I would like to create a Virtual Channel of ripped single performances of the Midnight Special. Each file is one song. All songs are in one folder. Is there any way to add them all without adding them one at a time? Any ideas appreciated.
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The easy way would be to import them as a Video group, but Virtual Channels only appears to work with Movies and TV Shows. If you could somehow import them as episodes of a TV Show it would work.
If Virtual Channels worked with Videos you could do this
Local Content
Video Sources
/imports/Video
With all the songs in a folder like
/imports/Video/Midnight Special
They would be imported into the video group Midnight Special which could be added
Virtual Channels works with Video Groups great. A lot of my virtual channels are sourced from them.
That might be a temporary solution, but I would like to store them on a different hard drive, rather than the SSD I use to record.
Did you have to import them, one file at a time?
You can import them directly from any directory they reside in.
No, the entire folder of videos are imported.
You can learn more in the documentation:
Just add that import directory
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That is what I originally did. I must be overlooking something. I will try again.
edit.
For some reason this folder isn't being added to the library. I will try to re-add it. I have other video's I have added without issue. I'm sure I will figure it out.
You have to point your import to one directory level above where you have your videos.
i.e. some_dir_path/Midnight Special
Point your video import to some_dir_path
Then when Channels DVR looks there it will see the folders you want imported as video groups
Your videos should be in a folder named for the video group name you want used when imported.
i.e. Midnight Special
Thanks I will remove it and re-add.
Thanks. That was the issue.
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Glad to hear.
Seems to be a common mistake with imports.
Documentation should be clearer with multiple real examples and screenshots if needed.
I was able to first add the folder to a Library Collection using the Channels App on the Apple TV. Then I went to the server, and added the newly created Library Collection, to the Virtual Channel.
I mean it is, but a lot of people just want to add a single show or group of videos. So they think, “let me just add this directory”. Which, if we made you do that for every show or group of videos, would be bananas. People just don’t read the documentation.
The point of imports is that you can import many things at once, so it has to be a rooted directory.
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Mind explaining how you did that?
I may be reading too much into the documentation, but everything I'm seeing says Library Collections can only contain Movies or TV Shows.
Library Collections
Library Collections allow you to create your own groups of movies or shows. Create a collection for Star Wars movies, Mom’s favorite shows, or 80’s Action movies.
Library Collections contain either Movies or TV Shows.
Does it specifically say you have to have a folder within a folder? I don't know because I didn't read the documentation. Haha.
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I completely understand importing. It's just that you have to reinvent the wheel every time you try to explain it to someone, vs. pointing to good documentation (written once) with real examples and screenshots that everyone (well, almost) can understand.
It's like trying to explain to someone how TVE works and why theirs isn't. Every time to every user that has issues.
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I still don't see a way to do what I did strictly with the web interface, because when you make a Library Collection, the only two options are from TV Shows or Movies. Mine was an imported Video folder.
For everyone that mistakes it, there are a huge amount of people that don’t. Our community isn’t representative of every Channels customer. In fact it’s skewed towards those having trouble, since it’s a community help forum.
It’s an understandable mistake for just the reason I explained. Most people aren’t looking to import a single thing, so that mistake isn’t made.
I understand that you mean well, but trust me when I say even more documentation isn’t going to prevent this mistake.
@Channels2021 even admitted he didn’t even read the documentation.
And to be clear we mention it, highlighted even:
Less is more with documentation.
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