TV Series spread across two different root folders

[kevinw 8]

Will Emby cope with a TV series spread across more than one folder?

 

It obviously handles individual season folders but I'm asking about different root folders. The reason I'm asking is I have two roots - one holding programmes I want to keep and the other has programmes that can be deleted after watching.

 

Very occasionally programmes from a series can be in either root and I'm asking the question as it doesn't seem to be working - the single episode in the Keep folder (...Keep\TV Series Name) is mis-identifed and I can't seem to persuade Emby to identify it correctly; the non-keep folder of the series has been correctly identified.

 

Thanks.

 

Kevin

[Luke 42078]

Hi, yes, if they are in the same Emby library they will be joined together. 

[blade005 185]

Will Emby cope with a TV series spread across more than one folder?

 

It obviously handles individual season folders but I'm asking about different root folders. The reason I'm asking is I have two roots - one holding programmes I want to keep and the other has programmes that can be deleted after watching.

 

Very occasionally programmes from a series can be in either root and I'm asking the question as it doesn't seem to be working - the single episode in the Keep folder (...Keep\TV Series Name) is mis-identifed and I can't seem to persuade Emby to identify it correctly; the non-keep folder of the series has been correctly identified.

 

Thanks.

 

Kevin

I don't know if the option to MERGE TV series is on by default in the library settings, but perhaps yours was turned OFF at some point. If both root folders are included in your LIBRARY you can enable this option by going to into the EMBY DASHBOARD and select LIBRARY and then click the 3-Dot selection for the LIBRARY you want to manage and select MANAGE LIBRARY. Once in the LIBRARY select SHOW ADVANCED SETTINGS. Scroll down and you should find an option to AUTOMATICALLY MERGE SERIES THAT ARE SPREAD ACROSS MULTIPLE FOLDERS.

 

It might take awhile for the MERGE to show up in your library and you may need to scan the library after the change.

Edited January 18, 2019 by blade005

[Luke 42078]

Yes it is on by default.

[kevinw 8]

I ought to have mentioned this is a Mixed Content library. I've just set another library up using the same folders with type TV Shows and it exhibits similar behaviour except it no longer displays anything that isn't a TV series, including the TV episode in the Keep root.

 

Part of the problem may be that Emby decided the single episode in the Keep root is a DVD so when I try to identify it there's no option to give it a TVDB id. I don't know why it's been identified like that as the folder structure and naming is exactly the same format as that in the Not Keep structure.

 

I've searched through the settings, including the Metadata Manager, and I can't see any way to tell Emby that it's a TV series. Is it possible? (I have the reverse problem with at least one other which has been identified as a TV series when it is in fact a DVD documentary).

 

[later]

 

I tried copying the tvshow.nfo file from the folder that had been identified as a TV show to the one I hadn't. Rescanned and now they've both been identified as a TV show.

 

In the TV Shows version of the library the show is being displayed correctly - the two folders have been correctly merged. In the Mixed Content version I see what's in the attached screen grab which is a bit peculiar; both show the merged content. I'm reminded of what you said to me in another topic Luke - "The mixed content type has some limitations. I would suggest using one of the dedicated types.". I think that's a real shame as the availability of Mixed Content libraries is a definite advantage over Plex.

 

That begs another question (sorry, I really like Emby but the deeper I get into it the more questions I seem to have) - is it possible to get Emby to display content that isn't a TV show in a library set up for TV shows?

 

(Thanks for the suggestion blade005. I did look for the Merge Series option in the settings for both the Mixed Content and TV Shows versions of the library, just in case, but couldn't see it there at all even with Advanced Options selected.)

 

Kevin

Edited January 19, 2019 by kevinw

[Happy2Play 9780]

@@kevinw

 

Mixed content does not have this option but TV Shows does.

 

[kevinw 8]

Got it thanks. I've no idea how I didn't see that before but I can't miss it now you've shown me where it is!

 

Kevin

[Luke 42078]

We're doing our best to give mixed content as many features as possible but it is a bit of a challenge that can sometimes cause undesirable issues.

[lunadmin 0]

Hi, i use this feature since a few months, exactly have one series on two hdds on every hdd some seasons.

The one thing works fine, that emby is just showing one series. The tvshow.nfo is the same on both sides. I tried also to make the same name for the series folder on both sides.

hdd1\series xy\season 3, season 4
hdd2\series xy\season 1,season 2

 

Inside the series, the seasons from both hdd locations not listed completly or completly missing from one hdd, mostly the first but i didn't know exactly.
Sometimes he founds some episodes from hdd1 inside a season and shows, sometimes all are not shown and completly missing.

Specials on hdd1 will work fine,  all seasons from hdd2 seems also to be fine. all other content mostly is missing.

It will work if they are only on one hdd in one folder.

There is no error in the logs, and also if i delete all nfo and jpgs from season 3 on hdd1 that is not shown up, after a rescan everything is recreated without errors, but not shown.
On a season 4 on hdd1 i have 3 episodes shonw all other are not, no difference in naming or whatever.

It seems like a display bug for me?

because i have also one folder he is showing up all episodes and below all episodes with decription missing - so yes in one location is is there in another it is missing.

