Cover Art plugin

[ebr 16169]

Grim, can you confirm that the two different image types (boxset vs bluray for instance) are actually the same size/shape at the source?  Meaning, if you find them in your imagecache folder are they the same or is the boxset actually different?

[GrimReaper 4739]

Will do once back in front of a PC. resized- or enhanced-images cache folder? 

[Happy2Play 9780]

34 minutes ago, ebr said:

Grim, can you confirm that the two different image types (boxset vs bluray for instance) are actually the same size/shape at the source?  Meaning, if you find them in your imagecache folder are they the same or is the boxset actually different?

It all goes back to server change to contain vs fill

[ebr 16169]

5 minutes ago, Happy2Play said:

It all goes back to server change to contain vs fill

Yeah but, even with that change, the two different types should be consistent - unless the source images themselves are different sizes.

I want to be sure that the CA treatments are the same size.

[GrimReaper 4739]

6 hours ago, ebr said:

Grim, can you confirm that the two different image types (boxset vs bluray for instance) are actually the same size/shape at the source?  Meaning, if you find them in your imagecache folder are they the same or is the boxset actually different?

[Typing from mobile so will need few posts->edits to put all the images in proper place, I'll put an "End post" at the bottom once done.]

For context: all my Movie posters are provided locally and they all come in 580x829px res/2:2.86 AR (all obtained through RPDB Folders).

 

When CoverArt treatment applied, image is downscaled to 574x800px; if Iconic treatment also applied, image is upscaled(?) to 800x1115px. AR not retained through neither enhancement. 

 

In the UI, they're displayed with borders all around, more pronounced at the right and bottom edge, with CA treated image having gray background and if Iconic applied, having black background (same is visible in enhanced-images cache folder):

 

All collection images come from whatever Emby grabs from TMDB, majority in 100x1500px/2:3 AR:

When CA treatment applied, it's downscaled to 650x900px, AR not preserved. 

 

In the UI, there are borders above and below the image:

 

To summarize, neither Collections nor movie items look proper and currently CA treatments are unusable for me, as my OCD is going ballistic. 

This was really a chore, doing it on mobile. 

[End post] 

 

Edit: To add: depending on the CA treatment used, results are different: borders on all sides (Case, SideCase, ClearCase, ThickCase, SpineCase, CD), borders above and below (FlatCase) or placeholder fully filled (MetroCase) for movies - for Collections, it's still squashed.

In summary: images are all over the place if treatment applied. 

In local Web app it can be mitigated with CSS, alas no solution for other client apps (apart your own AndroidTV app). Standard Android app exhibits same behavior as Web app, unusable. 

Edited October 3, 2025 by GrimReaper

[ebr 16169]

4 hours ago, GrimReaper said:

if Iconic applied, having black background (same is visible in enhanced-images cache folder):

Iconic is an additional wrinkle.  The fact you are seeing a black border in the cache tells me that it is not preserving transparency and may be changing overall image shape but I really don't know exactly what it is doing.

4 hours ago, GrimReaper said:

depending on the CA treatment used, results are different: borders on all sides (Case, SideCase, ClearCase, ThickCase, SpineCase, CD), borders above and below (FlatCase) or placeholder fully filled (MetroCase) for movies - for Collections, it's still squashed.

Yeah, all CA treatments other than Metro... pre-date Emby and did not worry about aspect ratio as WMC would show them correct in whatever shape they were.  Most of those treatments also have a transparent border around them as well.  The Metro treatments were created specifically for Emby and should adhere better to the "standard" aspect for posters including not having any transparent border.

All the apps except for Android TV are making decisions on how to display based on looking at the first few images so you could even get slightly different results in different views.  They all do this because they show everything (within a particular row or grid) in a static container size that has a background on it.  Using a background on the container is what is causing you grief with these treatments. The TV app acts more like WMC and just displays the image at its native size with no additional background.

 

[GrimReaper 4739]

Thanks for your extensive explanation, but that doesn't solve the underlying issue - there is no BoxSet treatment that fills the placeholder any more. Even MetroCase leaves borders now. For me, images are squashed. For another member, they're squeezed. And it's a recent change in as how images are processed, as I've had those treatments on for years. CSS is an easy hack for local Web app - for standard Android app (and I'd assume all other client apps) that is heavily promoted nowdays there's no solution. It just looks bad. So much so that I've disabled CA, as previously stated. That's a shame. 

Edit: To expand on this further, not strictly related to CA: even without any treatment applied, just plain posters, any collection poster not having strictly 2:3 AR - like 1000x1426px, very common TMDB poster size - has borders above and below. I really cannot find justification for that change, rather than havng minor distortion/elongation, there's wavy poster row now instead: smaller, bigger, bigger, smaller, bigger... besides, Average Joe really shouldn't be taking care about which poster resolution they'll download. This can't be the best Emby can do. 

Edited October 3, 2025 by GrimReaper

[GrimEvil 70]

@ebr  I have the same issue and agree it does not resolve the underlying issue.

I have tried all the other treatments and it does not fix it and as stated most TMDB posters are 1000x1426px so something needs to be done on the emby or cover art side to resolve the issue really.  

