Server Level Collections

I did do a search and for reference this post was closed therefore it doesn’t make sense to upvote it so I am posting myyself:

https://forums.plex.tv/t/collections-across-all-libraries/441641

Are there technical issues keeping the Collections feature restricted to only single libraries? The whole concept I would think of the Collections feature which is great in general would be ease of use and finding content. There are too many Plex users to count I am sure that aren’t very tech savvy so they aren’t going to know to search through the internet and forums to example to figure out that in order to use the feature as they would most likely expect they have to go into the Preplay page for a piece of content in one library to see the others in another library rather than just going to the Collection. A great example of this would be children and the elderly. My father has a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and when I attempt to explain this process to him he gets confused. This is just an example. I see a LOT of Plex users for example that divide their content by 4k, HD, and SD which seems pretty straight forward. My library is set up similar actually to this. Also when you are creating several dozen to who knows how many collections it is easy to forget possibly every collection having to go back and forth to refresh the memory and possibly get lost.

The Collections feature like I said is wonderful, but feels incomplete and restricted.

That post was closed because, as the response pointed out, the requested feature already exists.
This screenshot shows a collection that includes movies and albums. TV shows can also be added. It’s simply a matter of using the identical Collection name.

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Too bad it doesn’t exist on a Roku, eh?
I wonder what else it doesn’t exist on?

Plex is blindingly fast to mark Feature Requests ‘Implemented’, but darn slow to actually ‘Implement’ them.

Don’t think that the request is for the ability to create multiple collections - that is, identically named collections from different libraries that will show up in the pre-play screen. It’s asking that all of those collections, get grouped into one collection, and would show items from all libraries.

hmmm… maybe it’s one of the new “features” to customize the hubs and content I’ve heard are supposed to be coming.

@JuiceWSA - pretty sure collections work like that on a Roku. It does on both of mine, in any event, and has for quite some time.

Well… I do seem to recall it working - but it seems to have quit working.

Plexweb - OK
Roku - Not OK.

i checked before I posted to make sure, 'cause things can change… Works with the Preview channel and the Regular over here.

I guess I’ll have to figure it out - I’m on the latest everything.

I got no Dueling Collections on my Rokus.
Either way - Movies show no TV, TV shows no Movies.

I am managing Manually - if that matters.

Breaking news:
A collection I created the other day works fine.

Correction - was looking at the wrong client.
Every Collection with an exact dupe in the other library doesn’t work on Any Roku I have.

Preview Channel

As my screenshot shows, they do get displayed in a single Collection page. As has been discussed, the Roku apparently isn’t set up to show this, so if that’s the device being used by the OP, he’s out of luck for now. On Plex Web and Android TV, the consolidated Collection is shown.

It does not reflect as so on several clients. I have the ShieldTV Pro version and the tube version. It does not combine them on either. I also have the Chromecast with Android TV; does not combine there. Lastly we have FireTV 4k sticks…same behavior. At the end of the day these types of clients are the bread and butter of the ecosystem so not sure what you are trying to say? If they are planning on rolling the combined functionality out I would love to see where that is being shared so that I can get a better understanding of what to expect.

Please double-check that… those are all Android TV based clients.
I checked on my Sony (Android TV) and there the same-named collections are showing up nicely (if you’re opening the collection).

On the Shield, and probably any Android-TV device, it shows up if you access the collection via a TV or Movie library, using the ‘Collections’ tab at the top.

Unfortunately that tab doesn’t appear in Music libraries, so you can only do this from TV or Movie libraries.

If you access the collection via the dropdown menu, this is library-specific – it only shows the Collection items within that library:

Admittedly, I had to figure this out. It certainly could do with some clarification in the UI and Help files.

I am using the menu options across the top in my libraries on both my STV Pro and my tube version…they are identical in behavior and as you can see what you are describing is not happening. My clients are up to date and I have even force stopped the apps after making updates on the server.

Just to be sure we’re on the same page.

I have a Monty Python Movie Collection
I have a Monty Python TV Show Collection

Plexweb TV Show Collection shows me:

Plexweb Movie Collection shows me:

No Roku in my possession shows me the ‘Other’ Collection.
It’s a wasteland of nothingness down there…
An Abyss.
A Big Empty.
A Void.

For sure were on the same page. But the results are obviously different.

I’m on the Preview App.
I am managing Manually.
It’s not happnin’ Cap’n.

Not sure what else I can do.

@ljunkie – any ideas?

i only got a few collections that are cross library, but I’ll make up a few fake ones and see what results are.

… and I guess I’ll make a few new ones (when I get time) - and hope I don’t have to REMAKE 250+ Collections (some with 400+ items in them)…

Okay, your screenshots make me think we aren’t talking about the same thing. Are you looking for a single page that lists all the Collections in library A, and all Collections in library B, C, etc.?

Or are you looking for a way to have a single collection that includes movies/TV shows/music from several libraries? This is what I’ve been talking about, because this is what the thread you referenced was asking for.

For me I ONLY care about the ability to have single collections for movies (4k and HD) which reside in two different libraries. I do not care about TV or music, I agree with the above that it will be dumb as heck to have to blow away my 100+ collections I spent time making very recently to experiment and make new ones.

I’m going to close this thread
(a) as per backfield’s feedback, the underlying functionality is in place
(b) there’s an actual duplicate that’s been kept alive for despite (a)

As for the lack of an option show same-named collections as linked items in the collection view on Roku… how about a dedicated suggestion for that? (unless there is already one that I have missed so far)