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Roku Selecting Audio and Subtitle Tracks


leebo

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This is my first post in these forums. I usually post in the AVS forums, but somebody suggested I post here for this issue.

 

Is there some special way to get the ROKU "channel" of MB to display the language for audio and subs?

 

I used Handbrake to convert a Blu-ray to Mkv with four audio tracks (6.1, 2 ch, Spanish, etc.) and two subtitle tracks(Eng. and Spanish). Although I could choose between them, it did not display which ones they were. I had to restart the movie four times, trying a different track each time b4 finding the correct ones. This means watching the various studio logos, and waiting for the first spoken word. There does not appear to be a setting for that in the Roku client.

 

When I play the files on my pc using VLC, the languages do show up, so it's easy to know which one to select.

 

Also, the subs in a regular DVD (Pans Labyrinth), which display nice in VLC, looked bad in MB on the Roku. I have no idea what format the subs are in as Handbrake simply includes them in the single file that is created.

 

The pq was good however.

 

Thanks for any tips.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Can you give me an example of what it shows now? Also what does it show on other clients (if your using any other and if not that is fine too, just trying to compare)?

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I have to go by memory right now because it's late here and I cannot use the Roku at the moment (I will check it tomorrow.

 

I am new to MB and so far only have the Roku client. It looks very close to the screen shot you posted, except without the language format. I do not know any way to get a screen shot from the Roku.

 

It does show how many channels, and I think the audio type, just not what language it is in. Subs I think only have one check button for each track, nothing else.

 

Maybe I can shoot an image of the TV screen and upload that?

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Yeah, best way if it isn't side-loaded (and it isn't if your installed from the Roku store) is to just take your phone and take a picture of the screen. A screenshot of the details page of the movie from the web client. Goto the server and browse your library until you find the movie. The data under the Details section. It should look like this:

 

Details
Video:eng • h264 • 1920x1080 • 16:9 • 30388 kbps
Audio:eng • DTS-HD MA • 5.1 • 1536 kbps • Default
Audio:eng • DTS • 5.1 • 1536 kbps

One with subs might look like:

 

Video:eng • h264 • 1920x1080 • 16:9 • 25525 kbps
Audio:eng • DTS-HD MA • 5.1 • 1536 kbps • Default
Audio:eng • DTS • 5.1 • 1536 kbps
Subtitle:eng • pgssub
Edited by gcw07
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I will look around. I need to learn which forums are the correct one's to post about which issues. Also, I think Handbrake may have their own forums.

 

Btw, what I meant about not being able to add language info in audio tracks is, sometimes after scanning a source file (at least from a Bluray source), then selecting different audio tracks to include in the conversion, there is no language title for the tracks. There is a drop down box for selecting the language name, but it seems to always be greyed out. So that info isn't passed into the new mkv file. Obviously MB can't display what isn't there.

 

I will wait and hope for some info update on the subtitle issue.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Yeah, best way if it isn't side-loaded (and it isn't if your installed from the Roku store) is to just take your phone and take a picture of the screen. A screenshot of the details page of the movie from the web client. Goto the server and browse your library until you find the movie. The data under the Details section. It should look like this:

 

I have more info, but I also have to make an admission.

 

But first, a question: re getting to the details page. Am I supposed to do this from the Roku? Because I could not find anything that said "Details". It may not matter however.

 

Apparently I got so frustrated when trying to select an audio track and subs, I constructed a false memory of the track languages displaying in VLC. I checked that movie this morning, and the languages do not display there either. It must have been some issue with Handbrake.

 

The movie was the Blu-ray edition of Elysium. What also threw me off is that the first five minutes of so are in Spanish, regardless of which audio track is selected.

 

Now for the more info part. Subs from Blu-ray sourced files never display in MB on the Roku. I will do more testing, but here's what I've seen so far:

 

Elysium (From BR): I can select different subs, but none actually display. Since the first few mins of the movie are in Spanish, I thought I could not select different audio tracks. Had I tried different chapters, I would have realized I actually had changed tracks. So not even English subs during the Spanish scenes.

 

Captain America (From BR): Languages do show up as expected. I can switch between them. Subs do not display even though selected.

 

Pans Labrynth (From DVD): Subs did display (the entire movie is in Spanish). I decided the reason the subs look crappy, is because they are crappy. rechecking in VLC revealed this.

 

All of the films sourced from BR are mkv files. Perhaps that's why MB in the Roku won't display the subs? But I have not seen this mentioned anywhere. (I sometimes have a problem making mp4 files with Handbrake: often, if I add subs, Handbraks burns in the first one so it is always displayed, and I cannot select another track. This is with "Burn in" un-selected).

 

Another issue: Argo (from DVD). Subs appear to display, but below the movie. The movie is widescreen (possibly anamorphic), and only the very top of the subs shows up, so they cannot be read. In other words, there are black bars top and bottom, with the bottom bar covering the subs. Only where the top of the subs overlap the movie image can you make them out. There does not appear to be any setting in MB Roku client to change how a movie is displayed.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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have you tried the web client? it sounds like these are not roku issues and should be brought up in the server area

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have you tried the web client? it sounds like these are not roku issues and should be brought up in the server area

Yeah that is also where the details page is I was talking about above. Not in the Roku client, but the server's web client.

