TV Shows not showing

[tman247 0]

I'm a long-time Emby user, current running 4.8.10 on Windows Server. Generally, it's been extremely reliable, and new movies are added and discovered as expected, but I'm currently trying to add some TV shows, and whatever I try, they just aren't showing in my Library. I've double checked and even reset this particular library, making sure every setting is correct. I've tried setting the content to TV Shows and Mixed Content, but no luck. The format of the folders follows guidelines;

TVShows

<show name>

<show> S01E01.mkv
etc

I rescan the library, and nothing. I've also tried pre-generating the metadata using MediaScout, but that does nothing either. If I check the scan logs, I can see 'success' messages from ffprobe on the folder scans and that all looks ok - no errors at all. I can even see in the 'Library' section, the thumbnail image shows the poster for the actual show that's been detected, but it never appears in the actual list. I'm just at a bit of a loss.

Thanks

 

 

[Abobader 3464]

Hello tman247,

** This is an auto reply **

Please wait for someone from staff support or our members to reply to you.

It's recommended to provide more info, as it explain in this thread:

Thank you.

Emby Team

[GrimReaper 4739]

38 minutes ago, tman247 said:

I'm a long-time Emby user, current running 4.8.10 on Windows Server. Generally, it's been extremely reliable, and new movies are added and discovered as expected, but I'm currently trying to add some TV shows, and whatever I try, they just aren't showing in my Library. I've double checked and even reset this particular library, making sure every setting is correct. I've tried setting the content to TV Shows and Mixed Content, but no luck. The format of the folders follows guidelines;

TVShows

<show name>

<show> S01E01.mkv
etc

I rescan the library, and nothing. I've also tried pre-generating the metadata using MediaScout, but that does nothing either. If I check the scan logs, I can see 'success' messages from ffprobe on the folder scans and that all looks ok - no errors at all. I can even see in the 'Library' section, the thumbnail image shows the poster for the actual show that's been detected, but it never appears in the actual list. I'm just at a bit of a loss.

Thanks

Are you talking only about certain shows or all of them not showing?

Edited February 15, 2025 by GrimReaper

[tman247 0]

Hi. I had two shows in my library that were showing ok, but none of the new ones (I haven't used TVShows much up to this point). I'd added the new ones to the original location, but it would only ever show the first two. I then removed this library entry completey, created a new location on my server, then with no other content, add the new ones, but they still don't appear. As a test, I've just moved one of the orignal shows that did appear to the new location, and it appeared in the library instantly after a scan!

The video files for the new shows play fine - there's nothing wrong with them. Folder structure is ok, naming is ok, scanning logs look ok. Very odd.

[GrimReaper 4739]

Some specifics would be required, together with server logs and/or some screenshots.

How to Report a Problem

Edit: Do you have any Parental Controls in force for that user?

Edited February 15, 2025 by GrimReaper

[tman247 0]

Thanks. No parental controls. This is within the main Emby management interface too - not from a remote client. If I really can't get anywhere I'll complete the form.

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  Make sure you don't have any "overlapping" libraries.  Meaning ones that are trying to share the same physical folder locations.

[Luke 42077]

@tman247 has this helped?

[tman247 0]

Hi again. I've been offline for a while, but I still have this same problem (it seems others have similar issues too). It's driving me a bit nuts now as I've tried the following to try and resolve;

• Completely delete and re-create the library
• Create an entirely new share on my Windows server for this, then re-create the library using the new share
• Delete the library, re-start Emby Server, then re-create the library 
• Pre-create all the necessary show metadata using Tiny Media Manager, then add the files to the Emby library folder
• Add the raw media files with no additional metadata to the library folder

From the (debug) logs, I can see the scan is working - it detects the new TV show correctly from what I can see, but does absolutely nothing with it. The source video files are left untouched, no other metadata is downloaded and nothing appears in the Emby library. All filters are off. There are no overlapping libraries - they are unique for each content type (movies, tvshows etc). I've considered blitzing the entire database and forcing a full rebuild, but that worries me a bit due to the follow on work that could involve. As ever, adding Movies to Emby works perfectly every time.

As before, if I take one of my original TV shows (from way back, but can't remember exactly when) and drop it into the library folder it appears instantly, so it's only for anything 'new'. I've attached the debug log files if that helps - the media detection phase is at 10:03:35. if there's really nothing that can be done here, I'll complete the 'report a problem' form.

embyserver (1).txt

Edited June 6, 2025 by tman247

[xnappo 1611]

 

Just chiming in -  @tman247you are not insane - I am also having this problem.  It only happens when a new show is added to the library - I also see that if I add an older show that I don't have anymore (aka Cheers) it identifies fine.  It started in the last three weeks for me.  New episodes in existing shows is fine.  New movies fine.  I think this matches completely with what you said you are seeing.

The news shows were:

Duster [2025]

Adults [2025]

I will also collect logs.  I briefly looked at logs myself and saw nothing suspicious, it identifies the show just fine, but it is completely missing after scan from both the database and the 'Folders' view inside Emby.  To get around this, I have just been naming the show directory jibberish so it doesn't identify and then manually adding artwork.  I thought it was just 'Duster' so didn't worry about it, but yesterday it happened with 'Adults' too - so I am interested in getting to the bottom of it.  

