Video Preview Thumbnails not being created on new install

[MediaFish 1]

if you look at the 2 images I posted at 1:18pm on Oct 11, the first images shows the video playing with the thumbnail showing as I move the mouse across the time slider. This is what I expect to see. but what I actually see is shown in the 2nd image. as I move the mouse across the slider, I just see the time.

[sa2000 674]

5 hours ago, MediaFish said:

if you look at the 2 images I posted at 1:18pm on Oct 11,

why are you referring to an 11th October information when we are discussing the new recording test and the new case of a confirmed bif being created. You need to show the evidence for this latest recording. We know a bif was created from the logs. You know where the bif is. There was a bif content viewer posted in the forums before. It still works and you can use it to open this file and see what is in it. You can also provide new evidence for this new recording - with logs with debug enabled when you are playing back the recordind and trying to see the thumbs

You will find a big generator/viewer on this forum post bif generator (windows tool) 

Unzip and then run "bif generator.exe" and select "View" from the menu and then file/open the bif file. That will confirm if there is valid content in the bif

And can you please test the playback and skips to see the thumbnails with a number of different emby client apps. My tests were all with Emby Web

Edited November 4, 2025 by sa2000

[Johnny_B 0]

I have the same issue - Bif file is created, it is valid (checked with Bif Generator) however thumbnails are not shown when hovering time slider (only time is shown).

I did some tests and the issue is apparently connected to chapters. If "Generate chapters for videos that don't contain embedded chapter information" is enabled and the automatic chapters are created and visible, thumbnails are shown as expected. If I disable this function (which is my intention since I want chapters to be shown only for files with embedded chapters) and rescan e.g. no automatic chapters are visible, thumbnails are NOT shown.

 

 

 

[sa2000 674]

On 29/11/2025 at 21:39, Johnny_B said:

I have the same issue - Bif file is created, it is valid (checked with Bif Generator) however thumbnails are not shown when hovering time slider (only time is shown).

I did some tests and the issue is apparently connected to chapters. If "Generate chapters for videos that don't contain embedded chapter information" is enabled and the automatic chapters are created and visible, thumbnails are shown as expected. If I disable this function (which is my intention since I want chapters to be shown only for files with embedded chapters) and rescan e.g. no automatic chapters are visible, thumbnails are NOT shown

Thank you for highlighting the issue. I have reproduced the problem which happens when chapters are not generated. I will refer it to the development team.

With regards to recordings, there was an issue that has been fixed in emby server beta 4.9.2.6 and later where most recordings were previously not getting bifs generated

 

Edited December 1, 2025 by sa2000

[sa2000 674]

This has been resolved For Emby Web in Emby Server beta 4.9.2.8. Next releases for other client apps should have the fix as well

Edited December 12, 2025 by sa2000

[sa2000 674]

The hosted Emby Web app on http://app.emby.media or https://app.emby.media has now been updated to include the fix as well. Hosted Emby Web app version 4.9.2.17