Single Movie Folder vs Separate Folders

[slyfox 46]

I currently use Plex and considering switching to Emby.

 

I see that Plex uses a single movie folder with all the movies in it whereas Emby prefers separate folders for each movie.

 

Can someone please elaborate on these two approaches and suggest if I should convert my existing library to separate folders for each movie?

[mastrmind11 717]

Emby actually supports both, assuming your media is named in a way emby can understand.  I actually have both working, so it's a matter of personal preference.

[Spaceboy 2560]

I currently use Plex and considering switching to Emby.

 

I see that Plex uses a single movie folder with all the movies in it whereas Emby prefers separate folders for each movie.

 

Can someone please elaborate on these two approaches and suggest if I should convert my existing library to separate folders for each movie?

file2folder gui

[Gilgamesh_48 1035]

I have both Plex and Emby (although 95% of my use is now Emby) and they use exactly the same structure. My movies are NOT in separate folders except that I have a main "movies" folder with sub-folders for each letter. The library points at "Movies" for both systems.

 

All my movies starting with "A" are in the "A" folder and so on for each letter. I would have just one huge directory for my movies but, with over 3000 movies, maintenance gets hard and breaking it down by letter makes it easier.

[slyfox 46]

Mine are separated into decades (80, 90, 2000).

 

Do you generally keep cover art and subs in the same folder or let Emby store data in the library? 

[Gilgamesh_48 1035]

Mine are separated into decades (80, 90, 2000).

 

Do you generally keep cover art and subs in the same folder or let Emby store data in the library? 

 

I have Emby store all metadata and images in the default Emby data folder. I want NOTHING stored with my media files except the media itself. It makes maintenance easier and makes the media folder MUCH less complicated.

 

Edit to add: I do NOT store subs at all. For the movies I need sub for, which are only a few as I understand several including most of the major languages used in movies, I burn those sub in during the encoding process. That way I do not have to worry about if a particular format is supported and I can switch playback methods without pain.

Edited January 14, 2019 by Gilgamesh_48

[Deathsquirrel 743]

Both are supported as has been said, but one is effectively better as it limits recognition errors.  The most consistently reliable method is each movie in its own folder.

 

A recent example came from someone storing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1.mkv in the same folder with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.mkv.  Emby thought it was a split movie file and both videos were part of the same movie.  It's not a huge deal but it's easily avoided if you don't keep the files in a single folder together.