What causes a folder to be treated as a season in mixed content libraries?

[podonnell 47]

I have a mixed content library that started treating one of the folders as a season at some point.

Curious what flags a folder within a library to think it is a season. I don't have any files named like episodes, but there are a lot of numbers and dates on the filenames.

Is there a way to prevent this folder from being treated as a season and just be a normal media folder?

[Luke 42077]

Hi there, how are your files named and organized?

[podonnell 47]

Hey, this particular library doesn't have any real naming scheme. Most of the videos I have just start with a date in front like 20121210_
There aren't any that I see following a pattern like S01E01 like you'd see in a show.

Is there a particular formula it might be getting caught on?

[pwhodges 2012]

Mixed content libraries make it much harder for Emby to sort out movies from tv shows. 

You can guarantee good results by following Emby's folder format and naming recommendations scrupulously.  In mixed content libraries the folder structure is particularly important.  Specifically:

(1) Each movie in its own folder, whose name is that of the movie (with the date in brackets).
(2) Each TV show in its own folder, with season subfolders (even for a single season show), and file names including e.g. SnnEnn as appropriate.
(3) No putting movie or show folders into another folder, thus changing their level in hierarchy.

Following these rules will assure you of good results.  There are some ways to modify this which might work now, but the further you "successfully" depart from the base standard, the more likely it is that a future change in Emby might break it.

For the range of acceptable file names, see the detail in:
https://emby.media/support/articles/Movie-Naming.html
https://emby.media/support/articles/TV-Naming.html

Paul

 

[podonnell 47]

7 hours ago, pwhodges said:

Mixed content libraries make it much harder for Emby to sort out movies from tv shows. 

You can guarantee good results by following Emby's folder format and naming recommendations scrupulously.  In mixed content libraries the folder structure is particularly important.  Specifically:

(1) Each movie in its own folder, whose name is that of the movie (with the date in brackets).
(2) Each TV show in its own folder, with season subfolders (even for a single season show), and file names including e.g. SnnEnn as appropriate.
(3) No putting movie or show folders into another folder, thus changing their level in hierarchy.

Following these rules will assure you of good results.  There are some ways to modify this which might work now, but the further you "successfully" depart from the base standard, the more likely it is that a future change in Emby might break it.

For the range of acceptable file names, see the detail in:
https://emby.media/support/articles/Movie-Naming.html
https://emby.media/support/articles/TV-Naming.html

Paul

 

Thanks for this info. In this case I am loading in youtube content that is not a series or movie. 

I looked at the info on the folder and one of them had 3. in front of the name.
It was for a video game trailer that aired at E3 -- so it looks like the folder simply saw E3 and assumed all content was a series.

Is my best option here to change the actual filename to remove E3, but then I can still make the display name show it?
Or is there a better solution for this that lets me keep the name as is?

[Luke 42077]

Quote

In this case I am loading in youtube content that is not a series or movie. 

If you can't follow TV or movie naming conventions then you might be best off with the home videos content type.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

5 minutes ago, podonnell said:

Thanks for this info. In this case I am loading in youtube content that is not a series or movie. 

I looked at the info on the folder and one of them had 3. in front of the name.
It was for a video game trailer that aired at E3 -- so it looks like the folder simply saw E3 and assumed all content was a series.

Is my best option here to change the actual filename to remove E3, but then I can still make the display name show it?
Or is there a better solution for this that lets me keep the name as is?

Make it a movie library and disable all metadata providers and you will be fine. I use that method for my old home movies and some recordings that do not fit into other categories. I do not use "home videos" type but that might be a good choice. I just figured out the use of a movies library for that purpose first and that is what I have always used. 

[podonnell 47]

I think I thought I may have some content that does link up to metadata providers at some point in here though.

But basically if I keep anything that might get picked up as "TV Series" then I have to avoid anything with S# and E# in the name at all -- no other way around that, or manual exclusion?

Edited July 28, 2025 by podonnell

[Luke 42077]

Correct.

