Recording path directory fills up with .mkv files with pattern X -tv.mkv, X - tv -tv.mkv

[kadorken 1]

An example image of the directory shows what happens. It occurs every 24 hours.

These were done using server 4.5.2 (I just installed 4.5.3). It doesn't happen with all shows. The first time it happened I only noticed when my server ran out of (4TB of disk space and I looked around to see where the disk space went. I deleted all the "- tv*" copies at that time. But they keep coming back on new recordings.

I am using Synology NAS Emby server. I have attached yesterday's log.

embyserver-63743068800.txt

Edited December 9, 2020 by kadorken
Change GB to TB

[kadorken 1]

Just to point out in the example above no explicit attempt has been made to watch that particular recording on ANY device. Maybe I have a rogue device (like a TV) trying to watch on its own? It is interesting that it is the same time stamp on succeeding days.

[Q-Droid 670]

Those look like conversions. Do you have conversions or downloads setup for the library or series? 

There is at least one known issue related to this in 4.5.3. Check your conversion jobs and scheduled jobs to see if anything is active. 

"- tv" is the suffix added to conversions using the TV profile. Multiple runs keep adding the suffix. 

 

[kadorken 1]

In my conversions page, I have one defined called "TV Shows" which I thought I needed to converted the DVR recording to a TV format so we could watch them on the LG TV.

The settings are as outlined in the attached image. I suspect having the Original media folder, next to original files" combined with "Automatically download new content" is causing the cycle of conversions (new content plus put in same folder causes new content etc.)

Not sure why I have this; I set it up when I got the homerun box thinking it was required to convert the .ts file to a format for the LG TV. but there is no need to preconvert it I think, just convert it while watching should suffice. I will remove the conversion step until I can figure out why I had it.

Thanks for the hint of where to look.

[kadorken 1]

Of course now I have no idea how I set that up in the first place. Trying to follow the current documentation for 'Sync' is leading me in circles. The article at https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001162190 says to navigate to Sync->Services in the Emby Server Dashboard; no such item shows up for me in 4.5.3

I did find a plug-in called Folder Sync; I installed that and added one folder to its configuration. The help reference (again at https://support.emby.media/support/solutions/articles/44001162190) has a section 'Ready to Sync' that says 'it will show up as as an available destination when creating Sync jobs' (of course, one needs to know how to create a Sync Job which is where I am now lost - perhaps I need to do it on the client (e.g. the TV app) and not the server (I can't remember what I did the last time, but it was over a year ago on previous Emby server releases). 

I think my intent was that the DVR recordings would be transcoded in advance for future use on the TV when we wanted to watch them and not to transcode them WHEN we watched them.

The help wiki is a little behind I think on the current server configuration so I will wait until it catches up before trying again.

[Q-Droid 670]

Convert and Sync were somewhat intertwined in previous releases of the Emby server. There's a clearer separation in more recent versions. No plug-in needed.

Are you trying to get rid of the conversion job or create new ones? 

You can remove it from Manage Emby Server -> Conversions -> 3-dot -> Remove download.  It won't get rid of the media, only the job.

You can create conversions from any of the 3-dot menus on the media. A single conversion runs at the movie and TV episode level. At higher levels like season, series, library it can create a job that can run on a schedule.

Transcoding in advance for better playback on browser and/or lower bitrates is how I use conversions.

 

[kadorken 1]

I am trying to set up transcoding in advance (as you do) so new recordings are already ready for the TV and my poor NAS isn't tasked to do it when we decide to watch a show.

I removed the one I created long ago.

So I don't need the Folder Sync plugin I guess.

I'll poke around more but I fail to see still how you create conversions from the 3-dot menus 'on the media' (I am likely misunderstanding what 'on the media ' is). All the 3 dot menu items I see on 'TV Shows' (for example) are Settings with View: and Show Fields with check boxes. No Sync/Conversion.

I do find Conversion if I use the 3 dots on a particular recording but I think I was trying to do it for ALL/ANY recordings that appear (at the top level).

 

 

[Q-Droid 670]

Example below. From the Library level down to single episodes and movies you have the convert option available in the menu. It's also on the 3-dot button labeled "More" when it's displayed in the Movie, Series, Season, Episode.

3-dot on the left, menu opened on the right.

 

[kadorken 1]

Aha. I think it was because I had my "Home Screen section 1:" set to "My Media (small)" and the "..." doesn't appear in the icons on that configuration. Changing to "My Media" I now see the ...

Progress has been made. Will plug away further.

Thanks for the help.

[Q-Droid 670]

Makes sense. I've never hidden the posters and don't think about those options so I make assumptions...

People use Emby in so many different ways that I could never consider all the combinations.

 

[kadorken 1]

Such is the problem of providing customization up the ying yang in software. It is a support nightmare. However you going to the extra trouble of posting a picture of the screen went a long way to figuring out the issue. Thanks again.

Just waiting to see if the recursive conversions come back as I put a conversion back on the TV; the only option is to leave the conversion in the same directory as the original which I believe was the cause of the original issue. I will see tomorrow if I get another 'conversion' of all the files. The conversion criteria for "new content, in the same folder" should exclude files that it has already converted (possibly by recognizing the suffix added to the conversion).

[Luke 37248]

Quote

Such is the problem of providing customization up the ying yang in software. It is a support nightmare.

Indeed

[Luke 37248]

I still don't have a handle on exactly what the issue is yet, but there is a regression in 4.5.3 that could potentially be causing this. We'll be getting a 4.5.4 update out in the next day or so to resolve that, and then we can go from there.

[kadorken 1]

Okay, a few days have gone by. I have noticed endless conversions being created with my newly created conversion task.

Only seems to occur on these recordings that date back to April 2020 (both in the magnum directory);

(I am only showing one of the episodes that have multiple (daily) conversions; I had deleted the others but they were in the same directory.)

The first image is a screenshot of windows explorer window showing the multiple files, each with an increasing file name of "- tv" appended to it.

 

Emby server 4.5.3.0, on Symbology NAS

embyserverEndlessConversionsLog.txt

[Luke 37248]

4.5.4 is about to roll out so please see if that helps. It won't make the current queue go away, so you may need to delete the excess jobs, but hopefully it won't happen again after that.