I realize questions on split level are more common than bad analogies (sorry couldn't think of a good one).  I've read through the manual, FAQ, etc, and I think I'm starting to grasp split levels (although why this isn't easily implemented in a GUI is beyond me.)  If one of the many kind experts around here could just glance at my structure and confirm that I'm right, it would set my mind at ease:

Concert DVDs (Split Level 1--keep files for each DVD on same disk, but Bonnaroo Disc 1 and Disc 2 could be on different disks)

---Live at the Beacon

--- ---beacon.iso

---Bonnaroo Disc 1

--- ---VIDEO_TS

---Bonnaroo Disc 2

--- ---VIDEO_TS

 

Movies (SL 1, as above.  I suppose I could also use the alternate split level method and split on the string "VIDEO_TS" but that's seems more prone to unexpected results)

---12 Monkeys

--- ---VIDEO_TS

---40_YEAR_OLD_VIRGIN

--- ---VIDEO_TS

 

To Watch (SL VIDEO_TS.  Since some docs have multiple discs (and I don't like to keep them flat, the way I do Movies) but some do not, appears that I either have to not let unraid split discs of a multi-disc doc, or else fall back on the VIDEO_TS trick)

---Documentaries

--- ---Cane Toads

--- --- ---VIDEO_TS

--- ---Life

--- --- ---Disc 1

--- --- --- ---VIDEO_TS

---Movies

--- ---APPALOOSA

--- --- ---VIDEO_TS

--- ---Departed, The

--- --- ---VIDEO_TS

 

TV (SL VIDEO_TS)

---Arrested Development

--- ---S1D1

--- --- ---VIDEO_TS

---The Wire

--- ---_Watched

--- --- ---S1D1

--- --- --- ---VIDEO_TS

--- ---S1D2

--- --- ---VIDEO_TS

 

Actually, having written all that out, it seems like maybe I should just go with VIDEO_TS all around.  Could lead to "stray" cover images and such, and maybe stutters when browsing discs within a given series, but it's the only way that semi-automatically copes with my some what funky structure.  Has anyone else had success splitting video files on VIDEO_TS?

 

My music directory structure would open up another can of worms, but after testing this weekend, I'm going to keep my music on my local disk and just back it up online.  I use an autorate script that leads to frequents writes as it updates ratings, and unraid's just a bit too slow for my liking there, even with a cache disk.

 

Where did you read about using video_ts as the split level?

 

Why are you splitting TV shows into "_watched" directories? Why not break the disks down into individual episodes (named with the typical S01E01 structure) and use a program like Mediabrowser or XBMC to track watched episodes.

 

Peter

 

Where did you read about using video_ts as the split level?

 

Yes, please do share where you read about using the string "video_ts" as the numeric split level?

 

Got the link from the FAQ, IIRC: http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=3509.msg30684#msg30684

 

As for the _Watched thing.  I watch most episodes on my PC, with VLC, or else on my PS3 (via ps3mediaserver, though I haven't yet installed it on my new unraid server, so that's down for now.).  And I archive entire discs of TV shows, not just compressed versions of single episodes, b/c I'm, A, lazy, and, B, sometimes like special features.  I tried MediaBrowser in the past but wasn't thrilled with it--I think it didn't recognize a fair portion of my discs correctly and I didn't like the backend interface.

Seems like that would work. It should not lead to stray files either, since you'll create the VIDEO_TS directory and then any contents you put under it won't be split. Hmmm, maybe you mean these images and such go in the parent directory holding the VIDEO_TS directory in which case they could go stray.

 

You will see a problem with adding images or other metadata after the fact when you've filled a disk and then try to add the metadata for media on that disk. For example, disk1 is full and unRAID is using disk2. Since disk1 is full this new data goes to disk2.

 

FYI, specials and such are usually defined as season 0 episodes.

 

Peter

 

True, but only if that drive is REALLY full, since any metadata should consist of tiny files.

 

And yes, that's how such files could go astray.

By "filled the disk" I mean that unRAID considers the disk is full enough to move on to filling another disk. The disk could just be 50% full and the metadata will still not end up on it.

 

Peter

 

Ah, good point, I hadn't considered that.  Still getting used to how unraid handles drives/shares.