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Yeah curious if the subs for the same movie show up in the web client or not. Just so we can try to narrow it down and see if it is something needs to be changed with the subs stuff or if it is a problem directly with the Roku client.

 

Our subs guy @@Tikuf I believe is out of town for the holidays. So not sure if he will pop in and see this thread or not until after Christmas.

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Koleckai Silvestri

I have a similar problem on television shows. Here is an example:
 
Almost Human Episide 6: Arrhythmia

Webclient shows:
Video:h264 • 704x396 • 16:9 • 875 kbps • Default
Audio:aac • stereo • 875 kbps • Default
Subtitle:subrip • Default

Don't know how to take a screenshot on the Roku but when I play the video the subtitles options show "None" and "Blank". I have to select the blank line to have them show up.

Edited by Wayne Luke
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have you tried the web client? it sounds like these are not roku issues and should be brought up in the server area

 

By web client, do you mean open the Dashboard, go to Metadata Mgr., click "Movies at the top left, then click on a movie (I'm very new to this)?

 

Doing that, and playing Elysium there, the subs do not display. Same with Jack Reacher.

 

Does this make it a server issue? And should I repost this info elsewhere?

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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it looks like the server doesn't know the language or your subtitles and audio tracks. the languages have to be embedded into the tracks or you're not going to see anything. if they're extrernal subs, they need to be using our naming convention with the language in it

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it looks like the server doesn't know the language or your subtitles and audio tracks. the languages have to be embedded into the tracks or you're not going to see anything. if they're extrernal subs, they need to be using our naming convention with the language in it

 

They are not external subs. And only Elysium does not show which language a particular track is. Whether the name of the language shows up or not does not seem to make any difference, subs never display in MKV files sourced from Blu-rays, in both the web client and the Roku.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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I have a similar problem on television shows. Here is an example:

 

Being Human Episide 6: Arrhythmia

 

Webclient shows:

Video:h264 • 704x396 • 16:9 • 875 kbps • Default

Audio:aac • stereo • 875 kbps • Default

Subtitle:subrip • Default

 

Don't know how to take a screenshot on the Roku but when I play the video the subtitles options show "None" and "Blank". I have to select the blank line to have them show up.

See look at the subtitle on that one.   "subrip, Default". It doesn't have the language specified, which is why the Roku doesn't know what to display. Are you using external subs or internal ones? Best way for a photo is probably just to take a picture with your phone.

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OK thanks we will check into it

 

And I will attempt to do a BR to mp4 Handbrake conversion (if I can get it to not burn in the subs), and see if that displays the subs on my Roku.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Koleckai Silvestri

See look at the subtitle on that one.   "subrip, Default". It doesn't have the language specified, which is why the Roku doesn't know what to display. Are you using external subs or internal ones? Best way for a photo is probably just to take a picture with your phone.

 

They are merged into the MKV container. My son wrote the scripts. I'll ask him if it is possible to specify the language and test more. Thought about the phone. Will try later when I can pry the television out of the hands of bored teens. That is if you still need it.

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OK, so at least as relates to using Handbrake to create my video files, on the HB wiki, it states:

 

Bluray PGS subtitles - With MP4, you can burn only one subtitle track into the video. I take this to mean your choice is burn in or none. So nothing for me to test with this file format.

 

I did not find any way to manually add the name of the track language.

 

So if this actually is an issue, it would be PGS subs in an MKV file I guess. But since I have not heard of it, I have to wonder if it's only related to files created by Handbrake. Surly by now people would have noticed that subs in Bluray sourced MKV files do not display?

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Just quickly (and I will look into it further) but I think what you are looking for is the mkv metadata if it just says default that is not a language. If you open the file in mkv merge or similar program highlight the subs track and you will be able to change the language for the track to what it actually is. If you do this we will be able to see it as a defined language. (Had a big day today beer and good cheer) If this isn't what you are asking (and it may not be as my eyes are a bit crossed at the moment). Let me know and i will give you a step by step.

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OK. I don't have any understanding about how the info gets read. Obviously if it does not show which language in Handbrake, it's not going to be in MB. But in the original Bluray, I am able to select each track by name, so the info must be there somewhere.

 

I will look into MergeMKV and see if that does it.

 

Thanks!

 

Sent from my Nexus 7

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Well, I installed Mkvmerge, and was able to add in the language titles. I can now see which audio and sub track is which.

But there is still a problem: the subs still do not display, even after being selected. They don't display on the Roku nor the web client.They DO display when I play the video in VLC though, so I know they're there.

 

Audio seems to play fine though.

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Ya I am not sure if handbrake does anything to them but I can render pgs subs on my system from either mkv or folder rip or iso.

 

Can you please show me the media info for an item that the subs do not work on.

 

http://mediabrowser.tv/community/index.php?/topic/1209-getting-useful-logs-media-info/

 

(use the last method mentioned)

 

Thanks

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