Default Subtitles not Working

[Menissalt 13]

I have multiple shows with internal subs that are flagged as default properly, Emby recognizes them as default, LAV is set to default, and my personal settings are set to play default tracks regardless of language.

 

Can anybody shed some light as to why subtitles still aren't playing? I would rather not have to go back and remux them all as forced as some might not want subtitles or prefer other languages. 

[ebr 14904]

The play default track regardless of language pertains to audio tracks not subtitles.

 

Have you checked the "Always play subtitles" box?

[Luke 37010]

In addition, for media playback issues, please see how to report a problem so that we can best help you. Thanks.

[Menissalt 13]

The play default track regardless of language pertains to audio tracks not subtitles.

 

Have you checked the "Always play subtitles" box?

 

 You nailed it, I just needed to look down one more row. I feel dumb. Changed from forced to default and all is good.

 

[Menissalt 13]

Bringing this back up since this didn't fix my issue. I have many shows that are of 'unknown' or 'English' audio with subs recognized as 'default' that aren't being played with this setting. Subs will only play for some files that have default subs when 'Subtitle mode' is set to 'Default'. if I want to use subtitles 'Subtitle mode' has to be set to 'Always play subtitles' which doesn't work because I don't want subs on everything just videos with a 'Default' sub track.

[Angelblue05 4130]

In the webclient, can you grab the media info of a file that doesn't play default subtitles, when it should? Just to have an idea of what the server is doing compared to the media info provided.

 

Automatic detection of audio and subtitles tracks for preset behaviors will always be fragile. If you want it to work 100%, you will actually have to flag tracks appropriately. It is a lot of manual work.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Angelblue05

[Menissalt 13]

That's what I'm saying though, the tracks are flagged as default and even recognized as default by Emby.

Video
CodecH264
ProfileHigh
Level40
Resolution1280x720
Aspect ratio16:9
AnamorphicNo
InterlacedNo
Framerate23.976
Bitrate1856 kbps
Bit depth8 bit
Pixel formatyuv420p
Ref frames6
CABACYes
Audio
CodecAAC
ProfileLC
Layoutstereo
Channels2 ch
Sample rate44100 khz
DefaultYes
Subtitle
CodecASS
DefaultYes
ForcedNo
ExternalNo
Containermkv

The issue seems to be when the language is unknown or English. I want to always play the default track. This helps with Anime and English content with foreign parts. Similar to the audio setting "Play default audio track regardless of language".

Edited December 20, 2015 by Menissalt

[ebr 14904]

Bringing this back up since this didn't fix my issue. I have many shows that are of 'unknown' or 'English' audio with subs recognized as 'default' that aren't being played with this setting. Subs will only play for some files that have default subs when 'Subtitle mode' is set to 'Default'. if I want to use subtitles 'Subtitle mode' has to be set to 'Always play subtitles' which doesn't work because I don't want subs on everything just videos with a 'Default' sub track.

 

I don't think that word means what you think it means...

 

The use of the term "Default" in that context means to use the default behavior of our system.  Which would be to only play subs for movies who's audio track is different from the default language you've set.  We don't have a setting to always play the default sub stream I don't believe.

[Menissalt 13]

That would make sense then. Could we get that option? I have many files that don't play subs when they should because they're flagged for default rather than forced, which is the way most people will encode I believe.

 

This wouldn't be too much of an issue if streams didn't start from the beginning when you throw on subs or if casting to devices worked with toggling on subs.

[Luke 37010]

We can add these types of settings although it will not be possible to enforce them everywhere. For example, in direct play scenarios, the client-side video player handles the file directly and you can't always predict how it's going to react to files that aren't tagged appropriately. And we don't always have the ability to tell the player on the device to switch to a certain track. So what will end up happening is, we'll add the setting and then you'll come back and say why is it working in app A but not app B. That's why it's always best to fix the source of the problem which is the file itself.

[Menissalt 13]

The files are correct. The tracks are flagged as default. This is how people encode files for subtitle with foreign audio. They don't flagged forced, they flag default. In direct play situations video players play the default track unless you specify otherwise. Emby does not play the default track unless your default language is 1. Known and 2. The known language is different from your preferred language. 

 

Example 1:

Anime with unknown audio and a a default flagged sub track. It plays the default audio but no subs.

 

Example 2:

TV/Movies in English and a sub track flagged default for foreign parts. It plays the default audio (English) but no subs.

 

Example 3:

TV/Movie in a known language other than English and a sub track flagged default. Play both default audio and default subs.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Menissalt

[ebr 14904]

If "Default" is always supposed to play then what is "Forced"?

 

I believe what you think should be happening for Default is actually the intention of Forced.

 

Presumably, any video with sub tracks would always have one of them as a default.

[Menissalt 13]

The setting for Forced (not the flag) will force subtitles to be played regardless of the subtitles flag. So if I have a sub flagged default, yes it would play. However if I have subs with no flags it will still play the subs.