Why isn't Plex respecting file names for titles?

[spud]

Server Version#: 1.28.1.6018
Player Version#: Any (Plex Web: 4.84.1)

I’ve had this problem for years, but finally want to address it. I follow Plex’s naming conventions pretty strictly, and have for years. I rename the files, and upload them to my NAS. The Plex server is running on a Mac mini, and it scans the library from the NAS.

Most recently, I uploaded a file named “Minions The Rise of Gru (2022).1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG.mp4” to the server, and told Plex to scan the library.

The result was that Plex named the movie “Minions.The.Rise.of.Gru.2022.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG” despite the fact that I had already renamed it without the annoying periods.

The only place I can (still) find a reference to the original filename is embedded at the end of the mp4 file (if I open it in a text editor). So I’m assuming that Plex is reading that, but why? Why isn’t it using the filename?

I’ve included a screenshot of my Agents screen as well. I used to have “Local Media Assets” at the top of the list, but moved it down this morning. It doesn’t seem to have changed anything.

Note that this does not happen with every movie, but about 75% of the time, it does. I tire of renaming the titles, especially because the editing interface window is one of the most user-hostile UIs I’ve ever seen. It really doesn’t work well (e.g. you change the title and hit “Save Changes” and it reverts because you didn’t wait 3 seconds, pray to the titling gods, and click on the revised title before trying to submit).

[BigWheel]

Plex never really list filenames. MP4s have embedded metadata which is added when that file was created. I can’t tell which agent you are actually using for library but if are using new Plex Movie agent (not the legacy) then agetn settings are in the library settinsg under Advanced. if “Prefer Local Metadata” is enabled for library then it will use the Title field that is in the embedded metadata. Edit the library and look at the Advanced tab to see that setting. Whether using new or old afaik you need to refresh metadata after editing agent settings

In general even it did not use the embedded Title metadata, for a movie library it will get the actual title for the movie from online source and in that case from it will call it “Minions The Rise of Gru” not the file name because Plex in general should not be thought of as a file browser. The closest you will get to as a file browser is to use an “Other Videos” library which does not get online metadata

When you change something in editor you need to make sure that the lock icon on the left of the field is orange before you hit save. It should change automatically as you start editing a field. Orange = Locked. If it is unlocked it will revert to whatever the agent thought it should be.

[spud]

I’m not sure what the purposes of naming conventions is if Plex is going to ignore them. If it isn’t going to use the file name (which is fine), but it uses the file name to do a lookup — then why is the match failing? Certainly no agent is returning “Minions.The.Rise.of.Gru.2022.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG” as the title, so the agent must be failing to match, right? And Plex is defaulting to some totally inaccessible embedded data to create the title? How does that make sense?

Also, I only seem to have “Plex Movie Agent (legacy)” in my Agents screen, not the “new Plex Movie agent.” Where am I supposed to find the new agent? I’m running the latest version of the server, as far as Plex tells me.
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OK, a bit clearer now, since I found the section you’re talking about.

However, If I may raise one issue (which I’ve seen in several places in the forum):
The “settings are in the Library setting under Advanced” as you wrote is rather confusing. There is
Settings: Library (which sounds like what you mean) that is not where it is, and there is Manage: Libraries which is where it is. Precision is helpful when troubleshooting, as you can imagine.

Based on the Manage: Libraries setting, I am using the “Plex Movie” scanner (not the “Plex Movie Scanner” scanner – seriously, who is naming this stuff?) and the “Plex Movie” agent (not “Plex Movie (legacy)”).

I’ve unchecked the “Prefer local metadata” box, since that seems to be causing the issue. Personally, I don’t think the totally invisible, uneditable embedded filename should be considered “local metadata,” but that’s just me.

As for the title editing UI, I wanted to attach a quick screen video, but cannot. Here’s a recap:

1. Title is unlocked.
2. Click to edit title.
3. The minute you start typing, the lock activates (why?)
4. Finish typing and move your mouse directly to the “Save Changes” button.
5. Title reverts, rather than saving what you just typed.

Step 3 is clearly the problem, and the bane of my existence. Why is the lock automatically activated — on key up, as far as I can tell — when editing the field? User unfriendly.

[BigWheel]

@spud

I’m not sure what the purposes of naming conventions is if Plex is going to ignore them.

So the server can find the online metadata. the file name is essentially used as a search term. If folks have file names which make no sense to server then it cannot find the correct info.

@spud

The minute you start typing, the lock activates (why?)

Your editing it because you want it to change it and you want that change to remain do you not? Locking keeps your edit and it is a visual indication that it has been manually edited

[FordGuy61]

@spud

Personally, I don’t think the totally invisible, uneditable embedded filename should be considered “local metadata,” but that’s just me.

Not invisible. Editable. “Embedded filename” is pretty much the definition of “local metadata.”

Assume anything you download will have embedded metadata, which may or may not be correct. There is a lot of junk on the Internet.

Many people use embedded metadata to have Plex list movies that cannot be matched via online databases or to have Plex list movies in a manner they prefer.

Subler is a very good Mac based tool for editing metadata, remuxing MP4 files, etc.

When working with Subler, if you do make changes to the file, suggest you also take time to Optimize the file. This re-arranges some MP4 header bits to improve streaming. This is also known as “MP4 Fast Start” and is not the same as the Optimize capability in Plex.

From Subler FAQ:
What’s the “Optimize” function ?

It interleaves the audio and video samples, and puts the “MooV” atom at the begining of the file, restoring the Quicktime “fast-start” (also known as “pseudo-streaming”) ability of the file.

