Server Version#: 1.43.1.10611
Player Version#: 4.159.0
I am unable to have Plex show absolute episode numbers in the viewer unless I remove the SxxExx from my filenames. Currently, I use Sonarr which names files with both SxxExx and absolute number.
Plex is capable of using TVDB absolute order, but this seems to only help parsing my files if they don’t have SxxExx in the filename. Even with this selected and “Seasons → Hide” selected in the series options, the episodes are still labeled with their season-based episode numbers, e.g., E1, E2, …., E1, E2 (from subsequent seasons), etc.
I believe that when using absolute order, the Plex viewer should show the absolute episode number, even if the SxxExx exists in the filename.
When you pick the episode order for a series in Plex - like TVDB Absolute - you aren’t setting Plex to sort and display what you have into that order, you are telling Plex which order\naming your files are in so it’ll match up correctly for metadata from that source.
If files are in Season\Episode Aired order and you set Absolute Order, when Plex goes to TVDB to match TVDB Absolute Order metadata to your Season\Episode Aired order files it won’t line up (typically only whatever is named as S01EXX will match as Absolute Order doesn’t have S02, S03, etc).
If you want the series in absolute order you’ll want to organize and name the files in absolute order and then set the series order to line up with it.
If that makes sense?
You can set Sonarr to name your files differently if you want them to be organized differently. I know it can do it but am not familiar enough myself with it to tell you how - someone else might be familiar with it or the sonarr docs\forums might have better info for that aspect. Or you can manually rename them - for absolute order it’s pretty easy to do with built in rename (since most operating systems can do batch numerical increase automatically) - or use something like tinymediamanager or filebot.
Let me clarify – I know the way it currently works (telling Plex which order/naming files are in), but I’m suggesting that Plex should also be able to easily display episodes in this order (perhaps when the “show seasons” option is set to off).
Sonarr can rename files however you’d like and currently I’m using the trash guides format with both SxxEyy and absolute in the filename. The issue is that to have Plex show absolute numbering now, I have to remove the SxxEyy from my filenames, which seems silly.
I don’t want ALL of my shows to be in absolute order, just a subset.
I do know how Sonarr works fairly well, and you can set different filename formats for “standard” SxxEyy shows and “anime/absolute” shows. I tried this, but with the standard option, I can’t add the “absolute” number to the filenames since Sonarr just doesn’t track/save the absolute number for “standard” shows.
You should check if there is an existing Feature Suggestion, or add one if there isn’t one.
