I sure wish I could be rid of these false meta data loading into my TV shows and On Deck. I have no such show in any folder. When I open one of them, some will have episodes for the The Cleveland Show, others will show pictures of shows I never seen, and have never been in any of my folders connected to Plex.
One show is legit, Modern Family, but it has The Cleveland Show as it pic, I assuming whenever Plex can’t find any meta data, it just substitutes “The Cleveland Show” for anything it can’t recognize of find. Second one when opened shows (12) seasons of The Cleveland Show, and when any of those are opening in, they are just nonsense shows, that have never been on my hard drive, I’m really getting sick of this stupid “The Cleveland Show” showing up all the time, and NO way to delete of get rid of them.
Log Files:
Drag the zip file into a message window and drop it.
Zip dropped
Important reading material:
(don’t read it on the can - you’ll not want anything distracting you)
Out of Compliance!
Z:\[0 Shows\New shows\Blue.Bloods.S07E14.720p.HDTV.X264-DIMENSION.mkv
I just picked one at random - because they’re all wrong!
I suggest you start completely over with a new TV Show Library. Fix names and structures AFTER you drag the items you’re fixing out of the library they’re in now. I’ll follow up with all The Plex Dance® steps.
Here is an example of a properly structured TV Show and it’s associated properly named file:
A TV Show Library/
…Blue Bloods/
…Season 07/
…Blue Bloods - S07E14 - In and Out.xxx
…Blue Bloods - S07E15 - Episode Name Optional.xxx
You have discovered that the way Plex has to deal with TVDB doesn’t allow much (hardly any) room for error. As such you need to structure and name TV Shows pretty much to the letter as written in the guide above. I have provided a perfect example. You just need to make it happen on your end.
Simply ‘renaming and restructuring’ items while inside the library is probably going to fail and you’ll need to create a brand new bundle for your show - either one at a time or all at once by starting completely over. To that end in the former we have:
The Plex Dance®:
- remove show (the whole thing) from the library
- update library
- empty trash
- clean bundles
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— update libraries, empty trash, clean bundles - fix names and structures to be in compliance with Plex Guidelines - as per my perfect example
- replace show into library
- update library
All Steps. In Order.
If you want to start over:
Delete Library
Update Libraries
Empty Trash
Clean Bundles
Start Fixing
FileBot (in my signature) will make renaming/restructuring amazingly easy. You’ll wonder why you haven’t been using it all along.
Files are just straight of the net, be kind of pain to rename every file, I will read over everything, I will read everything over. Thank You for the info!
Filebot won’t even run on my system. “A device attached to the system is not functioning”
If you want posters and descriptions you’ll have to submit to Plex’s Naming and Structuring Guidelines. If it’s too much of a pain you can stick with what you have now.
Filebot (link in my signature) can do all that for you in seconds rather painlessly, but it will be a little bit of a pain so you just have to decide if the pain of not having anything listed right or dealing with duplicates and mystery files is less of a pain than naming and structuring properly.
You do have options.
This did not work, I removed everything, went through the steps in order had nothing listed. Ran the the file through Filebot, name was changed as shown below, displayed correct picture of show, but also add picture of The Cleveland Show. I’d say the people at PlexTv need to do some work on the app! I put just this one show into my TV folder using Filebot.
Rosewood - 2x16 - Benzodiazepine & The Benjamins
Too many dashes - out of compliance Season and Episode format (pick ‘Firefly’ in the Format Examples to match what’s below):
A TV Show Library/
…Rosewood/
…Season 02/
…Rosewood - S02E16 - Episode Name Optional.xxx
or
…Rosewood - S02E16 - Benzodiazepine & The Benjamins.xxx
or
…Rosewood - S02E16 [720p HDTV x264 AVS].xxx
Everything that is NOT the episode name should go in [Brackets] so Plex will ignore it. Without the [Brackets] what you have there is a non-compliant file name and Plex can’t deal with non-compliant TV Show file names.
Also if you’re using MP4/M4V files you should move Local Media Assets out of the top slot in every Agent list, under every tab for TV Shows and Movies because Plex will give bogus embedded Title Fields tip-top priority, even over perfectly named files (your example isn’t one of them unfortunately):
Simply renaming files while in the library is destined to fail. The Plex Dance® is required:
- remove entire show from library
- update library
- empty trash
- clean bundles
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— update libraries, empty trash, clean bundles - fix names/structures/move local media assets, etc
- replace fixed show into library
- update library
All Steps. In Order. No Shortcuts.
The above illustrates why it is important to have this stuff prim and proper BEFORE it hits the library.
Someone really needs to do some work on Plex, its naming issues, file types, and format issues.
