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[claytonpatrick]

I could find nothing on this issue in the forum. I've tried editing the tag information in some files in Media Center 24, and it seems to "take" my changes for a while, at least. But when I restart the program the next day my changes have disappeared, and it has reverted to some kind of automatic tag information MC24 seems to have taken from the file name. How do I get it to allow me to edit the tags?
   Later -- I'm getting a little clearer on what is going on. Finally tweaked enough Options settings to get it to save the modifications I have made (but just to the MC24 library database). Learned that the file must be in the MC24 Library or the changes won't last. (I have never had it automatically add to the library because I have so many files on so many hard drives, it would take forever. I usually just navigate to the appropriate drive and folder for what I want to hear/see, and without adding the file to the library.
   And I've also discovered that -- at least the way it is set now -- it will NEVER save the tag to the actual file (at least for mp4 files), even though I have the "Save in file tags (when possible)" box checked in the relevant fields in "Manage Library Fields" dialog.
   And when I change a tag using another program designed solely to modify tags, like MP3Tag, MC24 will NOT read that tag info, but displays only the tag info it has in its own database. I'm guessing MC24 is behaving this way because the file has to be completely re-written to the disk when the tag information in the file is changed, and for a video file, that can take a little while (maybe up to 30 seconds).
   ANYWAY, if I'm missing something obvious, will someone please tell me?  Thanks!

[Spike1000]

   And when I change a tag using another program designed solely to modify tags, like MP3Tag, MC24 will NOT read that tag info, but displays only the tag info it has in its own database.

You have to re-import into MC if you make tag changes to files outside MC.
I do this all the time. The re-import reads any changed tag info and writes this to its own database. Note: I don't have any 'tag on import' rules set; if you do this could override the tags in the files (I don't do this this so I'm not 100% sure if this is the case.)

Note: If you have a client/server install of MC tag changes won't stick if you edit tags on the client unless you use 'authentication'. Edit them on the server (master) until you're familiar with the whole process.

Re-reading what you've written, I think you may be omitting the re-import part; doing that should help a lot. Try it and reply back with your findings.

Some videos in my footer may help in getting you started.


Spike

[marko]

You have to re-import into MC if you make tag changes to files outside MC.

If the files are in folders that are in MC's auto import settings, and, if the option to "Update tags when file info changes" is set (which it is by default), then it should not be necessary to re-import.

For example, if I use the MediaHuman lyrics finder app, it dumps the lyrics in the file's [Lyrics] tag, and inside a minute, MC has automatically updated the lyrics in its library.

When it comes to changing an existing tag, I'm not so sure mind you, but, rather than re-import, what you would do is select those files that were changed, right click, Library Tools, Update library from tags.

Also, I agree with you... my first thought when I read claytonpatrick's post was that this could be a client/server thing going on...

-marko

[marko]

aaand... just caught this at the end of the OP...

I'm guessing MC24 is behaving this way because the file has to be completely re-written to the disk when the tag information in the file is changed, and for a video file, that can take a little while (maybe up to 30 seconds).

MC uses xml sidecar files to store video tags. It saves them beside the file. Now, I'm not as fluent with MC and video, I like that it 'just works' for me, however, my understanding is, that once that xml file is created, that is where tags are saved from thereon in, and MC will not parse the file tags again.

I might be wrong about that... someone will correct me if I am

[claytonpatrick]

Thank you Marko and Spike. Greatly appreciated. Obviously I'm new to this. And FYI, I am not using MC in a server/client situation.
     My first problem, which I fixed by the time I added what I wrote after "Later," was that I did NOT have the files imported at all. (I have four hard drives on this desktop, and often add others via USB, and I didn't want MC searching through ALL of those hard drives with the auto import -- so I turned it completely off.)
     And I thought tags were always changed on the file itself, and I was wrong about that also. So, thanks again! Clay

[MusicHawk]

Re many files on many drives, you'll probably find more to like, and tap much more of the power of MC, if you get all those files into MC's database (library). A big Import is a one-time job, but runs amazingly fast because MC only has to store in the database each file's physical location, then read its metadata block and store any tags it finds.

[RoderickGI]

If the files are in folders that are in MC's auto import settings, and, if the option to "Update tags when file info changes" is set (which it is by default), then it should not be necessary to re-import.

Oops. Wrong setting. The "Update tags when file info changes" updates tags in the media files when something is changed in the MC Library, so the other way around. https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Update_Tags_When_File_Info_Changes
Ref: Discussion here: https://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php/topic,115426.msg801358.html#msg801358

But the correct setting is in the Auto Import configuration, and is the "Update for external changes" setting. Which means Auto Import needs to be set up to look in the appropriate directories, and running automatically, or get run manually, for tag changes in the media files to be reflected in the MC Library. So a re-import isn't required, but Auto Import needs to run, as it does the detection of file changes.


Clay, Auto Import will only look in the locations that you tell it to, so during initial configuration you could easily add one drive at a time to break a large job down to several smaller jobs. But as MusicHawk says, it is fast and efficient. Set it up. Turn it on.

However, also note that when you first install MC with no Library in place, it will try to read everything on your PC and import it. If you saw that you should have stopped it before the 45 second countdown in the Action Window (bottom left corner) finished. If that global import did run and import some stuff, you may want to delete the unwanted records from the Library, or clear the Library and set up MC again. I can't remember if clearing the Library removes settings, so Backup the Library first, in case you want to Restore it and get everything back.

Also, as you add and remove USB drive with media files on them, you should set the "Fix broken Links" setting to "No" or "Yes (protect files on missing drives)". I prefer the later.

[Spike1000]

My first problem, which I fixed by the time I added what I wrote after "Later," was that I did NOT have the files imported at all. (I have four hard drives on this desktop, and often add others via USB, and I didn't want MC searching through ALL of those hard drives with the auto import -- so I turned it completely off.)

That'd do it  Glad you've got to the bottom of it.

The 'power' of MC really comes from importing of media file meta data into its database. The files don't have to all be in the same place/drive. As noted you don't have to import a whole drive - you can specify specific folders - but you need to import them.

Maybe it's time to look at your media collection and start to structure it (ie remove some of the drives) involved. Technically you don't have to; MC can cope with drives 'not being present' eg removed USB ones but it might 'just be easier'. Huge drives are very cheap! (Use the other drives for your backups?)

You could start with a new (say) M:\Media\Audio drive add a few media files. Import that into MC and start to explore MC from there. .

Just my 2p.

Spike