[podonnell 47]

Looking at some other content, I did want to be able to track progress through what is essentially a 'youtube series'. I wanted to have a set order and be able to pick up where I left.

If I switch to movie or home videos, I believe I will lose that functionality?

There surely must be a middle ground where I can prevent a folder from being labeled as a season. I've gone and removed the E# and S# from my files and rescanned, but it's still trying to put them into a season folder.

Is mixed content specifically going to mark my content as a movie, and if not a movie then it has to be a series?

[Luke 42077]

Quote

If I switch to movie or home videos, I believe I will lose that functionality?

You will, yes.

[Luke 42077]

Quote

There surely must be a middle ground where I can prevent a folder from being labeled as a season. I've gone and removed the E# and S# from my files and rescanned, but it's still trying to put them into a season folder.

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

[podonnell 47]

10 hours ago, Luke said:

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

I still have the Library listed as a Mixed Content type. So I think this is normal behavior? It really seems like this library type is only one of two -- its either assumed to be a show or a movie.

My hope is that there is another library type that allows for loose media akin to how Home Video content type is, but also lets me define a season. I want to be able to track progress through a youtube series, while also having standalone youtube videos that can be placed into a folder for organization purposes.

[Luke 42077]

Quote

So I think this is normal behavior?

I can't really say when I don't know what I'm answering this about. Is it too much trouble to ask for a specific example?

[podonnell 47]

17 hours ago, Luke said:

I can't really say when I don't know what I'm answering this about. Is it too much trouble to ask for a specific example?

What I mean is specifically a Mixed Content library in general. Are items within a mixed library only ever one of two types - a 'show' or a 'movie'?

If that's the case then my only solution is to move away from this library type.


Here are some specifics in case that does help - it just shows items that are assigned to a Season. Anything with a year is assumed to be Season 20 (for year 20xx) even though there's no S20

But again, if Mixed content can only be a 'season' or 'movie', then this library type is just the issue.

I just want a library type that I can have items that are individual inside a folder, as well as one that I do want designated as a 'show' that has episode numbers -- for those I will follow the naming convention.

 

 

 

[brothom 177]

17 minutes ago, podonnell said:

Here are some specifics in case that does help - it just shows items that are assigned to a Season. Anything with a year is assumed to be Season 20 (for year 20xx) even though there's no S20

But again, if Mixed content can only be a 'season' or 'movie', then this library type is just the issue.

Although I don't like saying it, this is a valid point. Even using the "Home Videos" library with this structure shows the entries all funky:

Seperated folders:

X:\Media\HomeVideos\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain Debut Trailer.mkv
X:\Media\HomeVideos\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain Official Trailer.mkv
X:\Media\HomeVideos\Starcraft II\Starcraft II Heart of the Swam Opening Cinematic.mkv

Side by side (no results?):

X:\Media\HomeVideos\Trailers\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain Debut Trailer.mkv
X:\Media\HomeVideos\Trailers\Metal Gear Solid IV - The Phantom Pain Official Trailer.mkv
X:\Media\HomeVideos\Trailers\Starcraft II Heart of the Swam Opening Cinematic.mkv

There is also no naming convention on home video's

 

I personally expected this to work similarly to season. Having X:\Media\HomeVideos\Trailers show up as a "folder" and opening it, showing it's direct descending media.

[Happy2Play 9780]

50 minutes ago, podonnell said:

Are items within a mixed library only ever one of two types - a 'show' or a 'movie'?

To my knowledge yes, Mixed content can only be TV or Movie.

So anything you want to appear as a Series format will need to named accordingly (manually) and providers will most likely choke on it.  Then you can never rename/move it as watched statuses can not be maintained.

 

 

@brothomTrailers folder name is a Specials/Extras folder so cannot be a general folder as it will not show up.

But@Lukewould have to comment on if it really should have any bearing on Home Video content type.

 

[brothom 177]

2 hours ago, Happy2Play said:

@brothomTrailers folder name is a Specials/Extras folder so cannot be a general folder as it will not show up.

But@Lukewould have to comment on if it really should have any bearing on Home Video content type.

