Importing VOD and Series Content

This guide covers how to import Movies (VOD) and TV Series from your Emby or Jellyfin media server into M3U Editor playlists.

Prerequisites

Before you can import content, you must:

  1. Complete the initial setup to configure your Emby/Jellyfin connection
  2. Create at least one playlist in M3U Editor to import content into
  3. Ensure your media libraries are properly configured in Emby/Jellyfin

After the initial import into your playlists, additional syncs can be performed directly against the playlist to keep content up-to-date.

Importing Movies (VOD)

Follow these steps to import movies from your Emby or Jellyfin library:

Step 1: Navigate to VOD Channels

  1. Go to Channels & VOD → VOD Channels
  2. Click Sync from Emby (or Sync from Jellyfin depending on your server)

Step 2: Select Source Library

  1. In the Emby Library dropdown, select your Movies library
  2. This will display all movies available in that library

Step 3: Choose Target Playlist

  1. In the Playlist dropdown, select the playlist you want to import the content into
  2. This playlist must already exist in M3U Editor

Step 4: Configure Import Options

Choose your desired VOD import options:

  • Use Direct File Paths: When enabled, uses direct file paths instead of Emby/Jellyfin streaming URLs
    • Requires file system access from the M3U Editor server
    • Not commonly used unless you have specific requirements
  • Auto-enable Channels: Automatically enables imported channels
    • When disabled, imported content will need to be manually enabled
  • Import Groups from Genres: Creates groups based on Emby/Jellyfin genres
    • Uses the genre handling preference from Settings
    • Allows content to appear in multiple genre-based groups

Step 5: Start Import

  1. Click Sync Now to begin the import process
  2. Wait for the sync to complete
  3. Review the imported content in your selected playlist

Importing TV Series

Follow these steps to import TV series from your Emby or Jellyfin library:

Step 1: Navigate to Series Channels

  1. Go to Channels & VOD → Series Channels
  2. Click Sync from Emby (or Sync from Jellyfin depending on your server)

Step 2: Select Source Library

  1. In the Emby Library dropdown, select your TV Shows or Series library
  2. This will display all series available in that library

Step 3: Choose Target Playlist

  1. In the Playlist dropdown, select the playlist you want to import the series into
  2. This playlist must already exist in M3U Editor
  3. Important: Select a playlist designated for series content

Step 4: Configure Import Options

Choose your desired series import options:

  • Use Direct File Paths: When enabled, uses direct file paths instead of Emby/Jellyfin streaming URLs
    • Requires file system access from the M3U Editor server
    • Not commonly used unless you have specific requirements
  • Auto-enable Channels: Automatically enables imported series
    • When disabled, imported content will need to be manually enabled
  • Import Groups from Genres: Creates categories based on Emby/Jellyfin genres
    • Uses the genre handling preference from Settings
    • Allows series to appear in multiple genre-based categories

Step 5: Start Import

  1. Click Sync Now to begin the import process
  2. Wait for the sync to complete
  3. Review the imported series in your selected playlist

Post-Import Management

Re-syncing Content

To sync updates from your media server:

  1. Go to Channels & VOD → VOD Channels (or Series Channels)
  2. Select the same library and playlist combination
  3. Click Sync Now to update the playlist with any changes

The Emby/Jellyfin sync is a manual operation. To keep content up-to-date, you’ll need to periodically run the sync process from Channels & VOD as described above.

The sync process will:

  • Add new content that has been added to your media server
  • Remove content that has been deleted from your media server (only content originally imported from Emby/Jellyfin)
  • Update metadata for existing content
  • Preserve any manual additions or modifications you’ve made to the playlist

Change Detection

The sync system uses batch tracking to detect changes:

  • Each sync creates a new batch identifier
  • Content from previous syncs that no longer exists in your media server is automatically removed
  • Only content originally imported from Emby/Jellyfin is affected
  • Manual additions and content from other sources are preserved

Troubleshooting

No Content Appears After Import

  1. Verify your Emby/Jellyfin connection in Settings → General
  2. Check that the selected library contains content
  3. Ensure the API key has appropriate permissions
  4. Review the application logs for any error messages

Content Not Updating

  1. Check the Last Synced timestamp in your playlist settings
  2. Verify automatic syncing is enabled if desired
  3. Manually trigger a sync to force an update
  4. Ensure your media server is accessible

Duplicate Content

Duplicate content will appear if you enable “Multi-Genre Handling” with the “All Genres - Content appears in all applicable genres” option selected.

  1. Check if you’ve imported the same library multiple times
  2. Review your genre handling settings
  3. Consider using the cleanup options in playlist settings

Best Practices

  1. Separate Playlists: Use separate playlists for Movies and TV Series for better organization
  2. Genre Organization: Enable genre-based grouping for easier content discovery
  3. Regular Syncing: Set up automatic syncing to keep content current
  4. Test First: Start with a small library to test the import process before importing large collections
  5. Monitor Logs: Check application logs after imports to ensure everything processed correctly