Subtitles making playback laggy

[amateurgod 33]

This isn't an issue with subtitles for just audio, this only happens when the subtitles also translate signs and other stuff on screen which is common with anime Subs, however, I've noticed when there's a few things on screen to put subtitles over along with the subs for the audio, the playback can become really laggy and also at times just freeze completely, aswell as lag out the app itself. 

 

Is there any way to stop this I've tried to both enabling subtitle extraction on the fly and disabling it. Or is it simply a case of needing to add hardware to my server to enable it to support hardware accelerated transcoding? 

[Luke 42077]

 

Hi there, let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. Thanks!

 

[amateurgod 33]

this is what i have in the logs for it, i pressed resume so it started up just before the part where it freezes, and then i exited when it froze 

 

2023-05-07 21:22:01.987 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:02.276 Info Server: http/1.1 POST http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json. UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/112.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
2023-05-07 21:22:02.278 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host4. Time: 2ms. http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json
2023-05-07 21:22:02.278 Info Server: http/1.1 POST http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json. UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/112.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
2023-05-07 21:22:02.279 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host4. Time: 1ms. http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Progress?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json
2023-05-07 21:22:02.298 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:02.611 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:02.918 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:03.235 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:03.551 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:03.634 Info Server: http/1.1 POST http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Stopped?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json. UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/112.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
2023-05-07 21:22:03.635 Info App: ProcessRun 'StreamTranscode fe6050': Stopping ffmpeg process with q command for /config/transcoding-temp/536694/536694_78.ts
2023-05-07 21:22:03.650 Info Server: http/1.1 POST http://host3/emby/Items/3550450/PlaybackInfo?UserId=d1159df9e8854dccab8658acd8d4c3c3&StartTimeTicks=0&IsPlayback=false&AutoOpenLiveStream=false&MaxStreamingBitrate=160000000&X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json. UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/112.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
2023-05-07 21:22:03.653 Info App: User policy for Stephen. EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: True
2023-05-07 21:22:03.658 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.663 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.667 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.668 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host4. Time: 18ms. http://host3/emby/Items/3550450/PlaybackInfo?UserId=d1159df9e8854dccab8658acd8d4c3c3&StartTimeTicks=0&IsPlayback=false&AutoOpenLiveStream=false&MaxStreamingBitrate=160000000&X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json
2023-05-07 21:22:03.685 Info Server: http/1.1 POST http://host3/emby/Items/3550450/PlaybackInfo?UserId=d1159df9e8854dccab8658acd8d4c3c3&StartTimeTicks=0&IsPlayback=false&AutoOpenLiveStream=false&MaxStreamingBitrate=160000000&X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json. UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/112.0.0.0 Safari/537.36
2023-05-07 21:22:03.687 Info App: User policy for Stephen. EnablePlaybackRemuxing: True EnableVideoPlaybackTranscoding: True EnableAudioPlaybackTranscoding: True
2023-05-07 21:22:03.692 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.697 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.701 Info App: RemoteClientBitrateLimit: 1000000000, RemoteIp: host4, IsInLocalNetwork: False
2023-05-07 21:22:03.702 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host4. Time: 17ms. http://host3/emby/Items/3550450/PlaybackInfo?UserId=d1159df9e8854dccab8658acd8d4c3c3&StartTimeTicks=0&IsPlayback=false&AutoOpenLiveStream=false&MaxStreamingBitrate=160000000&X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json
2023-05-07 21:22:03.866 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:04.178 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:04.516 Info HttpClient: POST https://vip-api.opensubtitles.org/xml-rpc
2023-05-07 21:22:04.709 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 200 to host4. Time: 16211ms. http://host3/emby/videos/3550450/hls1/main/81.ts?PlaySessionId=d3c970ff057f4aed85e89a65654a4782
2023-05-07 21:22:04.808 Info App: AppendExtraLogData - Read graph file: /config/logs/ffmpeg-transcode-fe605029-b8f3-451e-a888-1476b95000f4_1graph.txt
2023-05-07 21:22:04.809 Info App: AppendExtraLogData - Deserialized GraphData fileStream: 7,940.000 bytes Graph Count: 1
2023-05-07 21:22:04.809 Info App: AppendExtraLogData - File Deleted
2023-05-07 21:22:04.813 Info App: ProcessRun 'StreamTranscode fe6050' Process exited with code 0 - Succeeded
2023-05-07 21:22:04.814 Info SessionManager: Playback stopped reported by app Emby Web 4.7.11.0 playing My Sister, Maya-nee, Is All I Need. Stopped at 244721 ms
2023-05-07 21:22:04.815 Info Trakt: Playback Stopped
2023-05-07 21:22:04.815 Info Trakt: Item Not fully played. Tell trakt.tv we are no longer watching but don't scrobble
2023-05-07 21:22:04.815 Info Server: http/1.1 Response 204 to host4. Time: 1181ms. http://host3/emby/Sessions/Playing/Stopped?X-Emby-Client=Emby Web&X-Emby-Device-Name=Google Chrome Windows&X-Emby-Device-Id=a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937&X-Emby-Client-Version=4.7.11.0&X-Emby-Language=en-gb&reqformat=json
2023-05-07 21:22:04.815 Info PlaybackReporting - EventMonitorEntryPoint: _sessionManager_PlaybackStop : Entered
2023-05-07 21:22:04.815 Info PlaybackReporting - EventMonitorEntryPoint: Saving final duration for Item : a839fa49-de75-4e87-a9c4-71c30af2f937-d1159df9e8854dccab8658acd8d4c3c3-3550450

 

[SamES 1056]

It looks like you are connected to a remote server, so the performance is going to be limited by the network connection.

