Some questions about creating optimized versions

General Discussions
1

Hi,

I’ve just bought a WD My Passport Wireless Pro, that I intend to use to be able to take my library away with me, watching on a combination of tablets and a Google Chromecast.

I’ve already worked out that the Chromecast can’t play MKV files directly, and the WD device isn’t powerful enough to convert them on the fly. So I need to create a full copy of my library containing versions that are appropriate to play on the Chromecast.

It seems the the ‘Optimized Versions’ feature should be able to do this. What I propose to do is set up an optimization rule to create optimized copies for my entire library, placing these copies into a different directory but maintaining the file structure (so that an optimized version of a file ends up in something like /media/optimized/TV/Show 1/Season 01/Show 1 - s01e01.mp4)

First of all, if I create an optimization rule to place all the optimized files into a new directory, will this structure be maintained?

I have a few other questions regarding optimization in general:

  1. As the destination directory has to be listed as a folder within the library, if I then play my files at home via DLNA on my Sony Blu-Ray player, how can I be sure that it will play the original files, and not the optimised ones? I have an appropriate DLNA profile in place for the Blu-Ray player, that allows it to play full resolution BluRay rips with full surround sound support (DTS-HD and the like). I don’t want to lose this by having the optimised files available.
  2. If outside Plex I delete a media item that has an optimised version, will the optimised version also be removed the next time the library is updated?
  3. If I create an optimisation rule for my TV library with no limitations on the number of files, will any new files that I drop in there later (once the initial optimisation has completed) also be optimised?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Pointers to a better way to achieve what I want would also be appreciated if there are any.

Andy

2

Currently, when you optimize television episodes, you get an abbreviated name like “1x24” which doesn’t mean anything without the rest of the info when you want to separate it from the original.

I wrote up a RFE to ask for Series name to be included in the output file. This would give the scanner what it needs. Part of the request was, if possible, have PMS create a ‘perfect’ directory structure under ‘Optimized_Media’ for everything you optimized for that Library. This would give you the ‘Take Away’ capability with ease.

Something you CAN do, which does require a few extra steps.

Optimize a Series.

Use FileBot and drop the entire Series you just optimized into it. Help it identify it and have a renaming rule which will move it while renaming it. This gives you the Rename and Take away functionality from above.

The only downside to this is you can’t use the inherent knowledge PMS has of the media in the renaming nor can you have PMS simply optimize the entire television library as it would end up with potentially hundreds of 1x01 (Season 1 Episode 1) and lead to a huge mess in the destination directory. This is what drove creating the RFE

Does this help?

3

@adhawkins said:
2. If outside Plex I delete a media item that has an optimised version, will the optimised version also be removed the next time the library is updated?
Ok, I’ve just tried this, and it appears that it does delete the optimised version if I delete the file from outside Plex and then update the library. That’s good.

Would still appreciate any input regarding the other questions though, particularly number 1, as I really don’t want to degrade my ‘home’ watching experience because there are optimised copies around.

Thanks

Andy

4

Hi,

Thanks for the response @ChuckPa

@ChuckPa said:
Currently, when you optimize television episodes, you get an abbreviated name like “1x24” which doesn’t mean anything without the rest of the info when you want to separate it from the original.

I wrote up a RFE to ask for Series name to be included in the output file. This would give the scanner what it needs. Part of the request was, if possible, have PMS create a ‘perfect’ directory structure under ‘Optimized_Media’ for everything you optimized for that Library. This would give you the ‘Take Away’ capability with ease.

Those two steps sound like what I ideally want. The ‘optimised’ structure should be a mirror of my normal structure, but containing the optimised files named ideally in the same way as the originals.

For now, I think I can work with having the optimised placed inside the same directory as the originals, by setting up an rsync job that only copies the ‘Plex Versions’ subdirectories and their contents. However, it’d be much easier to just have all the optimised versions in their own directory tree.

Can you offer any advice with the remaining questions?

Andy

5

Andy,
With respect to keeping regular and optimized in sync. If you delete the Original (without saving the optimized first), the optimized will be deleted.

Once you’ve created the Optimization task (what it really is), anything new you add will automatically be processed per that task’s settings

6

Thanks @ChuckPa for confirming that. That’s good to know.

Only question now is regarding my DLNA client (the BluRay player). Can I be sure that if there’s an original BluRay rip and an optimised version, then the BluRay player will choose the original rip to play?

Thanks

Andy

7

Andy,
I have never test that but given PMS will pick the optimized over the regular (best match) and use “PMS protocol” to speak to the client, there is no reason the same selection process would be any different. Architecturally, It is which protocol is communicating, DLNA? or PMS?. I personally grew tired of how long it takes DLNA screens to load a long time ago.