Wiil send logs in a few hours.

(my setup has been exactly the same for years)

Edited June 6, 2025 by xnappo

[xnappo 1611]

See attached log.  Show to look for is 'Adults'.

 

embyserver-63884796912.txt

[xnappo 1611]

Interestingly, looking in the MediaItems table in the DB, it is there and everything looks good.

See attached DB extract.

db_extract.txt

[GrimReaper 4739]

33 minutes ago, xnappo said:

Interestingly, looking in the MediaItems table in the DB, it is there and everything looks good.

See attached DB extract.

db_extract.txt 6.9 kB · 0 downloads

If you do a search for "Adults", does it show? 

[GrimReaper 4739]

6 hours ago, tman247 said:

I've tried the following to try and resolve;

• Completely delete and re-create the library
• Create an entirely new share on my Windows server for this, then re-create the library using the new share
• Delete the library, re-start Emby Server, then re-create the library 
• Pre-create all the necessary show metadata using Tiny Media Manager, then add the files to the Emby library folder

As it appears you don't mind nuking that library (and you're using TMM), could you:

1. Remove/delete library

2. Run Scan media library task to clear the db

3. Delete any existing NFOs from TV Shows root

4. Scrape one item with TMM (both metadata and artwork) 

5. Leave only that one item in your TV Shows root

6. Recreate the library with all Emby's internal meta-providers disabled, only NFO Reader enabled

7. Run Scan media library task

8. Post debug log

Edited June 6, 2025 by GrimReaper

[xnappo 1611]

14 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

If you do a search for "Adults", does it show? 

No.  And I don't want to delete my library (I know you were talking to tman247).

Edited June 6, 2025 by xnappo

[GrimReaper 4739]

5 minutes ago, xnappo said:

No.  And I don't want to delete my library (I know you were talking to tman247).

Figured that, hence quoted tman.

Let's see results of above, then hopefully we'll be somewhat smarter as I can't think of a reason why your item ain't showing anywhere, as you've observed yourself, nothing stands out in your log, it has been identified as correct TV show (TVDBId 449390) and all episodes processed. 

Edited June 6, 2025 by GrimReaper

[xnappo 1611]

Okay, so I created a new library pointing to a folder with only 'Adults' in it with TVDB OFF and is scanned correctly and I could see it, but of course no meta data.

Then I went and turned TVDB back on, did refresh metadata, and it disappeared.

Hopefully that is close to what you wanted tman247 to do.

Log attached.

 

 

embyserver (38).txt

[Neminem 1518]

Do you have any of these shows also ?

Search - TheTVDB.com

Edited June 6, 2025 by Neminem

[xnappo 1611]

@NeminemNo - and again this same thing happens with 'Duster'.

Sorry for so much thread spamming.  I repeated the experiement, turning OFF thetvdb, but turning ON themoviedb and fanart.  This worked correctly but with themoviedb's less-good metadata. 

Then turned thetvdb BACK on, and it disappeared.

So it is something with thetvdb.

Edited June 6, 2025 by xnappo

[Neminem 1518]

Try adding this to you folder naming "marked in red"
Adults (2025) [TvdbId=449390] 

Assuming this is your tv show Adults (2025) - TheTVDB.com 

[xnappo 1611]

1 minute ago, Neminem said:

Try adding this to you folder naming "marked in red"
Adults (2025) [TvdbId=449390] 

Assuming this is your tv show Adults (2025) - TheTVDB.com 

Does not work.  The problem isn't identification, you can see from the log it is identifying fine.  It is even in the database just fine.

Edited June 6, 2025 by xnappo

[Neminem 1518]

Hmm thats odd, just added two new shows today, and no issues.

When using folder name

TV show (yyyy) [TvdbId=xxxxxx] 

Dev's will have to answer.

[xnappo 1611]

Reset my test library, remade it and turned off thetvdb ONLY for 'Series Metadata Downloaders', and left it on(default) everywhere else, and it worked fine.  The Season and Episodes all have metadata from thetvdb.

[EDIT] Even more weird, even though I have it OFF for series, metadata manager still shows thetvdb identification at the series level.

[EDIT2] Tried with my real library, turned thetvdb off ONLY 'Series Metadata Downloaders' and both Adults and Duster scan perfectly.

Edited June 6, 2025 by xnappo

[xnappo 1611]

4 minutes ago, Neminem said:

Hmm thats odd, just added two new shows today, and no issues.

When using folder name

TV show (yyyy) [TvdbId=xxxxxx] 

Dev's will have to answer.

Can you try with this specific show, and just make some dummy files?

[GrimReaper 4739]

28 minutes ago, xnappo said:

Okay, so I created a new library pointing to a folder with only 'Adults' in it with TVDB OFF and is scanned correctly and I could see it, but of course no meta data.

Then I went and turned TVDB back on, did refresh metadata, and it disappeared.

Hopefully that is close to what you wanted tman247 to do.

Log attached.

 

 

embyserver (38).txt 1.18 MB · 0 downloads

Thanks, but I wanted tman247's result with no online meta-providers (at any level: series/season/episode) included, so we could write-off Emby server internal processing error. 

Next step would've been what you you've just observed yourself: to foucs on each provider (one by one) metadata/queries, eventually we would've likely come to that TVDB season-level observation, amongst others.