## i found out the folder name is the key not only the tvshow.nfo

I had before my test not the same folder names, but i changed it to make sure this is the issue,
so i recognized it is kind of impossible to cleanup the database from the old name.
After all scans, deletetions and recreations, he keeps the old folder name.

I deleted the old entries on the directory view on both hdds, then it started working correctly!
So it will work with different series name but same tvshow.nfo but then it didn't work properly.

Edited April 6, 2021 by lunadmin

[Luke 42078]

52 minutes ago, lunadmin said:

Hi, i use this feature since a few months, exactly have one series on two hdds on every hdd some seasons.

The one thing works fine, that emby is just showing one series. The tvshow.nfo is the same on both sides. I tried also to make the same name for the series folder on both sides.

hdd1\series xy\season 3, season 4
hdd2\series xy\season 1,season 2

 

Inside the series, the seasons from both hdd locations not listed completly or completly missing from one hdd, mostly the first but i didn't know exactly.
Sometimes he founds some episodes from hdd1 inside a season and shows, sometimes all are not shown and completly missing.

Specials on hdd1 will work fine,  all seasons from hdd2 seems also to be fine. all other content mostly is missing.

It will work if they are only on one hdd in one folder.

There is no error in the logs, and also if i delete all nfo and jpgs from season 3 on hdd1 that is not shown up, after a rescan everything is recreated without errors, but not shown.
On a season 4 on hdd1 i have 3 episodes shonw all other are not, no difference in naming or whatever.

It seems like a display bug for me?

because i have also one folder he is showing up all episodes and below all episodes with decription missing - so yes in one location is is there in another it is missing.

## i found out the folder name is the key not only the tvshow.nfo

I had before my test not the same folder names, but i changed it to make sure this is the issue,
so i recognized it is kind of impossible to cleanup the database from the old name.
After all scans, deletetions and recreations, he keeps the old folder name.

I deleted the old entries on the directory view on both hdds, then it started working correctly!
So it will work with different series name but same tvshow.nfo but then it didn't work properly.

Hi there, can you please go over a specific example? thanks.

[lunadmin 0]

Hi,

i can reproduce it with every series on the following conditions:

hdd1\series xy\
season1
season2

hdd2\series xy (New)\
season3

Both series with the same nfo and data, it will be shown in "Series Xy" season3 from hdd2  and all other staff is random (sometimes episodes, sometimes seasons from hdd1 are listed).
Thats bad, but anyway i renamed it to

hdd1\series xy\
season1
season2

hdd2\series xy\
season3

 

and also after a few scans, recreate nfo, pictures, etc there was no change - i have to delete the old series from the hdd2, it was a chaching, db problem - it it was rescanned with the new name all content worked within one series folder.

[Luke 42078]

For them to be grouped you need to make sure they have the exact same external ids in the metadata editor.

[Carlo 4561]

Hi, have you gotten this worked out yet or still having a problem?

[lunadmin 0]

19 hours ago, Luke said:

For them to be grouped you need to make sure they have the exact same external ids in the metadata editor.

yes that is the case - and the will be merged. But when the folder names are different from the series there happens everytime different issues from the first hdd1.

In one series

e01-e20 here is e02 and e03 missing.

in other series

the complete season is missing or more series.

That issues are just when the folders are not the same, the ids are the same.

[Luke 42078]

Then you might have to fix up the external ids of the series manually if they are not the same.

[lunadmin 0]

27 minutes ago, Luke said:

Then you might have to fix up the external ids of the series manually if they are not the same.

I don't know why you are repeat this, because in every sentende i said - it is the same. I can confirm this in the metadata and in the nfo files.

[Luke 42078]

What about in the emby metadata editor?

[lunadmin 0]

I checked it there too, and it is also the same.

 

i think if there were not same ids  than it will display two different series but it show already as one.

[Luke 42078]

Quote

i think if there were not same ids  than it will display two different series but it show already as one.

Yes that is exactly correct. Does this answer your questions now?

[lunadmin 0]

No, it confirms that i have the correct ids on the all folders,

but it does not explain the bug that seasons and epsiodes not shown up until the series folder have the same name.

[Happy2Play 9780]

I can do more testing but have no issue with seriename and seriesname (new) being merged properly.

I used different paths but get the same results using different drives.  Each season on different drives/folders get show for the Series also.

If you are having issues then can you go over specific steps to reproduce the issue.  Images always help understand the issue also.

[lunadmin 0]

i found also a series where it was working, but the more season are inside something will be missing.

I have not the same season like you splitted, i have different seasons splitted, thats the only difference
I can't see why it is sometimes working and sometimes not.

[Luke 42078]

They get merged when the external ids of the series are the same, and the metadata language value of the series are the same.

[lunadmin 0]

ok that works everytime - i have the issues in the merged folder in emby that not all is shown from both locations.

[Luke 42078]

1 hour ago, lunadmin said:

ok that works everytime - i have the issues in the merged folder in emby that not all is shown from both locations.

What do you mean? Can you please go over an example? Thanks.