Am I missing something? Download to PC

[_amg29 2]

So I want my users to be able to multi-select and download pictures/videos on our server to the individual platform they are using Emby on (more than likely a PC in this case).  I see that if you just click on one photo/video you're able to download just fine but the multi-select "Download To" just shows my phone as the only available option which makes no sense.  I have Emby premiere so it should be a basic feature?

So how do I set my users up a way to multi-select images/videos in a folder and download to their respective PCs?  Thanks

Edited December 2, 2024 by _amg29

[rbjtech 5284]

So I believe the logic is you would normally only download onto mobile devices (where they are to be used offline) - on fixed devices, you would stream / be online.     Thus you are presented with the devices to 'push' to.    Of course those devices would need the emby app - so they can also request or pull if they wish to do it that way.

If you are using a web browser on a PC, then other than for a laptop - I'm not sure why your would want to download as opposed to stream.   If offline on the laptop - then use the Emby Theater app - which allows you to download offline (pull) or be pushed from the server - the same as a mobile phone etc.

[_amg29 2]

2 hours ago, rbjtech said:

So I believe the logic is you would normally only download onto mobile devices (where they are to be used offline) - on fixed devices, you would stream / be online.     Thus you are presented with the devices to 'push' to.    Of course those devices would need the emby app - so they can also request or pull if they wish to do it that way.

If you are using a web browser on a PC, then other than for a laptop - I'm not sure why your would want to download as opposed to stream.   If offline on the laptop - then use the Emby Theater app - which allows you to download offline (pull) or be pushed from the server - the same as a mobile phone etc.

Makes sense from the perspective of Emby being a streaming app so thank you.  I was just hoping to find a "one stop shop" so to speak for my family to view home videos/photos and be able to download them from there instead of having to make Synology logins or something like that that is more complicated.  For all it's faults, Plex actually allows you to do this but you have to have a Plex pass sadly on each individual user so that's why I'm here

So I tried the Emby theater app and it still only lists my phone as the only Download to method.  Any idea on how to unlock the PC the user is on in Theater?

[rbjtech 5284]

54 minutes ago, _amg29 said:

Makes sense from the perspective of Emby being a streaming app so thank you.  I was just hoping to find a "one stop shop" so to speak for my family to view home videos/photos and be able to download them from there instead of having to make Synology logins or something like that that is more complicated.  For all it's faults, Plex actually allows you to do this but you have to have a Plex pass sadly on each individual user so that's why I'm here

You just need to create them emby logins - and assuming your remote access is working (I assume it is, otherwise they wouldn't be able to download anything) then they can download - assuming you give them permissions to do so.

56 minutes ago, _amg29 said:

So I tried the Emby theater app and it still only lists my phone as the only Download to method.  Any idea on how to unlock the PC the user is on in Theater?

Did you login on Emby Theater as it has to register the app on the server ?

[_amg29 2]

23 minutes ago, rbjtech said:

You just need to create them emby logins - and assuming your remote access is working (I assume it is, otherwise they wouldn't be able to download anything) then they can download - assuming you give them permissions to do so.

Did you login on Emby Theater as it has to register the app on the server ?

I gave them permissions to do so, and it works just fine if you just want to "Download" one single individual file in the folder.  But since there are 1000+ things they might want to download i'd like them to be able to Multi select but as soon as you Multi select files the "Download" button goes away and only "Download To" shows...Which only has my android phone as an option.  I signed into Emby Theater and it shows on my "Devices" on my server but it does not show up in the drop down still for "Download To" so I'm not sure what I'm missing.  Let me know if I need to explain anyhthing else, thanks.

[Luke 42077]

Hi, what version of the app?

[rbjtech 5284]

Not 100% sure what's going on - because if I Multi-Select on my phone (using Emby for Android) - I then get a Download option, because the app assumes that I'm downloading to my phone... 

[_amg29 2]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

Hi, what version of the app?

I am running Emby Theater 3.0.20 which I believe is the latest from your website.  My Synology server is running 4.9.0.32 beta

[_amg29 2]

4 minutes ago, rbjtech said:

Not 100% sure what's going on - because if I Multi-Select on my phone (using Emby for Android) - I then get a Download option, because the app assumes that I'm downloading to my phone... 

Yeah the Phone app works fine.  But if i am on a Windows PC and using either the Web Browser or the Emby Theater application it only shows my phone to download to, which is very odd because I'm not on my phone using it lol.  Additionally on the Emby Theater app it seems I cannot multi select files. The web app I can

[rbjtech 5284]

27 minutes ago, _amg29 said:

Yeah the Phone app works fine.  But if i am on a Windows PC and using either the Web Browser or the Emby Theater application it only shows my phone to download to, which is very odd because I'm not on my phone using it lol.  Additionally on the Emby Theater app it seems I cannot multi select files. The web app I can

I've never tried to use Theater on my laptop to download - and you are absolutely correct !