I purchased Filebot, and for about a month it worked, I had (2) files in my TV shows folder, one of them was named “Battlestar Galactica - s03e06 - Torn” per Filebot. I’ve started watching this series from the beginning, and this is the first time I had this happen with BG. I had about 7 shows in my TV folder, all of them added after Battlestar Galactica, and Plex was displaying Battlestar Galactica (5) times, some listed as episodes, some as an entire season, others as several seasons. When I played the other shows, instead of displaying Battlestar Galactica, all the extra BG shows were linked to the other properly named TV shows that where in the folder.
I knew exactly what was going to happen after I deleted Battlestar Galactica - s03e06 - Torn from the folder. I followed all your steps above, and they still remained and were link to other TV shows.
So I removed everything from the folder, followed your steps, and put one fricken file that was there previously “Dark Matter - 3x04 - All the Time in the World”, and was previously display properly…I add just this single file, and now I right back to showing the proper Dark Matter episode, but at the same time it load the fricken The Cleveland Show 3 - 4
Tell ya Plex, I really getting tired of $hit! ! !
Dark Matter - 3x04 - All the Time in the World
Wrong format
Dark Matter - S03E04 - All the Time in the World
Right Format
Battlestar Galactica - s03e06 - Torn
Wrong Name
Battlestar Galactica (2003) - s03e06 - Torn
Right Name
If you don’t follow The Plex Dance Steps The Plex Dance Won’t Work. If you leave part of the show there - you’re still working with an old bundle. If you want a new bundle you have to remove the entire show - all folders, all files, then Plex Dance.
The Plex Dance®:
- remove show (the whole thing) from the library
- update library
- empty trash
- clean bundles
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— update libraries, empty trash, clean bundles - fix names and structures to be in compliance with Plex Guidelines - as per my perfect example
- replace show into library
- update library
All Steps. In Order.
I’ll agree Plex needs work in the ‘Version’ Area and they know what’s wrong:
Nobody can fix what Plex messed up, but Plex.
But… if you don’t follow the TV Show Naming Guide TO THE LETTER, then you can expect unpredictable behavior:
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows
If you think you’re doing it right and it’s still not working attach some new log files. Maybe there’s another problem.
I didn’t know how to start a discussion from my phone. I have run into a problem with multiple video files for a single episode. I am dealing with spongebob. I have episodes labeled like s01e01a, s01e01b, etc. I added them and it moves “b” to the first position, causing the episodes to play out of order. Is there another way to label them? Sorry for posting in the wrong spot. Ty for any help you can provide.
@HC1Gunner said:
Someone really needs to do some work on Plex, its naming issues, file types, and format issues.
I purchased Filebot, and for about a month it worked, I had (2) files in my TV shows folder, one of them was named “Battlestar Galactica - s03e06 - Torn” per Filebot. I’ve started watching this series from the beginning, and this is the first time I had this happen with BG. I had about 7 shows in my TV folder, all of them added after Battlestar Galactica, and Plex was displaying Battlestar Galactica (5) times, some listed as episodes, some as an entire season, others as several seasons. When I played the other shows, instead of displaying Battlestar Galactica, all the extra BG shows were linked to the other properly named TV shows that where in the folder.
I knew exactly what was going to happen after I deleted Battlestar Galactica - s03e06 - Torn from the folder. I followed all your steps above, and they still remained and were link to other TV shows.
So I removed everything from the folder, followed your steps, and put one fricken file that was there previously “Dark Matter - 3x04 - All the Time in the World”, and was previously display properly…I add just this single file, and now I right back to showing the proper Dark Matter episode, but at the same time it load the fricken The Cleveland Show 3 - 4
Tell ya Plex, I really getting tired of $hit! ! !
Plex is fine with its naming structure, if you follow the guidelines it will work correctly. With the right programs this can even all be automated.
@chiller77 said:
I didn’t know how to start a discussion from my phone. I have run into a problem with multiple video files for a single episode. I am dealing with spongebob. I have episodes labeled like s01e01a, s01e01b, etc. I added them and it moves “b” to the first position, causing the episodes to play out of order. Is there another way to label them? Sorry for posting in the wrong spot. Ty for any help you can provide.
Follow the naming guidelines.
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200265006-Naming-Stacked-TV-Show-Episodes
For instance:
Media
/TV Shows
/Grey's Anatomy
/Season 01
Grey's Anatomy - s01e01.avi
Grey's Anatomy - s01e02 - The First Cut is the Deepest.avi
Grey's Anatomy - s01e03.mp4
/Season 02
Grey's Anatomy - s02e01.avi
Grey's Anatomy - s02e02.mkv
Grey's Anatomy - s02e03.m4v
Now if you have multi episodes in one file...
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 02
Heroes - s02e05-e08.mkv
/Season 04
Heroes - s04e01-e02.mkv
Heroes - s04e03.mkv
If you have several files that make a single episode...
