Problem with duplicate movie titles

[MickeyRat 13]

Movie 1 has been in my library for some time. Now I'm trying to add movie 2 with the same title and year.  I can't get it to happen.  First I tried adding movie 2 with tmdbid tags. It didn't show up. I tried copying movie 1's folder and made sure both movie 1 and movie 2 were removed from emby.  Then I added movie 2 with tmdbid tags.  It identified as movie 1.  I tried identify.  It found the correct movie but, when I saved it, it reverted to movie 1.  I removed the identification in metadata manager and put in the correct tmdbid. After I saved it, it changed it back.  Right now, movie 2 is in there and emby insists it's movie 1 no matter what I do.

Yes, I know I can put in movie 2 with a bogus name and use the metadata manager to put in whatever metadata I want and lock it but, guys there should be a better way.

[GrimReaper 4739]

I have to admit I didn't quite understand that Movie 1, Movie 2 etc. - could you provide specific example, preferably with a screenshot of what the issue is?

[MickeyRat 13]

Both movies are "A Christmas Blessing (2023)"  but, they are different movies.  The one I'm referring to as movie 1 has been in my emby for some time.  The one I'm referring to as movie 2 is the one I'm trying to add.  I know it's confusing.  I'm not sure now to state it better.  I chose to use movie 1 and movie 2 because I need to distinguish them from one another.

[Neminem 1518]

Hmm are those these movies?

A Christmas Blessing — The Movie Database (TMDB)

If they are try this folder naming

Movie 1 : A Christmas Blessing (2023) {TmdbId-1142044}

Movie 2 : A Christmas Blessing (2023) {TmdbId-1192390}

[MickeyRat 13]

You got the movies right.  I hate movies like that but, my wife... Bet I'm not the only one.  

I'd already tried A Christmas Blessing (2023) [tmdbid=1192390] which should've worked. Unfortunately your solution exhibits the same behavior.  

Thanks for the reply though.

What's weird is that it keeps pulling up the other movie's (1142044) metadata even when that movie's been deleted.

 

[GrimReaper 4739]

What metadata downloaders are enabled in your library and in what order? 

[MickeyRat 13]

32 minutes ago, GrimReaper said:

What metadata downloaders are enabled in your library and in what order? 

Thanks for the reply. I just defaulted them.

1. TheTVDB
2. TheMovieDB
3. The Open Movie Database

I have something to add to my last reply.  When I added 1192390 with the tag specified by @Neminem, 1142044 had been removed and 1192390 came in with 1142044's metadata and I couldn't change it. I went ahead and put 1142044 back in with the same tagging. After a scan, I only saw one version of the movie with 1142044's metadata. However,  when I looked at the file data on that movie both directories were there. It interpreted them as parts of a multipart set. There was a button to split them into separate items. Of course, I did that.  Now both movies show up but, they have identical (114044's) metadata. I haven't found a way to change that for 1192390.

movie 1 and movie 2 were a lot easier to type

Edited January 10 by MickeyRat

[GrimReaper 4739]

44 minutes ago, MickeyRat said:

I just defaulted them.

1. TheTVDB
2. TheMovieDB
3. The Open Movie Database

Now both movies show up but, they have identical (114044's) metadata. I haven't found a way to change that for 1192390.

Since you have TVDB as primary meta-provider (and TVDB lists only a single A Christmas Blessing (2023) movie, with associated TMDBId 1142044), you can't identify them as two distinct movies (as TMDBId of the second movie, 1192390, is not present at the TVDB db, so query is made with the title alone).

As you've already made progress halfway and have two entries listed, you should:

1. Move TheMovieDB as top-preferred library meta-downloader

2. Re-Identify (right click or three-dot menu>Identify) incorrectly identified movie

Edited January 10 by GrimReaper

[MickeyRat 13]

1 minute ago, GrimReaper said:

Since you have TVDB as primary meta-provider (and TVDB lists only a single A Christmas Blessing (2023) movie, with associated TMDBId 1142044), you can't identify them as two distinct movies (as TMDBId of the second movie, 1192390, is not present at the TVDB db).

As you've already made progress halfway and have two entries listed, you should:

1. Move TheMovieDB on top of library meta-downloaders

2. Re-Identify (right click or three-dot menu>Identify) incorrectly identified movie

We think alike.  I was in the process of posting what I'd found when you replied.  I disabled TheTVDB and did an identify which worked. When I enabled TheTVDB again and did a scan, it left it alone.  I'm not satisfied with that solution though. It's too likely that emby will mess it later.  I'll look into changing that order. Never done that before.

Thanks for the reply.

[GrimReaper 4739]

1 minute ago, MickeyRat said:

I disabled TheTVDB and did an identify which worked.

You can safely leave it disabled, TMDB is much more reliable source of information for movies, you'll lose nothing. Or at least move it lower in the meta-downloaders order.

[MickeyRat 13]

1 minute ago, GrimReaper said:

You can safely leave it disabled, TMDB is much more reliable source of information for movies, you'll lose nothing. Or at least move it lower in the meta-downloaders order.

I agree but, it's an excuse for me to play with something I've never messed with before. You can tell I'm a retired DBA right?

[Luke 42077]

hi, has this helped?

[MickeyRat 13]

19 hours ago, Luke said:

hi, has this helped?

Thanks for your concern. As for my original problem. it was solved.  However, I suspect that what your asking is whether moving TheTVDB to the bottom of the metadata downloaders worked. Let me recap everyting just to make sure there are no misunderstandings.

1. Disabling TheTVDB solved my problem.
2. I reenabled TheTVDB metadata dowloader and moved it to the bottom of the list as @GrimReaper suggested but, because my problem was solved, I didn't test it.
3. Since you asked, I copied the  movie out, deleted it in emby and copied it back in.  After a scan of the library, the movie showed up correctly. 

Hopefully that answers your question. I do think that default position of TheTVDB should be at the  bottom of the metadata dowloaders when it's a movie library. That's assuming it would be a trivial change.

[Luke 42077]

On 1/13/2026 at 8:23 AM, MickeyRat said:

Thanks for your concern. As for my original problem. it was solved.  However, I suspect that what your asking is whether moving TheTVDB to the bottom of the metadata downloaders worked. Let me recap everyting just to make sure there are no misunderstandings.

1. Disabling TheTVDB solved my problem.
2. I reenabled TheTVDB metadata dowloader and moved it to the bottom of the list as @GrimReaper suggested but, because my problem was solved, I didn't test it.
3. Since you asked, I copied the  movie out, deleted it in emby and copied it back in.  After a scan of the library, the movie showed up correctly. 

Hopefully that answers your question. I do think that default position of TheTVDB should be at the  bottom of the metadata dowloaders when it's a movie library. That's assuming it would be a trivial change.

Hi, for a new install movie db is the preferred provider. Thanks for the feedback.