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Add Media Items

ErsatzTV needs to know about your media items in order to create channels. Four library kinds are currently supported: Local, Plex, Jellyfin and Emby.

ErsatzTV supports a subset of media kinds when synchronizing from media servers, i.e. Plex, Jellyfin and Emby only support Movies and Shows. Local Libraries support all media kinds: Movies, Shows, Music Videos, Other Videos and Songs.

Local Libraries​

Local libraries provide a way to schedule media directly from folders; no media server is necessary.

Metadata​

With local libraries, ErsatzTV will read metadata from NFO files, falling back to a minimal amount of metadata if NFO files are not found.

Add Libraries​

ErsatzTV provides four local libraries by default, one for each supported media kind: Movies, Shows, Music Videos, Other Videos and Songs. Additional libraries can be added under Media Sources > Local.

Add Media Items​

To add media items to a local library under Media Sources > Local, click the edit button for the library:

Local Libraries Edit Icon

In the Path field, enter the path where your media files of the appropriate kind are stored:

Add Local Library Path

Finally, click Add Path.

When you have added all of your media paths, click Save Changes and ErsatzTV will scan and import your media items.

Plex Libraries​

Plex libraries provide a way to synchronize your media (metadata) from Plex to ErsatzTV. This synchronization process is one-way: changes made within Plex are synchronized to ErsatzTV. ErsatzTV will never make any modifications to your Plex configuration or media.

Metadata​

With Plex libraries, Plex provides all metadata.

Add Media Items​

Sign In​

To add media items from Plex, under Media Sources > Plex click the Sign in to Plex button and sign in with your Plex account.

Synchronize Libraries​

After signing in, select which libraries you would like to synchronize from Plex to ErsatzTV by clicking the Edit Libraries button for the desired Plex server.

Plex Edit Libraries Icon

In the libraries listing, click the Synchronize switch for all libraries you would like to synchronize from Plex to ErsatzTV, and click the Save Changes button to start the synchronization process.

Plex Libraries Synchronize Switch

Streaming From Disk​

Media items are streamed from Plex media sources by default. Instead, if you would like to stream from disk, ErsatzTV will check for media items using the same path that Plex uses to play the media item. There are two ways to make this work:

  1. Ensure ErsatzTV has access to exactly the same shares and mounts as Plex
  2. Configure path replacements to tell ErsatzTV where it should look on its file system for a given Plex folder

Option 1 is recommended as it will "just work" without any further configuration.

To configure path replacements for a Plex media source, click the Edit Path Replacements button in the

Plex Edit Path Replacements Icon

Click Add Path Replacement to add a new path replacement, and enter the Plex Path along with the equivalent Local Path for ErsatzTV. Click Save Changes after you have created all needed path replacements.

Plex Path Replacements

Jellyfin Libraries​

Jellyfin libraries provide a way to synchronize your media (metadata) from Jellyfin to ErsatzTV. This synchronization process is one-way: changes made within Jellyfin are synchronized to ErsatzTV. ErsatzTV will never make any modifications to your Jellyfin configuration or media.

Metadata​

With Jellyfin libraries, Jellyfin provides all metadata.

Add Media Items​

Connect to Server​

Connecting to a Jellyfin server requires two settings: the server address and an api key.

Server Address​

The server address is the address that you type in your web browser to access your Jellyfin server.

API Key​

To create a Jellyfin API Key, from the Admin / Dashboard in Jellyfin, select Advanced / API Keys and click the + button near the top.

Jellyfin Create API Key Button

Give the API Key a name like ErsatzTV and click Ok. The API key is then displayed.

Jellyfin API Key

Configuration​

Finally, in ErsatzTV, under Media Sources > Jellyfin click the Connect Jellyfin button, enter the Address and Api Key and click Save Changes to connect to your Jellyfin server.

Synchronize Libraries​

After connecting, select which libraries you would like to synchronize from Jellyfin to ErsatzTV by clicking the Edit Libraries button for the desired Jellyfin server.

Jellyfin Edit Libraries Icon

In the libraries listing, click the Synchronize switch for all libraries you would like to synchronize from Jellyfin to ErsatzTV, and click the Save Changes button to start the synchronization process.

Jellyfin Libraries Synchronize Switch

Streaming From Disk​

Media items are streamed from Jellyfin media sources by default. Instead, if you would like to stream from disk, ErsatzTV will check for media items using the same path that Jellyfin uses to play the media item. There are two ways to make this work:

  1. Ensure ErsatzTV has access to exactly the same shares and mounts as Jellyfin
  2. Configure path replacements to tell ErsatzTV where it should look on its file system for a given Jellyfin folder

Option 1 is recommended as it will "just work" without any further configuration.

To configure path replacements for a Jellyfin media source, click the Edit Path Replacements button in the

Jellyfin Edit Path Replacements Icon

Click Add Path Replacement to add a new path replacement, and enter the Jellyfin Path along with the equivalent Local Path for ErsatzTV. Click Save Changes after you have created all needed path replacements.

Jellyfin Path Replacements

Emby Libraries​

Emby libraries provide a way to synchronize your media (metadata) from Emby to ErsatzTV. This synchronization process is one-way: changes made within Emby are synchronized to ErsatzTV. ErsatzTV will never make any modifications to your Emby configuration or media.

Metadata​

With Emby libraries, Emby provides all metadata.

Add Media Items​

Connect to Server​

Connecting to a Emby server requires two settings: the server address and an api key.

Server Address​

The server address is the address that you type in your web browser to access your Emby server.

API Key​

To create a Emby API Key, from the Admin / Manage Emby Server in Emby, select Advanced / API Keys and click the + New Api Key button near the top.

Emby Create API Key Button

Give the API Key a name like ErsatzTV and click Ok. The API key is then displayed.

Emby API Key

Configuration​

Finally, in ErsatzTV, under Media Sources > Emby click the Connect Emby button, enter the Address and Api Key and click Save Changes to connect to your Emby server.

Synchronize Libraries​

After connecting, select which libraries you would like to synchronize from Emby to ErsatzTV by clicking the Edit Libraries button for the desired Emby server.

Emby Edit Libraries Icon

In the libraries listing, click the Synchronize switch for all libraries you would like to synchronize from Emby to ErsatzTV, and click the Save Changes button to start the synchronization process.

Emby Libraries Synchronize Switch

Streaming From Disk​

Media items are streamed from Emby media sources by default. Instead, if you would like to stream from disk, ErsatzTV will check for media items using the same path that Emby uses to play the media item. There are two ways to make this work:

  1. Ensure ErsatzTV has access to exactly the same shares and mounts as Emby
  2. Configure path replacements to tell ErsatzTV where it should look on its file system for a given Emby folder

Option 1 is recommended as it will "just work" without any further configuration.

To configure path replacements for a Emby media source, click the Edit Path Replacements button in the

Emby Edit Path Replacements Icon

Click Add Path Replacement to add a new path replacement, and enter the Emby Path along with the equivalent Local Path for ErsatzTV. Click Save Changes after you have created all needed path replacements.

Emby Path Replacements