Adjusting Collections

[Ockingshay 3]

1) Is there a way to restrict collections so that they remain within their specific library and do not appear in other libraries? I have a special library for 4k bluray remuxes that I only play on nvidia sheild and i also have a general films library for everything else. I did this so that I can restrict other users from seeing this library to stop transcoding, but this means that in my profile a collection will double everything up. Is there a way to stop this?

2) Is there a way to remove the "collections" library from the top at server level so that it is not visible to any users?

 

Doubled up disks across libraries

 

collections folder at top of home page

Edited September 23, 2025 by Ockingshay

[Ockingshay 3]

[howllor 26]

For 2, afaik the only way the collections can be hidden is by each user individually doing it themselves under their homescreen settings

[ebr 16169]

3 hours ago, howllor said:

afaik the only way the collections can be hidden is by each user individually doing it themselves under their homescreen settings

Hi.  The server administrator can do this for each user as well.

[howllor 26]

I can find no setting to disable access to collections for a user. Can you show me where?

[ebr 16169]

Just now, howllor said:

I can find no setting to disable access to collections for a user. Can you show me where?

I was referring to the "show on home screen" setting you showed in your screen cap.

[howllor 26]

Okay I realized now that the green text in the user settings is in fact a link. That was not very clear. Been using emby for months without finding that

Edited September 23, 2025 by howllor

[rookies 12]

4 hours ago, Ockingshay said:

1) Is there a way to restrict collections so that they remain within their specific library and do not appear in other libraries? I have a special library for 4k bluray remuxes that I only play on nvidia sheild and i also have a general films library for everything else. I did this so that I can restrict other users from seeing this library to stop transcoding, but this means that in my profile a collection will double everything up. Is there a way to stop this?

2) Is there a way to remove the "collections" library from the top at server level so that it is not visible to any users?

Curious, because I don't know the answer to this.  Are collection contents not security trimmed?    So if a user doesn't have access to a specific item in the collection the item is not displayed?  (I made the assumption they are but have not tested that yet.)

If collections are not security trimmed, that would be a major issue.

If collections are in fact security trimmed then the fact they don't have access to a specific item means they would not see the duplicate.   

Then that leave just the issue your having which is related to the application showing duplicate if you do have access.  (which is hopefully the case)

Based on what I recently learned,  the system treats these as separate movies because you likely have them in different folders.  Combining them to a single folder would cause it to treat them as a single entity with multiple versions/editions/resolutions,  but would remove your capability to restrict access since libraries are based on folder structures.

It's a chicken or the egg situation that could be resolved by treating a copy of a movies within different libraries/folders (ie different version edition or resolution)  as a combined item from a movie and also a collection perspective and applying security trimming.

Another option would be to breaking collections into library specific sections to show which library each copy of the movie is in so that you can identify the source. Again with security trimming applied. (This is what Plex did,  not a super fan of the look but it does allow you to understand the content source)

This would require a feature change as I understand it.   (Something that would help me for almost the exact same reason.)

Someone please correct me if I am wrong about this.  Have about a week worth of experience with Emby so that is entirely possible.

[Ockingshay 3]

58 minutes ago, ebr said:

Hi.  The server administrator can do this for each user as well.

Thank you this answers question 2 and I’m happy to report it works perfectly

[Ockingshay 3]

43 minutes ago, rookies said:

Curious, because I don't know the answer to this.  Are collection contents not security trimmed?    So if a user doesn't have access to a specific item in the collection the item is not displayed?  (I made the assumption they are but have not tested that yet.)

If collections are not security trimmed, that would be a major issue.

If collections are in fact security trimmed then the fact they don't have access to a specific item means they would not see the duplicate.   

Then that leave just the issue your having which is related to the application showing duplicate if you do have access.  (which is hopefully the case)

Based on what I recently learned,  the system treats these as separate movies because you likely have them in different folders.  Combining them to a single folder would cause it to treat them as a single entity with multiple versions/editions/resolutions,  but would remove your capability to restrict access since libraries are based on folder structures.

It's a chicken or the egg situation that could be resolved by treating a copy of a movies within different libraries/folders (ie different version edition or resolution)  as a combined item from a movie and also a collection perspective and applying security trimming.

Another option would be to breaking collections into library specific sections to show which library each copy of the movie is in so that you can identify the source. Again with security trimming applied. (This is what Plex did,  not a super fan of the look but it does allow you to understand the content source)

This would require a feature change as I understand it.   (Something that would help me for almost the exact same reason.)

Someone please correct me if I am wrong about this.  Have about a week worth of experience with Emby so that is entirely possible.

I’m 1 day into my emby experience, we can learn together

 

you are correct that if a library is restricted then that user won’t see the duplication, but for those that have both libraries it will.

 

my user case:

to stop transcoding I created a separate remux library and only share that library with users that have nvidia shields (myself, my dad and my brother), which can play the Dolby vision/dolby atmos trued files. For the rest of my family there is a duplicate file in a separate folder for the separate movie library that is compatible with all other devices (Roku, Apple TV, tv apps etc)

this was the logic with plex and MAY NOT be the correct logic for emby. If I move the files into the general movie library they could be transcoded, so maybe there’s some settings I can tweak to stop it?

im happy to change logic if there’s a better solution, if not, then there might need to be a feature request like you said to limit collections to their respective libraries. 

