Pulling embedded metadata

[Neonblue 3]

I'm looking for a different solution from Plex as some of their bugs are driving me crazy and they've made no effort to fix in 7 years (or even acknowledge there's a problem).  So I loaded up emby this morning to play with it.  I got it installed on my Ubuntu server and configured a library.  I was surprised at how easy it was (much easier than plex).  However, I am running into one small issue.  All of my movies are ones I've ripped from my collection.  I also embedded their metadata (which includes the display thumbnail) directly on each file.  It appears that emby wants to load it's own metadata vs using what's on the file.  If I edit the metadata it appears that it loads the textual information but none of the thumbnails show.  How do I tell emby to use the embedded thumbnail for each movie?

[Abobader 3464]

Hello Neonblue,

** This is an auto reply **

Please wait for someone from staff support or our members to reply to you.

It's recommended to provide more info, as it explain in this thread:

Thank you.

Emby Team

[Luke 42078]

Hi there, can you please go over an example? Thanks !

[Neonblue 3]

I use a program called METAX to write the metadata to all my MP4 files. 

In emby, I create a new movie library of where my .mp4 files are.  In the configuration of that library I see that you can set up locations to pull metadata from but since I already have the metadata in the files I didn't select an option to go out an pull from.  

When I browse via a browser (or open the app on my tablet) all I see are colored tabs with the title of the movie below it and a filmstrip icon in the middle.  I was expecting the thumbnail of the movie to be shown there.

It looks like it's pulling the text metadata information ok including the sort title.  The embedded metadata image is not showing though.

[Neonblue 3]

maybe I spoke too soon on pulling the sort title, it looks like it may be going off the real title...

[Guest]

I use MetaX as well.. Love it. wish there was a replacement for ChaptersDB however..

EMBY will display a default image if embedded when no metadata is found.. or the providers are turned off.. I have everything including the movie cover/posters.. I have quite a large ( 865 or so ) collection of Videos which as of yet have no database for their type ( adult ).. The embedded info gets shown for them as there is no return for the information. Cover, description rating, genre, director.. and actors/models. 

Embedded ID's, and original native name helps in identification.. BUT when information is found online the remaining missing data that EMBY seeks for display is filled in from the providers,, so a Thumbnail or original cover will be placed second and backdrop, logo.. people will get downloaded for the movie..

You can choose to show a different view using the three dots at the right on the top, for display... but this is basically default behavior...

EDIT: and it WILL use the file name as data as well.

Edited May 13, 2021 by Guest

[Neonblue 3]

2 minutes ago, Hxemby001 said:

I use MetaX as well.. Love it. wish there was a replacement for ChaptersDB however..

EMBY will display a default image if embedded when no metadata is found.. or the providers are turned off.. I have everything including the movie cover/posters.. I have quite a large ( 865 or so ) collection of Videos which as of yet have no database for their type ( adult ).. The embedded info gets shown for them as there is no return for the information. Cover, description rating, genre, director.. and actors/models. 

Embedded ID's, and original native name helps in identification.. BUT when information is found online the remaining missing data that EMBY seeks for display is filled in from the providers,, so a Thumbnail or original cover will be placed second and backdrop, logo.. people will get downloaded for the movie..

You can choose to show a different view using the three dots at the right on the top, for display... but this is basically default behavior...

I removed the library and re-added it.  This time I selected to pull images and it does, but it looks like it's exclusively from over the internet vs what's embedded.  Do you know what I may be missing to pull the embedded image?

[Guest]

Remove the library completely... wait for EMBY to remove it and delete the metadata.. will show up the logs..

  If you just started you can delete the metadata folder ( easiest if you have a custom location indicated ) - 

   I usually reinstall and start fresh when I do this though

When you add the Library.. this time you will deselect the providers and the image fetcher settings in this section...

