Handling Multiple Movie Versions vs. TV Episodes

[kbeck 64]

I'm stuck and cannot figure which way to go. Have about 300 movies that are versions of Originals. Have tried to do Versions and some work fine and some do not. The plus is both (or more) are in 1 location as far as the metadata. The downside is entering metadata twice. I use a lot of Tags and putting them in is getting to be a hassle.

There is also TVDB info as they are considered TV Shows too. I can put them in as episodes but the downside is there is much much less details on cast and Summary.

I could put them in separate folders and let duplicate movie entries happen. Still have to do duplicate metadata and tags but do have the full cast and movie info.

Would be very interested in anyone else how you are handling multiple versions. (Yes I know you can manually merge Versions. Also found you cannot Unmerge without deleting and starting over that I can find).

[pwhodges 2012]

What movies are you saying are also viewed as series? - knowing that would probably make discussion of your options easier.

You can split versions apart again with the button at the top of the media info at the very bottom of the movie details screen.  However, you have to enable the media info display for the button to be there (in your personal display options, at the very bottom).

Paul

Edited April 14, 2025 by pwhodges

[kbeck 64]

12 hours ago, pwhodges said:

What movies are you saying are also viewed as series? - knowing that would probably make discussion of your options easier.

You can split versions apart again with the button at the top of the media info at the very bottom of the movie details screen.  However, you have to enable the media info display for the button to be there (in your personal display options, at the very bottom).

Paul

Thanks I'll look for that. It's the Svengoolie "movies". Shows up as episodes in IMDB and TheTVDB. But in looking neither had a good listing. Some on 1 weren't on others. It all go so confusing. I decided late last night I could create a separate Library for them as movies. I would have all the cast details, they would show in searches and I could have them all in 1 place if I wanted. About halfway thru pulling them out now.

[pwhodges 2012]

Hmm; I see the problem.  TMDB has the same layout as TVDB, but even less information (and Emby doesn't use IMDB anyway because $$$).

But if you're planning to set up all the metadata for yourself, would it not be better to share the detailed information you have by updating and completing the TVDB listings?  Not only would that help others, but you'd get to solve your own problem displaying them, and save some time because you'd be building on the data that is already there!.

After all, TVDB is a fan-driven database.

Paul

[kbeck 64]

1 hour ago, pwhodges said:

Hmm; I see the problem.  TMDB has the same layout as TVDB, but even less information (and Emby doesn't use IMDB anyway because $$$).

But if you're planning to set up all the metadata for yourself, would it not be better to share the detailed information you have by updating and completing the TVDB listings?  Not only would that help others, but you'd get to solve your own problem displaying them, and save some time because you'd be building on the data that is already there!.

After all, TVDB is a fan-driven database.

Paul

Well, that's an option I didn't think of. Thanks. I think.

[kbeck 64]

18 hours ago, pwhodges said:

What movies are you saying are also viewed as series? - knowing that would probably make discussion of your options easier.

You can split versions apart again with the button at the top of the media info at the very bottom of the movie details screen.  However, you have to enable the media info display for the button to be there (in your personal display options, at the very bottom).

Paul

I think I see the option to enable (it already was) but see nothing to split in the details screen.

[Luke 42078]

Are you sure you're looking at something that is multi-version?

[kbeck 64]

I didn't think they were but in the Continue Watching it shows 2 movies with similar names. Metadata of both points to the same file but the name in the 2 metadatas are 2 different names. So I'm guessing there are 2 Metadata Entries??

[Luke 42078]

Quote

Metadata of both points to the same file

What do you mean by this?

This appears to be two files that are not grouped together.

[kbeck 64]

I was partially wrong. It's 2 files in 2 different folders, with different metadata but why does playing one play both? I only opened 1 file.

[bakes82 167]

All systems do this because its two items in the database, plex does this, jelly, emby, you either merger them or you have 2 files on continue watching because they store tracking by the imdb/tvdb/tmdb etc and not unique file id since you could change the file but most people would still want it marked watched.

[kbeck 64]

I refreshed the metadata and now only shows 1 in Continue Watching. Have no idea what that 2nd display was all about. Let's pretend like it never happened.

[Luke 42078]

20 minutes ago, kbeck said:

I refreshed the metadata and now only shows 1 in Continue Watching. Have no idea what that 2nd display was all about. Let's pretend like it never happened.

Something in the metadata changed sufficiently enough such that the two are not using the same user data anymore.

[michalkaluza 8]

Quote

 

Hi

Here you have solution at the end of topic. This topic is about problems with playing 4K movies  but the solution is also for any versions of movies : theatrical version, director's cut etc. You just need to use the right file naming and put in in one folder.