[GrimReaper 4739]

You can multi-version those movies so you'll only ever see a single entry:

1) Multi-select and select "Group Versions" in three-dot menu 

or

2) Use one of the community-made auto-Grouping plugins:

 

Edited September 23, 2025 by GrimReaper

[rookies 12]

16 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

You can multi-version those movies so you'll only ever see a single entry:

1) Multi-select and select "Group Versions" in three-dot menu 

or

2) Use one of the community-made auto-Grouping plugins:

 

You are the man!  that manual merge does the trick.  Now if there were just a way to make that a default behavior. and instead of being force to go merge things you were given the option to split things if you don't want them merged. This would be perfect!   Going to check out that "movie auto merge plugin" for sure!

[GrimReaper 4739]

2 hours ago, rookies said:

Now if there were just a way to make that a default behavior. and instead of being force to go merge things you were given the option to split things if you don't want them merged. This would be perfect!

Library option to auto-merge (or not) will be included in upcoming 4.9 release. 

Edited September 23, 2025 by GrimReaper

[rookies 12]

Just now, GrimReaper said:

That'll be included in upcoming 4.9 release. 

I am running Version 4.9.1.35 beta currently.  It solved some other blockers to migration.     It didn't automatically merge the movies within the collection, was it supposed to? 

Also once merged I don't see an option to split the movies back apart. do you have to remove them from the collection and re-add?

[GrimReaper 4739]

2 hours ago, rookies said:

 It didn't automatically merge the movies within the collection, was it supposed to? 

Nope, it works only within same library. For cross-library/cross-folders merge, you'll still have to resort to one of the above mentioned methods. 

2 hours ago, rookies said:

Also once merged I don't see an option to split the movies back apart. do you have to remove them from the collection and re-add?

You should definitely see it at the bottom of item detail screen. 

[Ockingshay 3]

Thanks, I’ll play around with these solutions, will be nice to have only 1 film library with multi-versions in it. Need to think how it affects radarr, as by default it will overwrite the file. 

Edited September 23, 2025 by Ockingshay

[rookies 12]

28 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

Nope, it works only within same library. For cross-library/cross-folders merge, you'll still have to resort to one of the above mentioned methods. 

You should definitely see it at the bottom of item detail screen. 

awww, didn't go far enough down to find it.  awesome!  Thanks!

thanks again.

 

Edited September 23, 2025 by rookies

[GrimReaper 4739]

There's no core auto-merge across libraries (for the time being). 

3 hours ago, GrimReaper said:

For cross-library/cross-folders merge, you'll still have to resort to one of the above mentioned methods. 

For items within same library you can either place all versions in same folder and follow Multi-version naming convention or use library option to auto-merge (it goes by providerid and/or filename) or merge items manually or use Auto-grouping plugin. 

 

Edited September 23, 2025 by GrimReaper
Link

[rookies 12]

<deleted>

Edited September 23, 2025 by rookies

[GrimReaper 4739]

2 hours ago, rookies said:

looking for auto-merge from within a collection mainly

Then manual merge would suffice, it is assumable you won't be doing that very often. 

2 hours ago, rookies said:

I would want an individual library to only merge from within that library but across folder structures only for that library

That is 4.9 default behavior, if enabled (read linked topic). 

 

Edited September 23, 2025 by GrimReaper

[Neminem 1518]

1 hour ago, Ockingshay said:

Thanks, I’ll play around with these solutions, will be nice to have only 1 film library with multi-versions in it. Need to think how it affects radarr, as by default it will overwrite the file. 

If you are using Radarr you still need 2 radarr versions.

Radarr does not work that way.

Radarr 1080p version separate root folder.

Radarr 4k version separate root folder.

Etc.

Otherwise one would cancel the other one out, and you would end up with an endless loop 1080 <-> 4k.

[Neminem 1518]

Just ran a quick test of 4.9 beta.

Observer the naming scheme and different folders

 

Again !! Observer the naming scheme and different folders

 

[Neminem 1518]

This is my test user without access to my 4k library

 

[rookies 12]

4 hours ago, Neminem said:

This is my test user without access to my 4k library

 

awesome information, definitely confirms we are on the right path and that a workable solution is available!    thanks for doing the tests!

[Ockingshay 3]

19 hours ago, Neminem said:

This is my test user without access to my 4k library

 

 

This is deffo the way to structure the libraries & folders.

As shown above, this allows the following:

1 library

1 collection

multi-version support

access control per user, meaning I can untick the remux folder and their experience doesn’t change. For those that do have access they are presented with multi-version.

use single instance of radarr and download appropriate file to appropriate folder

 

Now I just need to play around with auto-naming/grouping with a plugin as currently emby default does not auto-version across folders (all the files need to be in the same folder). I can manually group them, but need something that will name the files correctly and then auto-group.