Multi-disc movies and nfo files

Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Printable Version

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Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Delan56 - 2020-08-12

I'm migrating my movie collection to a new server and using Kodi android on a Shield TV device. I have numerous movie sets (like Lord of the Rings) where the movies are split across 2 discs. I use disk image files, sometimes iso and sometimes TS_VIDEO. I set up separate nfo files for each disk image file which worked fine in Kodi 17. I got separate entries for each disc and I could set up sets the way I wanted. I figured using the same nfo files and changing the file locations to my new server would accomplish the same thing on Kodi android (V18.7).

Well, it doesn't. If I have 2 disc images for a movie and put them in the file structure using the naming convention as described in the wiki https://kodi.wiki/view/Naming_video_files/Movies section 5.1 I only get a movie entry for disc1. It doesn't recognized disc2. I have "combine split videos" set to off. Even with separate nfo files for each disc image file it doesn't work. I exported the movie database and used it to construct new nfo files, thinking that something might have changed, but that didn't work either.

I don't know what's going on or if I need to change some other settings in Kodi. I have several other sets of movies I'll need to setup in a similar fashion. I simply want each disc image to be recognized and listed as a separate entry as though they were independent movies. I don't want stacking or any other automatic linking between files. I saw that file stacking for iso files is currently broken - would this issue fall under that even though I don't want to use file stacking?

Any help would be appreciated.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Karellen - 2020-08-12

@Delan56

If you read the warning in section 5 of that link to the wiki you provided, it will tell you that feature is currently broken.

You would be best to convert your DVD Folder rips into mkv files (there is no loss) using MKVToolNix... https://mkvtoolnix.download/

Convert your two disks into separate mkv files, then drop those mkv files back into that program and join them so they become one file. (I have done that for my LOTR Extended Edition and it works fine)

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Delan56 - 2020-08-12

(2020-08-12, 03:54)Karellen Wrote: @Delan56

If you read the warning in section 5 of that link to the wiki you provided, it will tell you that feature is currently broken.

You would be best to convert your DVD Folder rips into mkv files (there is no loss) using MKVToolNix... https://mkvtoolnix.download/

Convert your two disks into separate mkv files, then drop those mkv files back into that program and join them so they become one file. (I have done that for my LOTR Extended Edition and it works fine)

The process I used in Kodi v17.4 was to make a separate nfo file that matched each iso file. So I had a file structure that looked like the following:

-Movies [folder]
---- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (2001) [folder]
-------- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (2001) disc1.iso
-------- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (2001) disc1.nfo
-------- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (2001) disc2.iso
-------- Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring (2001) disc2.nfo

I modified the nfo files so that the appropriate fields matched the filename. That gave me separate entries for each iso file. So, for example, I had "Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring disc1" and "Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring disc2" listed as two separate movie listings. Using the same process in Kodi V18.7 and I only get the disc1 listing.

I read the warning given in section 5 and it does not seem to apply to what I want to do. I do NOT want the files linked, joined, or stacked. I turned off the only switch I know about that enables stacking. I simply want each iso file to be treated as an independent disc. I also do not want to rip to mkv files. That loses the menu structure of the DVD which you have to recreate in some fashion. I want to view the DVD just as if I put it in a DVD player and watched it that way. This is the reason I use Kodi. If I wanted to rip all the video files to mkv files, figure out which ones are extras, deleted scenes, etc., then I'd use an mkv tool and Plex. That's a complete waste of time.

I don't understand why Kodi doesn't just read the nfo files, as it should, and treat each iso file independently. Is there some field in the nfo file I need to change? Is it something about the scrapper (using TMDB default)? Should I use some other file structure besides the one recommended or there are other settings I need to change?

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Karellen - 2020-08-12

(2020-08-12, 06:22)Delan56 Wrote: I do NOT want the files linked, joined, or stacked.

Ok but just spend a bit of time reading that section. If you did then you would realise that you have named them as if you do want them stacked.

You don't want them stacked, then don't use the default stacking extensions. There is a table there.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - jjd-uk - 2020-08-12

The setting "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not to any of the Library views which have always automatically stacked if a stack pattern is identified. If that didn't happen for you with v17 then perhaps it was broken and someone has now fixed it. If you don't want them stacked then you'll have to adjust the stacking regex see https://kodi.wiki/view/Advancedsettings.xml#moviestacking

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Delan56 - 2020-08-13

(2020-08-12, 07:12)Karellen Wrote:
(2020-08-12, 06:22)Delan56 Wrote: I do NOT want the files linked, joined, or stacked.
Ok but just spend a bit of time reading that section. If you did then you would realise that you have named them as if you do want them stacked.

You don't want them stacked, then don't use the default stacking extensions. There is a table there.

I read the section several times. It specifically states that if you want the stacking function enabled then you must enable the feature "Combine split video items." Therefore, if you don't enable that feature then stacking shouldn't happen.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Delan56 - 2020-08-13

(2020-08-12, 10:35)jjd-uk Wrote: The setting "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not to any of the Library views which have always automatically stacked if a stack pattern is identified. If that didn't happen for you with v17 then perhaps it was broken and someone has now fixed it. If you don't want them stacked then you'll have to adjust the stacking regex see https://kodi.wiki/view/Advancedsettings.xml#moviestacking

Perhaps it was broken in V17. But there is no mention that "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not library view.

