TV file not found unless existing Movie file added to library

Plex Media Server Metadata & Adding Files
1

Server Version#: 1.19.3.2764
Plex Web: 4.30.2

I have a Movies Library and a TV Shows Library. I have an .MP4 in the Movies library that Plex locates just fine. I have an .MP4 in the TV Shows Library that Plex is unable to find unless I add the Movie file to the TV Shows Library. I did this just as a test because I could not figure out why Plex was not locating my TV Show. Since I don’t want the Movie file in the TV Shows Library, I remove the Movie file. Once the Movie file is removed, and I rescan the TV Library, it no longer finds the TV Show file that it found after adding the Movie file.

Any ideas why Plex won’t find the TV file by itself, but will locate it successfully after a previously located Movie file is added to the TV library, and then is unable to locate the TV file again after the Movie is removed?

2

Not sure about the movie files being a prerequisite…
As for the underlying issue… this could be related to embedded metadata (title tags) in the mp4 files. If you have enabled local media assets for those libraries and prioritized that metadata source in the PMS agent settings, Plex will use an embedded title to identify the file – not the file name.
So if the embedded title does not match the required naming schema (making it recognizable as a tv show based on that title alone), Plex will ignore it – same as if you would add a poorly named file.

3

Thanks for the reply. Still seems strange that Plex, without me doing anything with the TV file, will recognize the TV file when I drop

in another recognized Plex Movie file into the TV library, but won’t recognize it by itself without the added file.

Here are my LIbraries:

M:\Media\Movies
[Movie.mp4] - This Movie recognized by Plex just fine

M:\Media\TV Shows [Plex Library: M\Media\TV Shows]
Subdirectory: Night Gallery
FIle: Night Gallery-S1-D1.mp4 (This .MP4 is not located. Embedded title same
as physical title)

4

See the linked support article above. Plex will ignore videos of a tv show library that aren’t recognizable (to Plex) as tv show type files. For Plex to recognize a file as a tv show episode, it’ll need some kind of season/episode pattern — preferably matching Plex own naming schema:

M:\
   Media
      TV Shows   <- folder linked by the Plex tv show library
         Show Name
            Season XX
               Show Name - sXXeYY - optional text.ext

         Night Gallery
            Season 01
               Night Gallery - s01e01.mp4

where XX is the season and YY is the episode number. You will occasionally find users who got a successful match with a sufficiently close naming schema — your best shot is to stick with the exact schema

5

Thanks a lot Tom. That did the trick.

6

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