In-Progress Emby Server & Theater - Additional Extras/Special Folder Types for TV Series (similar to Movies)

[timgreen 11]

I'm going to add my support for this feature as well. While Extras may be able to go into Specials for most series, cracks start to show with a series like Doctor Who (1963). This series has multiple DVD releases per season each with a handful of features, and each with a multitude of Extras relating specifically to those episodes. One four-episode story may have ten or more extras, with sometimes close to ten stories in a season. It just becomes completely unmanageable.

This is compounded with a DVD release like the TV Movie - a special which is listed as S00E60 on the TV database. As it is already a special, there is no way to associate the extras with the episode in Emby.

The solution seems obvious to me. Have each episode in its own folder that acts like a Movie folder:

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 00\Doctor Who (1963) S00E60\Doctor Who (1963) S00E60.mkv

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 00\Doctor Who (1963) S00E60\Extras\Paul McGann Interview.mkv

Now on the episodes information page, the extras will be displayed just as they would be in movies.

Additionally, you need to be able to be able to add extras to Seasons:

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 01\Extras\Theme Music Video.mkv

These could be displayed at the bottom of the season. Something like the mockup attached.

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by timgreen

[steveblair 13]

Liked and adding my support. In my opinion, this is the one item that would make Emby the perfect media server.

[steveblair 13]

Oooo...just noticed that the "other" software has started to add this:

Experimental support for local TV extras

Come on Emby, don't let them beat you to the punch!  

[RanmaCanada 457]

Still waiting on this and I am sick and tired of waiting for it.  I have tried to do the whole s00exxx thing, but some of my shows have oodles of extras in every season (like the clone wars where some seasons have over 30+ extras) so I felt it was easier to do the extras from every season starting at the same hundred it is.  So extras from season 01 would be S00ep1xx, season 02 would be s00ep2xx and so on.  Problem is, Emby doesn't recognize these (I have no specials folder now) and is still being stupid and trying to merge files together that are named the same even with them being completely different and is taking names from some of the files and putting them as other specials..but STILL no specials or extras folder, but the episodes are on deck.

I've already thrown money at a lifetime sub, and I've put a bounty for a proper anime plugin for $100 that no one has taken, and this is needed far more than anything else.  How am I supposed to have my media, my way, if the server can't understand what I was told to name my files as...

Edit: so after playing around with things, after moving at least 1 file into a self created "Specials" folder, Emby suddenly populated every single special file I had created and put them all in one place, even though they are in their respective seasons, directory wise.  A little frustrating for someone who likes to keep things neat and tidy in regards to their physical location, but in the end, everything is watchable, in "order", and I only have to mess up 1 file's location.  I can also edit any metadata I need to put files into the seasons themselves if it's an extra like "ep 12.5" or something stupid like a character explanation.

Edited April 15, 2021 by RanmaCanada

[NadineNB 7]

Liked the top post, would love an update on this feature request if at all possible.

[timgreen 11]

I've resorted to using Collections for my Doctor Who Extras, as I don't really use them much for their intended purpose. I've got a separate TV show called Doctor Who Special Features to house the extras, and then a separate collection for every single Doctor Who serial housing the episodes and the extras. Season 0 is just unusable. We're talking about thousands of extras here.

Throwing this out there as a workaround in case others haven't thought about it.

[musicmafia 38]

The current naming option causes all my shows to read as having extra seasons. There's gotta be a better way!

[xlerate 7]

On 6/11/2018 at 10:54 PM, Luke said:

 

 

On 6/24/2019 at 6:00 PM, Luke said:

I guess that is one way of doing it. Thanks for sharing.

Is there another way?

 

Edited September 24, 2022 by xlerate
.

[Luke 40140]

In Emby Server 4.8, we'll add support for using all of the same names that you can use for video files:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Specials is already supported and will be detected as Season 0, but we'll make the others all aliases of Season 0 as well.

[Happy2Play 9459]

@Luke But this is about Season level extras (but the placement fields already place them properly within Season from Season 0/Specials) and episode extras.

 

As a Series/Show is not as simple as Movie putting an extra folder with media and it appears on Item page.

With Shows an additional episode folder layer would have to be added (even though I believe it is already supported).  Need coding to add extras to episode itemsdetails.

Example for episode 1 extra to appear on episode itemdetails page as it really is not a Season 0 item to be placed within a Season.

showfolder\seasonfolder\episodefolder\episode.ext

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01.mkv

showfolder\seasonfolder\episodefolder\extras\extraname.ext

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Extras\Deleted Scenes S01E01.mkv

 

[Luke 40140]

31 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

@Luke But this is about Season level extras (but the placement fields already place them properly within Season from Season 0/Specials) and episode extras.

 

As a Series/Show is not as simple as Movie putting an extra folder with media and it appears on Item page.

With Shows an additional episode folder layer would have to be added (even though I believe it is already supported).  Need coding to add extras to episode itemsdetails.

