Syncing (Replacing) Kodi with Emby Favourites behaviour

[Kurosh 16]

Hi,

Is there any reason why syncing Emby to Kodi favourites is on by default? It's played absolute havoc with my setup.

As it's on by default when the E4Kodi addon updated, it overwritten my intentionally separate and different kodi favourites... on all my clients. When I disabled this feature it didn't revert back and when I delete the kodi favourites it also deleted my Emby favourites from the server.

I use EmbySweeper to delete watched episodes EXCEPT IF THEY ARE AN EMBY FAVOURITE. I also have manual shared SMB folders of miscellanous media for Kodi favourites which are media that don't fit into the Emby library categories, again these kodi favourites on all my clients got lost and overwritten with Emby favourites... without my doing as was enabled by default.

I'm very concious that any reset required of this Emby for Kodi Addon (quite often) will repeat this pain.

This is all through lack of choice because this feature request from 2014 still hasn't been addressed as far as I know. Look throught his thread below, it points to the EmbySweeper script and other devs (Luke if I recall?) is aware of it.

FR: Server: Auto Delete Watched after "N" Days

It still doesn't make sense how it's logical to sync favourites especially the way favourites are sync'd? Essentially deleting & replacing existing Kodi favourites with just the Emby Server favourites? It is trivial to add a separate shortcut in any Kodi skin to 'Emby' Favourites as well (as I've done with 'Kodi' Favouties) so why the delete and replace functionality? It would be more understandable if you didn't delete and replace and merely added to what's there already. I've always had two (Kodi + Emby favourties) shortcuts, to kill the Kodi curated shortcuts and just have the media only Emby Server can interpret seems a bit heavy handed.

Also, though it was a user request (and I don't understand the implementation), that doesn't answer why on by 'default'? - e.g. effecting all users? That's my main point.

Even if you disagree with everything I've written (though would be interested to know why), can you point me to what is the "non-voodoo" way to....

1. Houseclean media (delete after an amount of time base don whether watched, but to exclude/filter out some tv series/movies you want to keep)?
- I've ONLY been able to find EmbySweeper.
- This would allow me to stop using a 3rd party script to housekeep media which depends on Emby Favourites to exclude media for deletion.

2. Have shortcuts in Kodi to miscellaenous media which doesn't fit into a (TV Shows / Movies etc.) library?
- I've used Kodi Shortcuts pointing to a SMB share. Worked flawlessly for years.
- This would allow me to maintain accessing miscellaneous media outside of Emby.

 

Hence two issues/concerns here, one being the implemntation / behaviour of how syncing is implemented (deleting/replacing local kodi favioutries with Emby server favourites)... and two; why it's on by default in the first place.

 

Appreciate all you do, it's just this feels heavy handed to me, just not enabled by default would fix everything, then I doubt I would have even noticed it, certainly wouldn';t have turned it on.

Edited February 21 by Kurosh

[quickmic 1352]

What about tagging content? Would this solve the problem.

 

[Kurosh 16]

Hi,

Solve which problem?

I highlighted 2 issues...

1 > Automated housecleaning of watched media with ability to exclude favourite shows / movies

- In absence of any other solution (waiting over 10 years now) I Imagine this would need the 3rd party script to be modified by the script creator to exclude based on specific tags. Are you aware of any other solution to automate deletion of media within the Emby ecosystem yet? Am I missing something? Hope so.

2 > Emby Server favourites deleting and replacing local Kodi favourites and on by default

- Don't see this addressing that either? As mentioned, it's a bit presumptious to think all users want Emby Favourites over Kodi favourites, especially for miscellanous media which doesn't fit into an Emby library. What's the solution for that?

 

Cheers.

Edited February 22 by Kurosh

[quickmic 1352]

21 minutes ago, Kurosh said:

Hi,

Solve which problem?

I highlighted 2 issues...

1 > Automated housecleaning of watched media with ability to exclude favourite shows / movies

- In absence of any other solution (waiting over 10 years now) I Imagine this would need the 3rd party script to be modified by the script creator to exclude based on specific tags. Are you aware of any other solution to automate deletion of media within the Emby ecosystem yet? Am I missing something? Hope so.

2 > Emby Server favourites deleting and replacing local Kodi favourites and on by default

- Don't see this addressing that either? As mentioned, it's a bit presumptious to think all users want Emby Favourites over Kodi favourites, especially for miscellanous media which doesn't fit into an Emby library. What's the solution for that?

 

Cheers.

I thought you could use tags instead of favorites for your script.

Quote

Emby Favourites over Kodi favourites

oh, yes I think so.

Anyway, to make it clear. Disabling favorite sync by default is off the table. I could modify the disable option that favs are not deleted by default. I need to check if this is possible and not breaking the update procedures.

[Kurosh 16]

Yes, not deleting by default is often the best course of action

Especially if it repeatedly does it every time the addon needs to be reset.

 

I'm guessing as no alternative solution has been mentioned so far that the only option is to contact the script creator and request if this could be changed. I wish I didn't have to depend on a 3rd party script.

[Kurosh 16]

Just thought, if this cannot be achieved and Kodi favourites are wiped out, what's the solution for accessing miscellaneous media that isn't in an Emby library?

[quickmic 1352]

None, cause it's a factory reset. It wipes also the database.

