Thumbnail image extraction, 9 hours later and no BIF files?

[Ronstang 294]

I started this task last night before I went to bed.  It shows it is still running but I have very little CPU usage....ffmpeg is using about 7%.  Upon searching for BIF files I find none except 4 that are very old.  Have I done something wrong?

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42081]

Hi, looks like you have it configured for chapter images, which doesn’t use bif files. Nothing wrong.

[Ronstang 294]

OK, I guess I don't know the  purpose of these then.  How do the chapter images actually work then?  I have bif files on some older movies and on the movie page it shows the chapters with an image near the bottom.  I guess I don't know the difference here.  With bif files how do these images actually benefit us?  Is it so when you fast forward you have images of where you are in the movie.  I have never actually used them in the past so a clarification would help me make a decision on what to do here.

 

[Luke 42081]

bif files is for when you select a specific interval for your thumbnails.

you selected chapter images only as your interval, and those don't get saved as .bif files. They have their own storage location.

[Ronstang 294]

Ok. but that doesn't explain what they do for you or how to take advantage of them.....I have never understood this, probably because I never paid attention.

[GrimReaper 4744]

10 hours ago, Ronstang said:

a clarification would help me make a decision on what to do here.

Chapter thumbs are extracted at 5-minute intervals that are mostly used for naviflgation/faster skipping (and are images you see at item detail screen row and during playback when you pull OSD Chapters section) and are saved only in server metadata folder. 

BiFs are 10-second images used mostly as visual aid while seeking (note that chapter thumbs are also extracted at standard 5-minute intervals) and can be saved in media folders if you opt for it. 

So:

1) Chapter thumbs: 5-minute intervals

2) BIFs: 10-second intervals. 

[rbjtech 5284]

They are used from 'scrobbing' - ie when you ffwd/rwd - you get the image (+/- 10 second) of that exact time.  When you just use chapters - then you only get the image at that chapter point - it will only change when you get to the 'next' chapter point.   if there are no bespoke chapters - then emby will create them every 5 minutes.

[ebr 16185]

Above is correct but realize that BIF files are just a storage mechanism for the images (which may or may not continue to be used in the future and is not always used now). What is important are the image settings themselves.

[Ronstang 294]

5 minutes ago, ebr said:

Above is correct but realize that BIF files are just a storage mechanism for the images (which may or may not continue to be used in the future and is not always used now).

Then where are they stored?  Being in the media folder makes the most sense so moving or deleting the folder takes the appropriate action.  Or if they are still in the media folder....where?

Edited July 3, 2023 by Ronstang

[rbjtech 5284]

13 minutes ago, Ronstang said:

Then where are they stored?  Being in the media folder makes the most sense so moving or deleting the folder takes the appropriate action.  Or if they are still in the media folder....where?

If you choose to .. this is a per library setting.

[Ronstang 294]

OK I got it, thanks....and I have switched to creating images every 10 seconds and now all my movies have BIF files to go with them but the thumbnails DO NOT show in the beta version on the movie page in both the web and android app but they do show in the stable release at least in the web app.  Is this a bug with the current beta?  It sure seems the latest beta is nothing but bugs.

[rbjtech 5284]

51 minutes ago, Ronstang said:

OK I got it, thanks....and I have switched to creating images every 10 seconds and now all my movies have BIF files to go with them but the thumbnails DO NOT show in the beta version on the movie page in both the web and android app but they do show in the stable release at least in the web app.  Is this a bug with the current beta?  It sure seems the latest beta is nothing but bugs.

Not that I'm aware of - the latest beta is showing them ok for me.  You may need to do a library scan to pick up the changes.

[Ronstang 294]

2 hours ago, rbjtech said:

You may need to do a library scan to pick up the changes.

I have done that a dozen times already and still nothing.

[Ronstang 294]

This is very strange.  The entire hard drive of movies has BIF files in every folder and those movies are in different parent directories based on source, seven in all.  The smaller directories, all under 1000 movies the chapters show in the web app, in all those over 1000 movies they do not.  What could be going on here?

[siriusblakelol 1]

I cannot open the file, unfortunately

[Luke 42081]

10 hours ago, siriusblakelol said:

I cannot open the file, unfortunately

What happens when you try?

[Ronstang 294]

It's working now.....I assume with all these thumbnails the media scan just took a real long time in the background and that was why I was not seeing them at first.