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 01
Heroes - s01e01 - pt1.avi
Heroes - s01e01 - pt2.avi
Heroes - s01e02.avi
I already changed the names to s01e01 part1, s01e01 part2 and it still doesn’t work properly. I figured it would fix the issue, but it didn’t.
Is the - required? I have just a space. Plex groups all the episodes together perfectly. Until you watch the shows everything looks perfect. When you watch the show, instead of playing “help wanted”, which is the first episode, it plays “reef blower”. I made sure the files are correct
@chiller77 said:
I already changed the names to s01e01 part1, s01e01 part2 and it still doesn’t work properly. I figured it would fix the issue, but it didn’t.
It’s very likely you’re trying to join three segments of one episode when they should remain as they are:
http://thetvdb.com/?tab=series&id=75886&lid=7
TVDB is listing the short segments as two separate episodes (three for S01E01 - for extra-cool confusion). Technically Season 1 only has 20 episodes, but TVDB is listing 41. In order to match with TVDB you have to follow TVDB’s naming.
Unfortunately IMDB is THE WRONG PLACE TO LOOK - 'cause Plex uses TVDB to match TV Shows, not IMDB, so even if TVDB is wrong - as far as Plex is concerned, they’re right - always:
Careful inspection will reveal IMDB lists 1 episode with 3 segments, and TVDB lists 3 episodes - 1 for each segment.
Yes, it is confusing.
However, if for some reason you have two/three 7 minute (really short) parts - and for some odd reason think you have to join them…:
A TV Show Library/
…SpongeBob SquarePants/
…Season 01/
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E01 - part1.xxx
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E01 - part2.xxx
Then:
The Plex Dance®:
- remove show (the whole thing) from the library
- update library
- empty trash
- clean bundles
https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions <— update libraries, empty trash, clean bundles - fix names and structures to be in compliance with Plex Guidelines - as per my perfect example
- replace show into library
- update library
All Steps. In Order.
This will likely result in a completely borked Spongebob - but you’ll find out soon enough.
Book 2 of the SquarePants Saga:
A slightly different/better/stranger way to deal with Bob is to join the TMDB segments into IMDB style episodes:
https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/178888/howto-joining-multi-part-movies-files-with-mkvtoolnix-gui
then name and place them thusly:
A TV Show Library/
…SpongeBob SquarePants/
…Season 01/
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E01.xxx
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E04.xxx
This eases the pain and swelling associated with the way in which Plex deals with stacked episodes, but introduces some pain and swelling when the synopsi (is that a word?) for 2 and 3 are missing, then you can ask yourself, do your kids care?
Many cats - many ways to prepare them.
Your reply is very thorough and helpful. The only thing I don’t see is how to clean bundles manually. The link only shows what cleaning bundles does. I followed other links and it says it is a part of the weekly maintenance. It’s not an option listed under the categories. Thanks for your reply. I’ll try it without cleaning bundles and see what happens. I love plex and my server is absolutely flawless. When I add media, I don’t take any shortcuts. I make sure every aspect of each file works perfectly and there is no media server out there as beautiful and detailed as plex. This is why spongebob is driving me insane. I’d rather delete it than have something that doesn’t work properly. Thank you for your help.
It’s under the dots while hovering over the Libraries header in the left pane of Plexweb - like this image on that page shows:
Clean Bundles is really important Plex Dance Step and without it, you’re doing The Mashed Potato - not The Plex Dance (and The Mashed Potato will get you nowhere).
I never noticed the dots under libraries had extra options. I am going in order including cleaning bundles and I’ll let you know thanks bud.
darn same result.
Files
F:\Cartoons\Spongebob Squarepants\Season 1\SpongeBob SquarePants - s1e01 - part2 - Reef Blower [Fester1500].avi
F:\Cartoons\Spongebob Squarepants\Season 1\SpongeBob SquarePants - s1e01 - part3 - Tea at the Treedome [Fester1500].avi
F:\Cartoons\Spongebob Squarepants\Season 1\Spongebob Squarepants - S01E01 - part1 - Help Wanted.avi
its adding and playing in that order, but listed in correct order
I think your naming is off and I think this would be correct:
F:\Cartoons\ <— A TV Show Library - right?
…Spongebob Squarepants
…Season 1
…Spongebob Squarepants - S01E01 - Help Wanted - part1.avi
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E01 - Reef Blower [Fester1500] - part2.avi
…SpongeBob SquarePants - S01E01 - Tea at the Treedome [Fester1500] - part3.avi
I hope those S01E01 typos were typos and partX goes at the end right before ‘dot extension’.
You are correct to include Extraneous BS in a [Bracket] so Plex will ignore it.
Plex Dance that puppy and see what happens.