 

MOVIE LIBRARY SETTINGS

 

You should get the desired result...The first time I added my adult Library, I turned it all off and it pulled from the embedded metadata I had in the files. ( so I am currently working my way through entering ALL of the metadata by hand and web research to be extensive ) - ANYWAY.. the Library used the embedded covers after and during doing its work.. took a little bit for it to show up.. but only showed what was embedded..

You could add one folder with a movie and play around with it  to see if you can get backdrops and logos by themselves.. There is an option to download thumbs as well .. but I am not for sure if that is what your requesting here. 

Edited May 13, 2021 by Guest

[Neonblue 3]

That's what I did.  However, I just tried it again to be sure.  I deselected all items in "Movie metadata downloaders:" and "Movie Image Fetchers" and re-added the movie folder.  It's coming up with blank thumbnails again.  See the attached image

[Guest]

What do you when you click on one of them?.. and if you Nav to Movies.. and go to the three dots at the right on the top nav links.. change the view from primary to Thumb.. and see what you get...

[Neonblue 3]

It just changes the sizes, but the colors stay.

[Carlo 4561]

If you get everything but the images there is a work around you could use.

You could place the cover image in the folder with the media as per this KB article:
https://emby.media/support/articles/Movie-Naming.html

I'd need to check the exact syntax but something like
 

ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -map 0:v -map -0:V -c copy poster.jpg

Once the exact command line (if above is not correct) is tested this could be scripted to walk your files and create the poster file.

Edited November 6, 2025 by GrimReaper
KB article link updated

[Luke 42078]

Can you please attach the emby server log from the scan? Thanks.

[Luke 42078]

50 minutes ago, Neonblue said:

That's what I did.  However, I just tried it again to be sure.  I deselected all items in "Movie metadata downloaders:" and "Movie Image Fetchers" and re-added the movie folder.  It's coming up with blank thumbnails again.  See the attached image

If I had to guess, you probably also disabled the screen grabber.

[Neonblue 3]

7 minutes ago, cayars said:

If you get everything but the images there is a work around you could use.

You could place the cover image in the folder with the media as per this KB article:

Ah, so emby doesn't use the embedded metadata fully then...?  I've got close to 700 movies in my collection... I could work on exporting the image, but it sure would be nice to just use the embedded metadata...

[Neonblue 3]

1 minute ago, Luke said:

Can you please attach the emby server log from the scan? Thanks.

Happy to, but I'm not seeing where I can pull it from?

[Neonblue 3]

2 minutes ago, Luke said:

Can you please attach the emby server log from the scan? Thanks.

nevermind, found it!  BTW, FWIW, emby is sexy as hell.  It makes plex look old and tired.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42078]

Well for one thing, although this is not related, but you enabled video preview thumbnails, and you enabled saving them to original media folders, but did not ensure that emby actually had write access to do so:

2021-05-13 12:31:36.368 Error App: Error creating thumbnails for /media/movies/movies/Black Panther.mp4
	*** Error Report ***
	Version: 4.5.4.0
	Command line: /opt/emby-server/system/EmbyServer.dll -programdata /var/lib/emby -ffdetect /opt/emby-server/bin/ffdetect -ffmpeg /opt/emby-server/bin/ffmpeg -ffprobe /opt/emby-server/bin/ffprobe -restartexitcode 3 -updatepackage emby-server-deb_{version}_amd64.deb
	Operating system: Linux version 5.8.0-43-generic (buildd@lcy01-amd64-018) (gcc (Ubuntu 9.3.0-17ubuntu1~20.04) 9.3.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Ubuntu) 2.34) #49~20.04.1-
	Framework: .NET Core 3.1.8
	OS/Process: x64/x64
	Runtime: opt/emby-server/system/System.Private.CoreLib.dll
	Processor count: 4
	Data path: /var/lib/emby
	Application path: /opt/emby-server/system
	System.UnauthorizedAccessException: System.UnauthorizedAccessException: Access to the path '/media/movies/movies/Black Panther-320-10.bif' is denied.
	 ---> System.IO.IOException: Permission denied
	   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
	   at Interop.ThrowExceptionForIoErrno(ErrorInfo errorInfo, String path, Boolean isDirectory, Func`2 errorRewriter)
	   at Microsoft.Win32.SafeHandles.SafeFileHandle.Open(String path, OpenFlags flags, Int32 mode)
	   at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options)
	   at System.IO.FileSystem.CopyFile(String sourceFullPath, String destFullPath, Boolean overwrite)
	   at MediaBrowser.Providers.MediaInfo.ThumbnailGenerator.CreateThumbnailSet(Video item, LibraryOptions libraryOptions, Int32 width, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
	   at MediaBrowser.Providers.MediaInfo.ThumbnailGenerator.CreateThumbnailSets(Video item, LibraryOptions libraryOptions, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
	   at MediaBrowser.Providers.MediaInfo.ThumbnailGenerator.RefreshThumbnailImages(Video item, LibraryOptions libraryOptions, IDirectoryService directoryService, List`1 chapters, Boolean extractImages, Boolean saveChapters, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
	Source: System.Private.CoreLib
	TargetSite: Void ThrowExceptionForIoErrno(ErrorInfo, System.String, Boolean, System.Func`2[Interop+ErrorInfo,Interop+ErrorInfo])
	InnerException: System.IO.IOException: Permission denied
	Source: 
	TargetSite: 