[Kurosh 16]

I'm not sure I'm following you correctly?

Are you saying, only media in an Emby media library will ever be accessible? Hence, as Kodi favourites are repeatedly being wiped, the there is no solution to access miscellaneous media not in an Emby library?

[quickmic 1352]

Only if a factory reset is performed which usually (automatically) trigger by major upgrades 8.X -> 9.X. Otherwise never unless user started it.

Beta versions more often.

Edited February 22 by quickmic

[Kurosh 16]

Bit lost for words. It's one thing to have an implementation of deleting what's already there, it's another to have this on by default and repeatedly occuring whenever the addon needs reseting and quite another still to have no solution for accessing miscellanous media or just media outside of Emby Server for this enforced implementation.

To be clear, this is nothing to do with the other separate concern of having to use a 3rd party script to houseclean watched media, this is simply using Kodi to access media outside of Emby's libary. Whether that be an SMB network share or local storage of media on that particular client.

Surely you're not saying "Tough, Kodi is to only access media from Emby Server and nothing else"?

Edited February 22 by Kurosh

[quickmic 1352]

As mentioned, factory resets are initiated by major release updates (if you use stable versions). During development, at least in the early dev phase quite often, yes.

Plugin major release upgrades are usually corresponding with Kodi major release jumps. Kodi 19/20/21. As Kodi changes the database layout, there is no (easy) way to migrate databases, egro database reset is enforced. btw, there are also warnings/notifications about that.

So not sure what you are trying to achieve here. Yes I know it's not nice, but it would take hundreds of hours writing migration code for imho no real benefit.

btw, believe it or not, most of the people use the plugin for Emby content only (like myself), not saying mixed content is not supported.

[Kurosh 16]

Yep, understand the rationale for resets, major version changes and the the necessity around that. I've never questioned that.

How is mixed content supported? I was using Kodi favourites to access folders outside of Emby content, without that option.... ?

Edited February 22 by Kurosh

[quickmic 1352]

Unless factory resets, favorites (for external content) are not touched. But Emby favs may added/remove favs from Emby content in Kodi favs... depending on setting

Edited February 22 by quickmic

[Kurosh 16]

Trying to follow... so mixed content is supported until a factory reset is required?

[quickmic 1352]

A factory reset wipes ALL Kodi databases, favorites, everything related to content not matter if it's Emby content or local content.

Mixed content is always supported, it's just wiped during a factory reset and need to be rebuild/re-scanned.

Edited February 23 by quickmic

[Kurosh 16]

OK, I'll ask again, how is miscellaneous content not within Emby Server's libraries, supported (accessible by Kodi clients)?

 

As you're aware, I've used Kodi favourites for this scenario. With this being wiped, please tell me the alternative solution? From everything I've read so far, there isn't an alternative solution, all content within Kodi must now be via Emby Server as the conversation keeps coming back to addon resets.

 

Note: I understand very well what the factory reset implications are of the E4Kodi addon along with the frequency they occur. I have never asked about that.

Edited February 23 by Kurosh

[quickmic 1352]

What do you mean with how. The plugin has NOTHING todo with external content. For external content it's KODI's duty handle the the libraaries. Same way as you haven't installed the plugin at all. I really don't know, what your questions addressing here. The plugin has NOTHING, ZERO todo with external content.

So what is the problem? YES I'll not delete favs in next 10.X version, so what is your concern? I really don't know how to make it simpler to understand. Kodi uses a favorites.xml which includes BOTH. Emby favs and Kodi's (external content) favs.

Also Kodi has two databases which includes Emby content AND external content. Seems there is a lag of knowledge, how Kodi works.

You CANNOT split databases for Emby content and for external content so you would have SEPERATE database based on content type.

It's ONE Kodi db for videos and ONE Kodi db for music.

Same for favorites.xml.

I think I stop here this conversation.

[Kurosh 16]

ok, this is going round in circles. Despite you being determined to answer questions I never asked, I think more by luck than judgement somewhere in there you answered my question. You'll fix in v10 what you broke in v9.

I am aware of the kodi databases but that is completely irrelevant and agian, not what I asked as the kodi favourites are merely shortcuts to folders which are excluded from any scans/libraries/databases.

 

*** My kodi favourites are simply just shortcuts to folders outside of Emby server, nothing else. These folders are not part of any scans nor libraries etc.***

 

To elaborate on what you said... consider the three scenarios...

 

1. No emby whatsoever (no addon nor server)

- Yes, as you say this will and does work fine for accessing folders with miscellaneous media in folders, not scanned into part of a library, Kodi Favourites/Shortcuts. There is no v9 addon breaking this by deleting existing Kodi Favourites / shortcuts.

 

2. Emby v9 addon

- You delete Kodi favourites which I was using as shortcuts to folders (not scanned into a library db), hence break the ability to access miscellanous content not within Emby Server, and what I've only asked about HOW to do without kodi favourites as a shortcut to a folder and I'm still waiting for this answer for this scenario.

 

*** I also  agree the pluggin "should" have nothing to do with external content, yet it deletes kodi favourites which I was using for accessing external content ***

3. Emby v10 addon

- You will no longer delete existing Kodi favourites, as per what it was like before v9. THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING

Edited February 23 by Kurosh