They both insist on their own systems and both are wrong.

Is there anything around that does _not_ force a management system? I really just want a thing that primarily just tracks if I've seen a particular file, secondarily maybe let me control playback from a different device. Actually figuring out what media those files map to is a distant third.

	▲	pointlessone 12 hours ago \| parent [-]
		DLNA usually doesn’t force any system and more or less exposes fs. Some TVs natively have a client. Otherwise Kody or some other client app can be used to browse and play files.

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pointlessone 12 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As far as I can tell plex only wants separate folders for different kinds of media and file names that give at least some clue to what it is. Plex is much more lax.

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hparadiz 12 hours ago | parent [-]

The problem with Plex is that is has a very opinionated system that ignores how things are in real life.

One example I can point to is Stargate SG-1. Episode 1 is a two parter and depending on who you ask it's either Episode 1 and 2 or Episode 1 which causes all subsequent episode numbers to be thrown off by 1 depending on how you count.

This confusion is further complicated by the release order on DVD/Bluray, the order of airing, and the fact that all of these things can be different in different regions of the world.

And that's just one show.

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bananalychee 11 hours ago | parent | next [-]

That has more to do with TheTVDB than with Plex itself, and it's really nothing compared to what Jellyfin demands. Plex at least supports several different alternative directory structures and file naming schemes. In order to transition to Jellyfin I would have to rename thousands of files to comply to its specific requirements, whereas Plex was mostly okay with the way I had organized my files offline.

	▲	hparadiz 11 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Plex hasn't bothered to work on this in 15 years. It's been the same since I was in college and I'm almost 40.

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amazingamazing 11 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This is not really a big deal. If you want it organized arbitrarily put the files in other and it will be.

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hparadiz 11 hours ago | parent [-]

It's a big deal because there's no rhyme or reason why it's one way or another way in different series so when you ask your TV through voice command to "Play Season 3 Episode 2 of [Show] through Plex] and then your TV plays the wrong episode it becomes a big deal.

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amazingamazing 9 hours ago | parent [-]

Use your remote or organize your files accordingly such that the integration works

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hparadiz 9 hours ago | parent [-]

You are not listening. There is no way to make it work properly all the time.

	▲	amazingamazing an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Use remote and put everything in other, it will use your file directory organization. People, man.

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jauntywundrkind 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's astounding how much every single system out there fights and fights and fights against showing you your directories, as they are.

I started but didn't finish a Rygel + local-search (nee Tracker) plugin to try to finally get that. I wish the upnp media services were better. I keep telling myself I'll build a nice client/controller... Some day.

	▲	crtasm 11 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		It's one tickbox away in Jellyfin: Libraries > Display > Display a folder view to show plain media folders
	▲	_carbyau_ 12 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		What're the chances VLC will do what you want as both server and client?