Scanner Removing Match

Plex Media Server Desktops & Laptops
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Server Version#: 1.25.3.5385
Player Version#:4.69.1

I’ve been going through my library and replacing some larger files with smaller version (e.g. going from a 10GB MKV to a 2GB MP4) and when I load the new file, it does not combine with the current movie like it used to. The scanner loads the new one just fine, but then it removes the match for the existing one. The file names are the same with the exception of the file extension. Let me give you an example. I had Lethal Weapon on the server as a 13GB mkv file. It was named Lethal_Weapon_1987_1080p.mkv. It was matched a long time ago and part of a collection. No issues whatsoever. Trying to save some space, I downloaded a smaller version of the movie in mp4 format. I copied the name Lethal_Weapon_1987_1080p.mp4 and moved to the server. Generally when this happens, it will combine the two items under the existing object, but for some reason, after the PMS upgrade, the scanner will match the new file and then remove the match from the old file. This has never happened before. I did think about the agent being different and so I did another test with Lethal Weapon 2 and made sure to re-match the movie, refresh the metadata and analyze it, before loading the new version. Same thing. It’s driving me nuts. I’ve done this a million times before and it just started acting like this with the new PMS update.

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Sounds like you might have changed the default agent of your library since you added those movies originally but haven’t refreshed the library’s metadata… so the original movies still have an ID based on the old agent while the newly added file is using the ID provided by the new agent. Therefore Plex won’t know they’re the same and keep them separate.

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I did update to the new Agent, so that may be it. I will refresh the metadata for the library and give that a shot. Thanks!

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That didn’t work. I refreshed all the metadata for the entire library and then loaded a new file and it did the same thing.

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How exactly are those files named – any embedded metadata?

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No embedded metadata. I actually strip the files before loading to prevent that. Both the files that are already on the server and the new ones are named MOVIENAME_MOVIEYEAR_RESOLUTION.ext. I just tried it with Midommar. The existing file was Midsommar_2019_1080p.mkv. The file I loaded was Midsommar_2019_1080p.mp4. I do the resolution as I have some movies that have a 1080p and a 2160p.

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Try renaming those files like this:

Movies
  Midsommar (2019)
    Midsommar (2019) [1080p].mkv
    Midsommar (2019) [1080p].mp4

Then follow the Plex Dance procedure.

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Okay. I’ll give it a shot.

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So, after I do the Plex dance, it works. Which is bittersweet as I know what the issue is, but I still have about 2,000 things I need to replace so I will need to rename it all. Thanks for the help.

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You could check out FileBot to get this done more efficiently.

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I’ll do just that! Thanks for your help, Tom

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2 posts were split to a new topic: Disconnected Actor/Director entries for newly scanned movies

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