Prevent Subtitle Burn-In Transcoding?

[Dreakon13 143]

Hi, I think it's something that's been talked about a lot and can be difficult to search and find a direct answer for...

I have a lot of media with image-based subtitles.  While my Synology DS220+ can handle a few basic transcodes at a time, even one subtitle burning in brings it to its knees.  However it's very difficult at this point to teach my (remote) family how to turn off subtitles by default, and even harder to teach/convince them to turn subtitles on for every movie/show/episode they watch... so I want to leave those settings on for them.  But any media with an image-based subtitle is a ticking time bomb if they go to try and play it.

The 100% answer would be for me to remux the media to get rid of it, but that'd be a considerable work effort in my current environment.

Is there any way to prevent image-based subtitle burn in altogether?  Regular non-subtitle transcoding is fine, even necessary in my environment in rare cases... but subtitle burn-in transcoding in particular.  Like... if it finds an image-based subtitle, either defer to the next best SRT/ASS or even just turn the subtitles off in that one instance, before it blows anything up?

Appreciate any help

Edited March 28, 2024 by Dreakon13

[Neminem 1519]

Try some of these settings

[Dreakon13 143]

@jaycedkHmm... I don't have a Subtitle Options under Advanced.  Is it a plugin of some kind?

[Neminem 1519]

@Dreakon13I think its part of the Emby Diagnostics plugin.

[Dreakon13 143]

I'm no boy scout but...

"The exposed settings are meant to be applied only on explicit request by our support staff. They are not meant to complement Emby's regular settings, they are not meant for tweaking Emby behavior in general or for fixing certain problems."

[Neminem 1519]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Luke 42080]

7 hours ago, Dreakon13 said:

Hi, I think it's something that's been talked about a lot and can be difficult to search and find a direct answer for...

I have a lot of media with image-based subtitles.  While my Synology DS220+ can handle a few basic transcodes at a time, even one subtitle burning in brings it to its knees.  However it's very difficult at this point to teach my (remote) family how to turn off subtitles by default, and even harder to teach/convince them to turn subtitles on for every movie/show/episode they watch... so I want to leave those settings on for them.  But any media with an image-based subtitle is a ticking time bomb if they go to try and play it.

The 100% answer would be for me to remux the media to get rid of it, but that'd be a considerable work effort in my current environment.

Is there any way to prevent image-based subtitle burn in altogether?  Regular non-subtitle transcoding is fine, even necessary in my environment in rare cases... but subtitle burn-in transcoding in particular.  Like... if it finds an image-based subtitle, either defer to the next best SRT/ASS or even just turn the subtitles off in that one instance, before it blows anything up?

Appreciate any help

Hi, there is nothing you need to do to prevent it. Emby apps will always direct play whenever possible. You can reduce the likelihood of transcoding by:

• Using an installed Emby app rather than the browser (windows, android, iOS, etc)
• Using external text based subtitles such as .srt files

[Happy2Play 9782]

Per another DS220+ user this option unchecked works.  As the subs utilized hardware instead of software.

Basically, Emby just isn't completely there to disable this option.

[Dreakon13 143]

Alrighty, guess I'll give that Diagnostic plugin a go then.  Appreciate the input all

[pwhodges 2012]

Note that if you change that option it is not persistent, and you will have to do it again after a server restart - easily forgotten!

My own experience with this option (in a Windows machine) is that its behaviour is not consistent over a range of media.

Paul