I don't want to modify any of the Kodi XML files. While I have some 20+ years as a software engineer (and UI designer) I'm certainly capable of digging into the guts of Kodi and messing with stuff. But experience has taught me that when you do that you better not upgrade your software version because the developers may have relied on the original XML files or changed them to suite new features or fix obscure bugs, which could break your changes or break the new version of the software. So I like to work with what's given to me. And what is given is that the nfo file is presented as though it overrides any other treatment (scraping, etc.) of the movie file.

That being said, what solved my issue is not using any of the stacking extensions to the movie files. So instead of "disc1" or "disc2" I used "D1" and "D2" and changed the names in the nfo file as appropriate. This gave me the individual file listings I want. But Kodi still automatically created a set. This was OK for my purposes but goes back to why there is automatic treatment of the movie files that overrides the nfo file in terms of certain features.

It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that the nfo file is what tells Kodi not only where to get online info for the movie but also how to use it within Kodi. If there's no nfo file Kodi does it's thing internally according to UI specified settings. But if there is an nfo file it should override everything else because the user is saying "I want this movie file to be processed in this way."

This is just my 2 cents. Thanks for the replies and they helped me get to where I wanted.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Karellen - 2020-08-13

(2020-08-13, 20:00)Delan56 Wrote: specifically states that if you want the stacking function enabled then you must enable the feature "Combine split video items."

Thanks, you spotted a mistake. I will fix it now.

(2020-08-13, 20:28)Delan56 Wrote: But Kodi still automatically created a set.

If it did, then that is because you have the <set></set> tags in your nfo files.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - jjd-uk - 2020-08-13

(2020-08-13, 20:28)Delan56 Wrote: But there is no mention that "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not library view.

Yes there is here https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/Media/Videos#Combine_split_video_items

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Delan56 - 2020-08-14

(2020-08-13, 21:28)Karellen Wrote:
(2020-08-13, 20:00)Delan56 Wrote: specifically states that if you want the stacking function enabled then you must enable the feature "Combine split video items."
Thanks, you spotted a mistake. I will fix it now.

(2020-08-13, 20:28)Delan56 Wrote: But Kodi still automatically created a set.
If it did, then that is because you have the <set></set> tags in your nfo files.

No, there were no nfo files for the movies. Kodi is automatically creating a Collection (set) entry in the library list for movies that are a part of a series, even if you only have one movie in that series. For example, I have the one movie "Cars" and when it was scraped I got the entry "The Cars Collection" with that one movie in the collection. Maybe a set is different from a collection? When I want a group of movies to be put in a library collection I do use the <set> tags with nfo files and the library entries are listed in the same manner as a collection, only with the collection name as I specified within the <set> tags.

This automatic collection creation has happened numerous times both with single movies and movies that one would be inclined to put in a collection - such as the Indiana Jones movies which I entered as separate files with no corresponding nfo files but were listed in a collection in the library.

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - Karellen - 2020-08-14

(2020-08-14, 03:46)Delan56 Wrote: Kodi is automatically creating a Collection (set) entry in the library list for movies that are a part of a series, even if you only have one movie in that series

Of course, that is what its meant to do. It downloads the data from TheMovieDB, and if that site says it is part of a collection, well Kodi is not going to argue they are wrong. Wink

Cars is part of a collection of three movies.

Set and Collection are the same.

Use the Movie Set Editor to edit your collections... https://kodi.wiki/view/Movie_sets

Disable setting 3.3.1 here... https://kodi.wiki/view/Settings/Media/Videos#Library

RE: Multi-disc movies and nfo files - DubbyMcDubs - 2020-09-21

(2020-08-13, 20:28)Delan56 Wrote:
(2020-08-12, 10:35)jjd-uk Wrote: The setting "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not to any of the Library views which have always automatically stacked if a stack pattern is identified. If that didn't happen for you with v17 then perhaps it was broken and someone has now fixed it. If you don't want them stacked then you'll have to adjust the stacking regex see https://kodi.wiki/view/Advancedsettings.xml#moviestacking

Perhaps it was broken in V17. But there is no mention that "Combine split video items" only applies to File view and not library view.

I don't want to modify any of the Kodi XML files. While I have some 20+ years as a software engineer (and UI designer) I'm certainly capable of digging into the guts of Kodi and messing with stuff. But experience has taught me that when you do that you better not upgrade your software version because the developers may have relied on the original XML files or changed them to suite new features or fix obscure bugs, which could break your changes or break the new version of the software. So I like to work with what's given to me. And what is given is that the nfo file is presented as though it overrides any other treatment (scraping, etc.) of the movie file.

That being said, what solved my issue is not using any of the stacking extensions to the movie files. So instead of "disc1" or "disc2" I used "D1" and "D2" and changed the names in the nfo file as appropriate. This gave me the individual file listings I want. But Kodi still automatically created a set. This was OK for my purposes but goes back to why there is automatic treatment of the movie files that overrides the nfo file in terms of certain features.

It seems to me, and I may be wrong, that the nfo file is what tells Kodi not only where to get online info for the movie but also how to use it within Kodi. If there's no nfo file Kodi does it's thing internally according to UI specified settings. But if there is an nfo file it should override everything else because the user is saying "I want this movie file to be processed in this way."

This is just my 2 cents. Thanks for the replies and they helped me get to where I wanted.

Thanks for posting about this issue. I am trying to achieve the same thing myself for movies like Lawrence of Arabia 4K and Gandhi 4k. Would you mind posting the code in the nfo files you had success with?