You cannot multi-select and use 'Download' to the device (laptop in my case).  Only single items can be downloaded ...

@Luke- Does the 'new' (yet to be released) version of Emby Theatre maybe address this issue ?   Thanks.

Edited December 2, 2024 by rbjtech

[_amg29 2]

5 minutes ago, rbjtech said:

I've never tried to use Theater on my laptop to download - and you are absolutely correct !

You cannot multi-select and use 'Download' to the device (laptop in my case).  Only single items can be downloaded ...

@Luke- Does the 'new' (yet to be released) version of Emby Theatre maybe address this issue ?   Thanks.

Thank you so much for confirming you're seeing the same behavior on your side and to know I'm not crazy!

[Neminem 1518]

I using the new beta atm.

I guess its works on beta app.

[rbjtech 5284]

8 minutes ago, Neminem said:

I using the new beta atm.

I guess its works on beta app.

 

ah-ha - so the new app has 'Download'.

I'll load it later and check it out .. thanks !

edit - beta is invite only - but it may be being released this week anyway ...

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/131876-windows-xbox-app-beta/page/9/#findComment-1403926

Edited December 2, 2024 by rbjtech

[_amg29 2]

@Neminem@rbjtech

 

Wow so I guess if you download Emby theater through Emby's website it does not have this option but through the Windows store it does LOL.  Wild.

So my next question is ...where do the files go on my PC?  I downloaded them it seems like through the Windows store app  but i cannot find where they went on my PC.  Is it possible to get them on your PC somewhere?

[_amg29 2]

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Packages\EmbyMedia.EmbyTheater_svmepx4c03f7m\LocalState\Photos

Ok nvm I found it there finally.  Is there a way to change this location to just be like the PC's download folder?

 

I'm guessing it has something to do with this setting maybe in Downloads for my server?

[rbjtech 5284]

I would wait for the new version - it has what looks to be a major overhaul... 

[pwhodges 2012]

I'm using Theatre for Desktop 3.0.21, and I can select multiple movies and when I go to download I can select the Windows client.

However, I don't seem to be able to download episodes the same way (there's no Download option offered at all - maybe that's expected??).

Paul

[rbjtech 5284]

15 hours ago, pwhodges said:

I'm using Theatre for Desktop 3.0.21, and I can select multiple movies and when I go to download I can select the Windows client.

However, I don't seem to be able to download episodes the same way (there's no Download option offered at all - maybe that's expected??).

Paul

I think the point being if you are already on the Client, then you just want to 'Download'.   When selecting multiple items, this is what's missing but I believe the 'new' Emby Theater has addressed this (I think it uses the 'Universal' framework).

[pwhodges 2012]

The OP specifically says that downloading to a PC might be typical, and that on their phone the Download To dropdown didn't include all the other clients. 

In my testing, the DownLoad To dropdown includes all my clients (except Roku, understandably) - Android, iOS, Windows (Theatre, not Web client) - when invoked from any of those clients, or the web client.

So the question I see is why is this not happening for the OP.

Paul

[_amg29 2]

43 minutes ago, pwhodges said:

The OP specifically says that downloading to a PC might be typical, and that on their phone the Download To dropdown didn't include all the other clients. 

In my testing, the DownLoad To dropdown includes all my clients (except Roku, understandably) - Android, iOS, Windows (Theatre, not Web client) - when invoked from any of those clients, or the web client.

So the question I see is why is this not happening for the OP.

Paul

Hey Paul,

Ya it seems like something odd is going on between all the versions of Emby with Download To.  I was using Theater 3.0.20 and you were using 3.0.21 (not sure how you got that because all I did was go to the website and download) but the options for other devices weren't there for me, but is for you in 21.  But when I use the Windows store Emby application all my devices properly show up lol.  So just I think a symptom of too many applications at varying different stages of development and this feature is probably not a super popular feature especially on Desktop so no one noticed

I solved my problem for now but now I just hope the new version lets you choose the folder where these downloads go because it is far too buried in the Windows system for my family to figure that out on their own lol

Edited December 3, 2024 by _amg29

[djdevon3 8]

This is an older topic but is the first to come up in an internet search. Was having the same issue. I was hesitant to click Download because I didn't want it going straight to some device as default. However, after getting up some courage and selecting it I found out that Download will popup a normal file save window (Emby on PC). Download To is directed at downloading to registered mobile devices. As of Jan 2026 it's working properly, you simply have to use Download... not Download To..

I think the wording should be changed to Save to File and Download To instead. That wording would be clear that both options do entirely different things, in my opinion.

Edited January 5 by djdevon3