 

The folder is called `X:\Media\HomeVideos\Trailers` by sheer coincedence.

As @podonnellmentioned this is a Home Videos library and I also mentioned that in the rest of my comment: 

3 hours ago, brothom said:

Although I don't like saying it, this is a valid point. Even using the "Home Videos" library with this structure shows the entries all funky:

...

The gist is that this library type seem unpredicatable, undocumented even and it might be a good idea to force the same conventions on it as other libraries. Supporting nested folders and whatnot.

Edited July 29, 2025 by brothom

[podonnell 47]

So from my from what I'm seeing, there is no good solution for this?

I either stick with 'Mixed Content' and any content put into a folder gets forced to 'TV Series' style, or I use 'Home Videos' and that will prevent me from being able to set a series when I want to be able to have the continuing episodic style?

[Luke 42077]

Why not just rename to follow our TV naming guide?

TV Naming

[podonnell 47]

3 minutes ago, Luke said:

Why not just rename to follow our TV naming guide?

TV Naming

My struggle is - Which Library type would I use to achieve this?

Could I do Home Videos and then use that naming guide to force it to turn a folder into a TV style / episodic content?

[Luke 42077]

On 7/29/2025 at 9:48 AM, podonnell said:

What I mean is specifically a Mixed Content library in general. Are items within a mixed library only ever one of two types - a 'show' or a 'movie'?

If that's the case then my only solution is to move away from this library type.


Here are some specifics in case that does help - it just shows items that are assigned to a Season. Anything with a year is assumed to be Season 20 (for year 20xx) even though there's no S20

But again, if Mixed content can only be a 'season' or 'movie', then this library type is just the issue.

I just want a library type that I can have items that are individual inside a folder, as well as one that I do want designated as a 'show' that has episode numbers -- for those I will follow the naming convention.

 

 

 

We still have not seen what your file and folder naming and organization looks like so I don't feel that I can give you a great answer.

So based on the limited info that I have right now, I would say that you should use home videos.

[Luke 42077]

3 hours ago, podonnell said:

 

Could I do Home Videos and then use that naming guide to force it to turn a folder into a TV style / episodic content?

No, home videos are meant to be plain folders/files only. But with more information, ,maybe we can help you use mixed content.

[podonnell 47]

14 hours ago, Luke said:

We still have not seen what your file and folder naming and organization looks like so I don't feel that I can give you a great answer.

So based on the limited info that I have right now, I would say that you should use home videos.

What I means is, in general -- can content in a 'mixed library' be stored individually in a folder without being labeled as a series?

Here are some of my content paths:

 

\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\MGSV： THE PHANTOM PAIN - 2014 Trailer.mp4
\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\Death Stranding - Teaser Trailer - TGA 2016 - 4K.mp4

 

These two are placed in the same folder and presumed to be "Season 20" of "Trailers & Cinematics"

Anything that is labeled without a date are put into "Season 1":

\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\The Phantom Pain Debut Trailer.mkv
\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic.mp4

 

None of these have a SXEX style naming convention, yet the entire folder is being assumed as a TV Series.

[Luke 42077]

36 minutes ago, podonnell said:

What I means is, in general -- can content in a 'mixed library' be stored individually in a folder without being labeled as a series?

Here are some of my content paths:

 

\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\MGSV： THE PHANTOM PAIN - 2014 Trailer.mp4
\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\Death Stranding - Teaser Trailer - TGA 2016 - 4K.mp4

 

These two are placed in the same folder and presumed to be "Season 20" of "Trailers & Cinematics"

Anything that is labeled without a date are put into "Season 1":

\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\The Phantom Pain Debut Trailer.mkv
\Video Games\Trailers & Cinematics\StarCraft II Heart of the Swarm Opening Cinematic.mp4

 

None of these have a SXEX style naming convention, yet the entire folder is being assumed as a TV Series.

In mixed content it's either going to be a movie or series. There are no plain videos in mixed content.  So you need to follow movie naming conventions for the things that you want to be movies and tv  naming conventions for the things that you want to be series.