Multipart episodes ...

[Pontus Berg]

I do believe that TVR handles the scenario where a file contains two episodes ("S04E02-E03"), but the scenario where one episode is distributed over two files, I can't recall working with before but I came across this today:

I will not allow TVR to handle this. It's named as per what Plex accepts and that's what I ultimately want. Order and structure, and playable in Plex. 

Plex docs:

https://support.plex.tv/articles/naming-and-organizing-your-tv-show-files/

Plex docs also suggests merging them, but one issue here is of course that The TVDB isn't assuming that the first episode should be separated here but the broadcast I have clearly is.

So in short; please don't trash cases where a single episode is distributed over several files.

[Tom Snyder]

This was an Amazon creation making episode S02E01 into two parts.  Originally on ITV it was one episode that lasted 100 minutes.  Amazon came along and split it into two 53 minute episodes for which they could charge $2.99 each if you didn't subscribe to Britbox at $7.99 a month.  I personally would prefer to have the original version in my collection (if I had one).  Merging the two parts will not recreate the original.

[Pontus Berg]

That's all fine and well for this particular case where I should possibly go look for something else (even if I am quite ok with Amazon experience here). I manually had to change the numbering to fit with the TMDB (and the last episode I have is only 50 minutes, but TMDB says it should 2x50 minutes. So it seems the actual content is 100 minutes for the first and last episiode. Amazon split the first one to 2x50 and ITV slipt the last one).

HOWEVER; the technical aspect here is still that TVR will try to kill the second part in the version I have now, and if I let it - then I will lose the second half of an episode I have all of now, albeit in two segments. 

[Tom Snyder]

TMDB (and TVDB) has the last episode of Season 2 as The Mysterious Affair at Styles.  Amazon has that episode as Episode 1 of Season 3.  US Amazon has that episode listed as "currently unavailable".  Again, I blame Amazon for not following the rules set up by TVDB and TMDB that the shows are listed as originally aired on the original channel they were aired on.  TVDB tends to be a little more strict about this than TMDB but in this case it doesn't matter because they are in agreement as to ITV being the broadcaster and the episode is listed as S02E10.

As to the technical aspect, TVR will not kill anything.  You are in control.  If you follow the rules set forth by Plex, that you listed, you can manually add something like Part1 and Part2 and Plex will accept that.

Or you could obtain from somewhere the original full length S02E01.  Or you could Merge (or Collapse) what you have already using Edit > Add/Modify Rule.

At this point I'm not sure if I'm telling you stuff that you already know so please don't feel offended if I am.  I know how I would handle the situation but I wouldn't be bold enough to expect everyone else to do it the same way.

[Pontus Berg]

Many thanks for the effort Tom.

There are two aspects here - 

# One is which episode is which and the relation to who published what when. The only concern I have here is that the databases seem to support only one of the outlets for distribution so if you are using video material from the other, it's going to end up wrong. That whole subject is still outside of what I can do anything about. I see the issue, but that is not the focus of the question.

# The other is how TVR handles single episodes split into two files. This is where my focus is.

From my Total Commander the two files that are the Part 1 and 2 of "Peril at End House" are these:

 

Plex accepts this as two segments from the same episode. So the name here adheres to Plex naming convention for episodes split into two files. 

After a Quick scan in TVR, the Scan shows this:

As you can see, the destination name that TVR strives to rename to, is the same for both filesr(The original name is what you see above - I just cut this segment of the table) When I run it, one of them is deleted. It ignores the fact that they are two segments of the same episode and both should be retained. (I don't expect this corner case to justify such a big change but formally this is a new column; Season, Episode and then Segment, where these parts are two different segments of S02E01. And deleting one of the parts is not the correct behavior.

I didn't find any place where the Add/Modify rules requester would show up. Please describe where that is.

[Steven K]

I believe this has been brought up several times over the years.  I could be wrong, but my understanding is that TVR doesn't support episodes broken up over multiple files.  Last time I requested it, I was told to add it to the ideas wall.

[Tom Snyder]

I worked on it for several hours and got very close but in the end I can't get it to do what I think you want it to do.  I think Steven is right.  TVR just doesn't support it.  My suggestion is to find the full 100 minute version of S02E01 somewhere and use that instead.  It's out there, I've seen it.

You asked where the Add/Modify Rules thingie is...  Click TV Shows > pick a show > pick a season > click Edit > click Add.  The old and new manuals explain most of the options.  Get the manuals at:

https://www.tvrename.com/manual/quickstart/   Old Manual

https://tv-rename.gitbook.io/tv-rename/   New Manual (not finished)

[Pontus Berg]

Thanks both of you.

Searching the group, I found an old post by myself:

https://groups.google.com/g/tvrename/c/eS0HcpcKQwM/m/kBTgDwdpAwAJ

Here Sparky indicates that there is a setting for multi part movie. Not sure if that it applicable also for multi part series episodes.

[Sparky53]

I got multipart movies working when adding movies a few years ago. 

This scenario does not work for TV Episodes though. The plex link above is the first time I've seen a formal specification for what rules can apply to TV Shows.

It's a deceptive amount of work, so please raise new Ideas for Features (or vote on existing ideas) on our features list.

[Pontus Berg]

Thanks for the feedback. For me it's a case that I have seen once, and I solved it by editing the series and just removing the check for that first episode. So it's a valid request as it CAN happen, but possibly not important enough to invest a lot of time into it. Quickfix - yes, but bigger investment - no. That time could be better spent with other features. Possibly mention it in the docs though.

(And I generally feel it's a good thing to have a small chat here before adding it to the wall of suggestions, to ensure that I don't suggest what's already there or I simply misunderstood).