Identify Content As Pre-Existing When Previously Scanned Into the Library

[Netsrfr 1]

Thank you to GrimReaper for confirming that the current behavior is the expected behavior, before I finished writing a bug report, after inadvertently posting it before completion.

Request:

When using the "date scanned into the library" for new content, identify content as pre-existing when the same content (determined by AniDB, IMDb, and TheTVDB IDs) was scanned into the library before the current scan. No changes are requested to the behavior when scanning new content that has not been scanned into the library before the current scan and the requested change applies only to content that is scanned and then re-scanned at a later date due to file maintenance tasks, such as correcting filename errors or making changes to the directory structure.

Current Behavior:

Content is identified as new depending on the file path and/or name.

Directory in path renamed:
Scan new media into the library from the filepath /TV/Show/Season 1/Episode 1.mkv on 2025/01/01 | Date added: 2025/01/01
Scan new media into the library from the filepath /TV/Show/Season 1/Episode 2.mkv on 2025/02/01 | Date added: 2025/02/01
Scan new media into the library from the filepath /TV/Show/Season 1/Episode 3.mkv on 2025/03/01 | Date added: 2025/03/01
Move media from the filepath /TV/Show/Season 1/* to /TV/Show/Season 01/* on 2025/03/01 | Date added for all episodes: 2025/03/01

File renamed:
Scan "Bob and Alices Example.mkv" on 2025/01/01 | Date added: 2025/01/01
Rename "Bob and Alices Example.mkv" -> "Bob and Alice's Example.mkv" on 2025/03/01 | Date added: 2025/03/01

Requested Behavior:

Content is identified as new when it is scanned into the library and the media was not previously scanned into the library. 

...
Move media from the filepath /TV/Show/Season 1/* to /TV/Show/Season 01/* on 2025/03/01 | Episode 1: 2025/01/01, Episode 2: 2025/02/01, Episode 3: 2025/03/01

Rename "Bob and Alices Example.mkv" -> "Bob and Alice's Example.mkv" on 2025/03/01 | Date added: 2025/01/01

Observed With:

Emby Server 4.8.11.0
Docker: 28.0.4
Image: emby/embyserver:latest

[Luke 42077]

HI, what if it had already been cleaned out of your database?

[Netsrfr 1]

If the content is something that was previously owned, disposed of, and reacquired at a later date, that should be considered new media. The intended focus for this request is changes being made to or the replacement of existing media. I do not know when entries are removed from the database (i.e., immediately removed when media changes are detected, part of the vacuum database process, or part of another process) to be able to say that it directly correlates to entries cleaned out of the database. If entries are removed from the database at the time that media changes are detected, a process or delay may be needed to support the identification of pre-existing content.

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

Most of this would happen if you write nfo files with media.  Only one that wouldn't would be renaming and would require renaming the nfo file also.

From a database only standpoint yes any change basically nukes existing db entry.  Not really sure how Emby is suppose to know it is the exact same content as I know I have accidently dropped wrong media in wrong folders before.