Example for episode 1 extra to appear on episode itemdetails page as it really is not a Season 0 item to be placed within a Season.

showfolder\seasonfolder\episodefolder\episode.ext

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01.mkv

showfolder\seasonfolder\episodefolder\extras\extraname.ext

Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Extras\Deleted Scenes S01E01.mkv

 

Yes, everything in this feature request will be added:

More aliases for Season 0 folder underneath series:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for special folders underneath season folder:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for specials right next to the episode files:

• Dexter S01E01 - Episode Title-featurette.mp4

[funwithmedia 369]

On 10/2/2022 at 8:06 PM, Luke said:

Yes, everything in this feature request will be added:

More aliases for Season 0 folder underneath series:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for special folders underneath season folder:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for specials right next to the episode files:

• Dexter S01E01 - Episode Title-featurette.mp4

This is very exciting, seeing this come to pass! Thank you, @Luke, and all other developers that worked on this -- I imagine it was no small undertaking!!

[RaptorCentauri 56]

@Luke will the extras/features appear as separate sections in the UI, or will the issue of everything being under "season 0" still exist?

[Happy2Play 9459]

@RaptorCentauri I would assume as these will be alias, they will be grouped into Season 0/Specials it at Series level.

More aliases for Season 0 folder underneath series:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

 

And these would appear within specific Season if in that folder.

Support for special folders underneath season folder:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

similar to this mockup from above

 

And Episodes to be like Movie extras using a specific naming scheme against that episode.

Support for specials right next to the episode files:

• Dexter S01E01 - Episode Title-featurette.mp4

But further documentation will be needed for what will work against specific episode.

• Dexter S01E01 - Episode Title-Deleted Scenes.mp4

Or if nested episode structure will work.

     Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01.mkv

     Doctor Who (1963)\Season 1\Doctor Who (1963) S01E01\Extras\Deleted Scenes S01E01.mkv

 

[m7eesn 13]

@Luke Thanks this seems promising, although i would liked to have full extras support. this will do at least for now. Is there a time table when 4.8 will be released? 

 

Thank you.

[Luke 40140]

19 minutes ago, m7eesn said:

@Luke Thanks this seems promising, although i would liked to have full extras support. this will do at least for now. Is there a time table when 4.8 will be released? 

 

Thank you.

Why do you think this isn't full extras support?

[m7eesn 13]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

Why do you think this isn't full extras support?

Hmm, at i thought giving your words

On 10/3/2022 at 3:06 AM, Luke said:

Yes, everything in this feature request will be added:

More aliases for Season 0 folder underneath series:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for special folders underneath season folder:

• extras
• specials
• shorts
• scenes
• featurettes
• behind the scenes
• deleted scenes
• interviews

Support for specials right next to the episode files:

• Dexter S01E01 - Episode Title-featurette.mp4

 

All those will be treated as Season 0 i.e. Specials folder. not like movies that display extras inline. That's my assumption though not sure if i am reading this correctly.

[roaku 836]

Ya, if this is just more ways to get stuff into Season 0, I have no use for it.

If it means we will be able to list our extras like we do under movies *and* have a separate season 0 for actual named specials with metadata, I'm very excited.

Is still isn't clear which one is happening.

[steveblair 13]

21 hours ago, roaku said:

Ya, if this is just more ways to get stuff into Season 0, I have no use for it.

If it means we will be able to list our extras like we do under movies *and* have a separate season 0 for actual named specials with metadata, I'm very excited.

Is still isn't clear which one is happening.

It's a bit of both actually. If the extras are related to a specific episode and named as such (ShowName - SXXEXX-featurette for example) then the extra is listed inline with the episode (like movies). However, if the extras are for the season or the entire show, they are listed in Season 0 (but can also be placed with the appropriate season as well)

I agree...I'd like a separate Season 0 or Specials that is just for actual "story content" (ie. Veronica Mars - The Movie is a special between season 3 and season 4....bloopers and making ofs are extras that should be separate)

 

[Bigmack3000 96]

On 10/9/2022 at 10:33 PM, Happy2Play said:

@RaptorCentauri I would assume as these will be alias, they will be grouped into Season 0/Specials it at Series level.

 

 

Oh, no. Please don't do it like this.  Forcing everything into 1 folder is not a good way to go about it.

[jackkeller 1]

@LukeI just ugraded to the newest beta after reading about the folder support but I am not seeing extras showing up in my TV shows. Has this been implimented in the latest beta and - fi so - any tips on how to turn this feature on?

[Luke 40140]

On 1/21/2023 at 12:38 PM, jackkeller said:

@LukeI just ugraded to the newest beta after reading about the folder support but I am not seeing extras showing up in my TV shows. Has this been implimented in the latest beta and - fi so - any tips on how to turn this feature on?

HI, please follow and use the testing area of the community for beta related discussion. Thanks.

[RaptorCentauri 56]

I am still very confused what this new feature actually does. 

Several questions (in no order, not necessarily related to each other):

Does it solve the issue of separating bonus features and special episodes?

Do the bonus features appear in a distinctly separate location in the UI?

Is this more than just allowing alternate names to "Season 00"?

 

If someone could give me an actual breakdown of how it's different than before (with actual screenshots if possible!) that would be very helpful.

Thanks

[Luke 40140]

On 2/4/2023 at 12:21 PM, RaptorCentauri said:

I am still very confused what this new feature actually does. 

Several questions (in no order, not necessarily related to each other):

Does it solve the issue of separating bonus features and special episodes?

Hi, what issue?

[roaku 836]

27 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, what issue?