Edited October 4, 2025 by grimevil

[Luke 42077]

Hi, we'll take a look at it. Thanks.

[ebr 16169]

On 10/3/2025 at 6:03 PM, GrimReaper said:

even without any treatment applied, just plain posters, any collection poster not having strictly 2:3 AR - like 1000x1426px, very common TMDB poster size - has borders above and below.

This is the real issue.  In fact, CoverArt can solve this issue for you if you are willing to accept a little distortion of the source image because, if you uncheck "respect image aspect ratio" in the CA settings, it will make all of your posters uniform in size and shape.

Really, this is what the front-end is going to probably need to do as well to get you what you want.

[GrimReaper 4739]

3 hours ago, ebr said:

CoverArt can solve this issue for you if you are willing to accept a little distortion of the source image because, if you uncheck "respect image aspect ratio" in the CA settings, it will make all of your posters uniform in size and shape.

I don't mind a minor distortion, and I've never kept original AR ("Use original art aspect ratio" was always unchecked), hence my treated images are squashed (with bars above and below) - with it checked/enabled, treated images are squeezed (bars left and right). 

3 hours ago, ebr said:

Really, this is what the front-end is going to probably need to do as well to get you what you want.

Yep, for my own usage I don't mind whether it'll be solved from CA's side of from UI's side - but it should be preferably done from front-end's side for users that don't use treatments as they'll be facing same issues.

Edited October 5, 2025 by GrimReaper

[polaris70 17]

The top and bottom borders, which previously only appeared on Collections, are now visible on both Movies and TV series following the Emby app update to version 2.0.1 for Apple TV or beta version 4.9.2.6.

[Luke 42077]

2 hours ago, polaris70 said:

The top and bottom borders, which previously only appeared on Collections, are now visible on both Movies and TV series following the Emby app update to version 2.0.1 for Apple TV or beta version 4.9.2.6.

Hi there, can you please describe what you mean in more detail? Perhaps show us an example of what you are referring to? Thanks.

[polaris70 17]

11 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi there, can you please describe what you mean in more detail? Perhaps show us an example of what you are referring to? Thanks.

Hi Luke,

Thanks for getting back to me. You can see the CoverArt's borders on Movie and TV series in the attached details. It used to be only on Collections, but now it's on Apple TV Movies and TV series.

Thank you!

 

 

Edited October 25, 2025 by polaris70

[Luke 42077]

15 hours ago, polaris70 said:

Hi Luke,

Thanks for getting back to me. You can see the CoverArt's borders on Movie and TV series in the attached details. It used to be only on Collections, but now it's on Apple TV Movies and TV series.

Thank you!

 

 

Hi, yes this is a complicated issue. Thanks.

[ados8000 50]

Is there a way to get this working with the episode spoiler feature. You need to have it disabled or you can't see the artwork until after the episode is marked watched. 

Edited December 31, 2025 by ados8000

[Luke 42077]

15 minutes ago, ados8000 said:

Is there a way to get this working with the episode spoiler feature. You need to have it disabled or you can't see the artwork until after the episode is marked watched. 

Hi, can't see what artwork exactly?

[ados8000 50]

On 12/31/2025 at 3:23 PM, Luke said:

Hi, can't see what artwork exactly?

The customised artwork doesn't apply. If you have spoiler protection on then your thumbnail is generic artwork of the TV show. Turn if off and the episodes change to a thumbnail of a scene in the episode along with your custom banner artwork. 

[Luke 42077]

1 hour ago, ados8000 said:

The customised artwork doesn't apply. If you have spoiler protection on then your thumbnail is generic artwork of the TV show. Turn if off and the episodes change to a thumbnail of a scene in the episode along with your custom banner artwork. 

What do you suggest then?

[ados8000 50]

2 hours ago, Luke said:

What do you suggest then?

I'm assuming the spoilers thumbnail is not being stored or in another location? Is it possible for the spoilers thumbnail to be the same as a timestamp thumbnail. The it would still be a generic obscure icon but could have the custom artwork like quality etc. 

[Luke 42077]

What do you mean by timestamp thumbnail?

[ados8000 50]

6 hours ago, Luke said:

What do you mean by timestamp thumbnail?

I used different wording, but as I mentioned above. Normally, your individual episode thumbnails are a frame within that episode. As this can contain spoilers the option to turn them to generic logos of the show is a nice feature. However, the spoilers feature must change the way the thumbnail is displayed to the client so the plugin cannot modify it. Once you've watched the episode, marked done, the thumbnail changes to a frame in the episode and has the plugin modifications. It would be nice to have spoilers thumbnails be stored the same as a timestamp/frame thumbnail. Not so that it displays spoilers but so the plugin could modify it. It would be the generic logo thumbnail, no spoilers, with quality, sub tags etc. I don't know how the spoilers protection works. It could be modifying the thumbnails live on the client, server?? That would explain why an unwatched episode with a generic icon becomes a scene in the episode with artwork once it has been marked played. 

[Luke 42077]

Quote

t would be nice to have spoilers thumbnails be stored the same as a timestamp/frame thumbnail. Not so that it displays spoilers but so the plugin could modify it.

Right OK I see what you mean, and yes that does make sense. Thanks.