[anon18523487]

@spud

I follow Plex’s naming conventions pretty strictly

“Minions The Rise of Gru (2022).1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG.mp4”

That’s not the correct naming convention. If you follow the guidelines, it should be
Minions The Rise of Gru (2022) [1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG].mp4

Plex will ignore the text inside the [brackets] when trying to match, otherwise it will use those terms to try and match the movie and can often fail.

[spud]

So the server can find the online metadata. the file name is essentially used as a search term. If folks have file names which make no sense to server then it cannot find the correct info.

Well, my point is that I’ve been using Plex naming conventions, and it can find the online metadata, and then it ignores it. And I understand now that it was ignoring it in favor of embedded metadata because I had “Prefer local metadata” checked. But frankly, I was not expecting “local metadata” to be something that I could only see after downloading 3rd party software to edit the mp4 metadata. My bad, I guess.

@spud

The minute you start typing, the lock activates (why?)

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Your editing it because you want it to change it and you want that change to remain do you not? Locking keeps your edit and it is a visual indication that it has been manually edited

If it locked AFTER I’m done editing it, then it would be great. If it locks after I type the first letter, and that lock prevents “Save Changes” from working if you click it immediately, then the UI is just plain broken. Maybe invoke the lock AFTER saving changes, rather than on the first KeyUp?

[BigWheel]

@spud

Well, my point is that I’ve been using Plex naming conventions, and it can find the online metadata, and then it ignores it.

It isn’t ignoring it. it was following the other setting to prefer the local metadata which is this case is the title embedded locally in the file

@spud

if you click it immediately

the save button? What browser are you using.

[anon18523487]

@spud

If it locks after I type the first letter, and that lock prevents “Save Changes” from working if you click it immediately, then the UI is just plain broken. Maybe invoke the lock AFTER saving changes, rather than on the first KeyUp?

It doesn’t actually lock until you hit “Save”. It only highlights the icon to indicate it will lock. If hitting save doesn’t work, then there is an issue. This can be caused by a busy database (i.e. the scanner is running) or if the database is corrupted. Repair a Corrupt Database | Plex Support

[spud]

This isn’t browser-specific. It happens in the Plex desktop client as well as the browser. I have a video that shows it clearly, but can’t upload it here.

Here are two screenshots of the relevant part of the process.

First screenshot, I open the editing window. You can see the title still has periods it in.

Second screenshot, I selected everything but “Belfast” and hit “Delete.” No other keyboard actions. You’ll note there are still drop-down suggestions visible.

In the second screenshot, if I move my mouse to the “Save Changes” button and click, what do you think the title will be?

The answer, unfortunately, is “Belfast.2021.1080p.WEBRip.x264-RARBG.” This happens regardless of any activity on the server, and has been like this for years.

The only way to avoid it is to hit Tab after editing the field, or manually selecting the “Belfast” in the dropdown that simply matches the content of the field. Either way, it’s an additional step that is super-annoying if you’re editing dozens of titles.

This appears to be in direct contradiction of what @anon18523487 writes.

I’d be happy to send a short mp4 of this in action if someone DMs me an address to send it to.

[BigWheel]

OK I think I see what is going on… when you start typing and you see that drop down those are basically suggestions. Click one that says Belfast and the drop down should go away. The original is still highlighted in drop down which is why it is taking that.

So i mean click this that i highlighted with the green box. Then click save. I’ve been using this for so long that i haven’t thought about it but I can see how that is an awkward thing to think to do. I will pass it along to folks

[spud]

Related, what’s up with the “Edition” field in the Editing UI above that appears in Plex desktop client, but not the web client? It claims to require a Plex Pass but isn’t enabled even though I have a Plex Pass.

[BigWheel]

Editions is an unreleased feature and should not be there. it does not do anything yet

[spud]

Thanks. I’m not insane! I’ve been using it this way for years too (I’ve been a subscriber for like 13 years!), but I quietly mumble nasty things about that UI every time I have to do it.

What I really want to be able to do is:

1. Have Plex auto-highlight the title upon opening the interface (the same way you want a search bar to accept input the minute you make it visible). I know it’s not the only thing you can do in this UI, but it’s non-detrimental to make that assumption.
2. Type the word “Belfast”
3. Hit “Enter” on my keyboard to save and close the window.

As is, this part of the UI feels like those clunky Java interfaces on a Mac in the 90s.

[JaysPlex]

I don’t keep embedded metadata but occasionally I miss a season of something here and there. I keep this enabled on Plex because I can use the search bar to find what shows I might have missed. Windows does not have a good way to search for this. (that I know of)

You can bulk edit the metadata field in windows.
Select multiple files at once. If all your movies are in individual folders use the search bar and type in .mp4, then select all of them, then properties.

Plex dance or rescan and refresh metadata for that library and you should be good.

I know what he’s talking about the changes you just typed changing or reverting before you can save it though. I had that issue using Plex web with a Chrome browser but haven’t noticed it using the Plex for Windows app. I noticed this mostly if I copy and pasted something into the edit field that ended with a period. If you didn’t back space and retype the period it would change everything you typed. Obviously that was more prevalent in the “Summary” field but the title had a similar problem which I never quite figured out

Can’t help you with that part, but if you disable the ability for Plex to pick that metadata up or you remove it, most things “if named correctly” i.e. Belfast (2021) [1080p WEBRip x264-RARBG].mp4 should match properly and you won’t have to edit anything avoiding this whole annoyance.

[BigWheel]

Yeah I believe that was added around the time we added tags so. you can start typing start of the tag and just click the the you wanted without finishing typing. But I agree if you don’t select anything it should just assume what you typed so far is what you want.

I think when. you move mouse down to save button and pass over the dropdown it is selecting the last thing the mouse arrow was hovered over at bottom of drop down. Thanks for taking the time to explain how awkward that is for you