Folder Sync plugin question

[justinrh 260]

The description reads:  "Sync media to folders for backup purposes or to have multiple resolutions available for efficient streaming."

Can someone break down these two use-cases and what the typical workflow for each would be? @cayars

[Carlo 4560]

Here's the best example I can think of for using this plugin.  You want to keep your original folders "pure" without multiple versions sitting in the same directory. Yet you want to have on hand a 720 4 Mbps version and a 480 1.5 Mbps version. This way you have 3 versions in total of each movie with one targeted to mobile devices.

Folder sync allows setting up a conversion job that will match your resolution and bitrate choices while using only codecs that allow it to direct play assuming proper bandwidth. 

You could for example, setup a synced folder for your movie library that creates a 720p HD version using 4Mbps and another synced library at 480 1.5Mbps.  The original movie becomes a multi-selected movie meaning it has multiple versions available.  When someone plays back the media there are 3 versions available the client can use.  In general, the originali used if possible unless it will transcode.  If the original can't play direct, a synced version is used that will play. It will determine this based on resolution/bandwidth that fits the current playback.

All the 720 versions would be kept organized together.  All the 480 versions would be kept together as well.  Some people might keep one version local and the rest in the cloud or vice versa using rclone.  You can have as many folder syncs as needed.  If you had a collection of 2160 SDR movies you could use this plugin to create 1080, 720, 480 versions.  Once you set it up for a particular library it does the work in the background and will process any new media added.

So that is the multi-resolution part of this.  When selecting the format, you could also choose "original" quality which would basically be a copy of the original.  This to me would only make sense to do if this second folder library is offsite or cloud based.

I myself personally would not use it for the original copy feature as there are far better ways to handle files syncs to one of more locations.

Hope that helps,

Carlo

[justinrh 260]

Thanks for the detailed explanation.

I don't see the sync folder listed in "Download to", which shows only the nodename of a machine that is off 99% of the time.  This location is not shown:

How do I get it in the list?

Edited November 8, 2022 by justinrh

[Luke 42077]

Did you save it?

[justinrh 260]

Save what?  The sync folder configuration?  Yes.

[Luke 42077]

Please attach the emby server log from when you tried to pull it up. Thanks.

[justinrh 260]

You mean pull up the "Download to" dialog?

embyserver.txt

[justinrh 260]

I found the solution.  (What I suspected after I noticed the server was updated the day before.)  You are welcome for exposing the problem on Saturday.