>
<video></video>
<date></date>
</programme>
Right, well, there you go. As you are not forming your xml with unique show information, Plex thinks the 2nd one is a repeat of the first.
perhaps if you add in this line for each one…
<episode-num system="original-air-date">2020-10-02</episode-num>
this is how the BBC News looks in my xml…
<programme channel="guide2go.50059.schedulesdirect.org" start="20210202100000 +0000" stop="20210202121500 +0000">
<title lang="en-GB">BBC News</title>
<sub-title lang=""></sub-title>
<desc lang="en-GB">Twenty-four hours a day, the latest national and international stories as they break.</desc>
<credits></credits>
<category lang="en">News</category>
<language>en-GB</language>
<episode-num system="dd_progid">SH01281153.0000</episode-num>
<episode-num system="original-air-date">2008-03-01</episode-num>
<icon src="https://schedulesdirect-api20141201.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/assets/p8133775_i_v8_ab.jpg" height="1440" width="960"></icon>
<icon src="https://schedulesdirect-api20141201.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/assets/p8133775_i_h9_ab.jpg" height="1080" width="1440"></icon>
<icon src="https://schedulesdirect-api20141201.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/assets/p8133775_i_v9_ab.jpg" height="1440" width="1080"></icon>
<icon src="https://schedulesdirect-api20141201.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/assets/p8133775_b_h8_ac.jpg" height="2160" width="3840"></icon>
<video>
<quality>HDTV</quality>
</video>
<audio></audio>
<new></new>
</programme>
I think these 2 lines make it unique…
<episode-num system="dd_progid">SH01281153.0000</episode-num>
<episode-num system="original-air-date">2008-03-01</episode-num>
thanks for the hint, I’ll try to go with it. What file name you get on disk when you record this program?
It’ll be to the Plex date-format for shows that I posted above.
/TV Shows/BBC News/Season 01/BBC News – 2011-11-15.ts.
You’re absolutely right, this is a confirmation. My only way is to modify the source xml…