I don't see any attempts to extract singular images so I think my assessment is correct. In your haste to disable internet metadata features, you mistakenly also disabled image extraction via the screen grabber.

[Neonblue 3]

2 minutes ago, Luke said:

Well for one thing, although this is not related, but you enabled video preview thumbnails, and you enabled saving them to original media folders, but did not ensure that emby actually had write access to do so:

...

I don't see any attempts to extract singular images so I think my assessment is correct. In your haste to disable internet metadata features, you mistakenly also disabled image extraction via the screen grabber.

Not sure what that option did, but yes I did disable it.  I deleted the library and re-created it.  It looks like it may be pulling my metadata images now but I'll know for sure when it makes it further down the list.  

I didn't do anything other than run your installer when I installed emby...  is there a list of other items I need to perform after installation?

[Luke 42078]

That option is enabled by default, so there's nothing you need to do to turn it on.

[Carlo 4561]

24 minutes ago, Neonblue said:

Not sure what that option did, but yes I did disable it.  I deleted the library and re-created it.  It looks like it may be pulling my metadata images now but I'll know for sure when it makes it further down the list.  

Let us know how this works out after scanning is complete.

[Neonblue 3]

24 minutes ago, Luke said:

That option is enabled by default, so there's nothing you need to do to turn it on.

Do I need to give extra rights over what is provided during install on my media folders?

[Neonblue 3]

Looks GREAT!  One thing I noticed though it seems to be pulling in most of the metadata that I have written to the file but not the sort title.  So my whole star trek collection is off (they use star trek I, star trek II, star trek IV, etc...  So I used star trek 4 for the sort title in the embedded metadata.  Is there any way to pull that info in as well?

[Guest]

I had to do the same thing with Roman Numerals... and Star Trek Collection get broke up into three different ones..( maybe more I only have the movies )..

You could try Library in Dashboard and go to Advanced at the top.. Next go to 'Embedded track title display:' and there is an option to use embedded names or generate user-friendly ones.. This may work for you..

I had created custom collections for mine.. but I used file names and folders ( before EMBY ) and for identification I used their actual names to get proper identification for EMBY and programs.. I would have to use file names in my case.. 

[Neonblue 3]

17 minutes ago, Hxemby001 said:

I had to do the same thing with Roman Numerals... and Star Trek Collection get broke up into three different ones..( maybe more I only have the movies )..

You could try Library in Dashboard and go to Advanced at the top.. Next go to 'Embedded track title display:' and there is an option to use embedded names or generate user-friendly ones.. This may work for you..

I had created custom collections for mine.. but I used file names and folders ( before EMBY ) and for identification I used their actual names to get proper identification for EMBY and programs.. I would have to use file names in my case.. 

I've already got that selected...