HDHR Extend, transcoding, and confusion

General Support / Questions Metadata and Renaming
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1

I have two HDHR Extends which are set to transcode to High Quality. This was originally set this way for the Plex DVR (which I have abandoned). My goal, and it’s only partly realized, is for the recordings to end up on Plex as TV Shows that I can watch with either a Roku or an Amazon Fire device. I can do this now by instructing MCB to transcode to mp4 Normal. The video is fine, as is the audio. What’s goofed up is the metadata because Plex has no idea how to categorize the file. I have to look through all the recordings to find what I recorded. And, yes, I followed the Plex naming format as described in their user guide. But… I read on another post that converting to anything other than .ts blows away the metadata. So… the HDHR transcodes to a .ts. It’s big, and both the Amazon and Roku devices buffer when playing it. Will it keep the metadata? Will Plex like it?

What I’m asking for is maybe a hint as to the best combination of tuner setting and transcode setting on MCB so that I the files end up with the proper title and season info digestible by Plex. Perhaps there is no perfect solution. We can live with the mp4 and hunt for the recording. I just wanted a set-it-and-forget-it system. Seamless. No fuss. Luckily, my wife is tech savvy and can put up with the foibles.

3

I think you’re confusing two separate concepts:

  1. HDHR stores and retrieves the metadata only in MPG files. This is a HDHR proprietary format for storing the metadata which is not supported by any other player (Plex etc). MCEBuddy supports reading and writing this metadata format. So the correct statements here are:
    • If you convert from MPG to non MPG format, HDHR will no longer be able to read the metadata from the converted file (MCEBuddy will save the metadata in other file formats also)
    • If you retain the MPG format as your output format, only HDHR will be able to read the metadata from the file
  2. Once the metadata is read by MCEBuddy it can be saved in different formats. So if you’re converting from MPG to MP4, here are the options
    • MCEBuddy can write the metadata into the MP4 file, this can be read by Plex and other players (but not HDHR)
    • You can instruct MCEBuddy to save/write the metadata to a NFO file (XMBC format) which also can be read by some players (I think Plex has limited support for NFO files)

Hope this helps

6

Plex does not use .nfo files, per the Plex developers. They have said they don’t plan to as well. However, Kodi/Emby does use .nfo files.