Was there an ffmpeg log for this playback?

[amateurgod 33]

12 hours ago, SamES said:

It looks like you are connected to a remote server, so the performance is going to be limited by the network connection.

This was just for the sake of accessing logs as was away from home, i have a gigabit upload speed at the server, however, had the same issue when connected locally to the server, i know its an issue with the large amount of subs being displayed as if i turn subtitles of and resume playback it playsback fine, and then i can turn them back on again once im past the part where theres lots of onscreen stuff to translate

 

 

12 hours ago, SamES said:

Was there an ffmpeg log for this playback?

 I didn't see one, it was direct play for everything according to the dashboard however there was lots of FFMPEG blocks in the log as there was also shows being added and scanned

[Luke 42077]

Can you please attach the complete emby server log file? Thanks.

[amateurgod 33]

I believe this should be the correct log file

 

 

embyserver-63819155544.txt

[SamES 1056]

Are these ass/ssa subtitles? 
 

What device are you trying to play these on?

[amateurgod 33]

I've tried on both my Chromecast with Google TV, and In browser on both my phone and desktop, they are ASS subs

[Luke 42077]

Looks like the server was transcoding. Can you please attach the corresponding ffmpeg log as well? Thanks.

[amateurgod 33]

3 hours ago, Luke said:

Looks like the server was transcoding. Can you please attach the corresponding ffmpeg log as well? Thanks.

The corresponding FFMPEG log no longer exists however, I have attached a log for another show with ASS subs that is being laggy at times, this seems to only be an issue with ASS subs as SRT and PGSSUBs work fine 

ffmpeg-transcode-a5506ca0-beaf-4e05-98cf-11fafeaa5fba_1.txt

[Luke 42077]

Did you disable the server transcoding option to allow subtitle extraction on the fly? If you did, try turning that back on.

[amateurgod 33]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

Did you disable the server transcoding option to allow subtitle extraction on the fly? If you did, try turning that back on.

I tried it with the option enabled and disabled, same issue, was the first thing I tried tbh 

[Luke 42077]

5 minutes ago, amateurgod said:

I tried it with the option enabled and disabled, same issue, was the first thing I tried tbh 

Please check the box, try again, and then if there's still a problem, please attach both the emby server and ffmpeg log files together. Thanks.

[amateurgod 33]

1 hour ago, Luke said:

Please check the box, try again, and then if there's still a problem, please attach both the emby server and ffmpeg log files together. Thanks.

It was enabled for both of those logs that I uploaded, or should of been as the option is ticked 

[Luke 42077]

HI, are you still seeing this?

[amateurgod 33]

On 27/06/2023 at 21:56, Luke said:

HI, are you still seeing this?

Sorry only just saw this reply, no I added a Quadro card to my system but have also reworked my system to spread the load across 2 servers rather than everything running on one so not sure if either of those were the fix

[amateurgod 33]

I experienced this issue again recently with an anime but after some testing found the solution was a client side solution rather than a server side solution. 

I had to go into the subtitles settings for the client and set it to force transcode SSA Subtitles into the video and this fixed the issue. 

The issue appears to be caused by large ASS subtitles where the client device is struggling to keep up with all the subtitles being displayed and is happening because the server isn't detecting the need to transcode subs as 99% of the time there isn't a need to transcode subs only when there's to much stuff for the client device to handle 

Edited January 8, 2024 by amateurgod

[Mistly 0]

On 1/8/2024 at 5:27 PM, amateurgod said:

I experienced this issue again recently with an anime but after some testing found the solution was a client side solution rather than a server side solution. 

I had to go into the subtitles settings for the client and set it to force transcode SSA Subtitles into the video and this fixed the issue. 

The issue appears to be caused by large ASS subtitles where the client device is struggling to keep up with all the subtitles being displayed and is happening because the server isn't detecting the need to transcode subs as 99% of the time there isn't a need to transcode subs only when there's to much stuff for the client device to handle 

What client did you do this for and how did you do it?

[Mistly 0]

On 1/2/2025 at 6:56 PM, Mistly said:

What client did you do this for and how did you do it?

Nvm. I found it. Not sure if its available in the android app, but in the Emby for Fire TV, there is a check-box for burning in SSA subtitles. This may cause a little bit of extra load time, especially with movies but at least you can watch it with no stutter. Regular length TV shows are not so bad.

My other solution was to use a 3rd party media player which is something you can enable in both versions of emby. For my Fire TV I used MX Player to get good results. But this was obviously not an ideal solution.

And disclaimer! I'm assuming the version purely based on the App store where there are two version:

1. Emby

2. Emby for Fire TV