Video stuttering with subtitles enabled

[Oomek 3]

When I have subtitles enabled there is a stuttering when a new subtitle line appears.
The more words the bigger the chance for a stutter to appear.
2-3 lines of text always stutter.

Emby app version: 3.4.20
Android TV version: 12
Device: Chromecast with Google TV (4K)

Match framerate and resolution enabled

Edited October 21, 2024 by Oomek

[Luke 42077]

@Oomek

 

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

 

[Oomek 3]

I'm sorry, but I'm having troubles following the guide. In which settings page I can find this debug options?

[Oomek 3]

This frame drop when a subtitle appear is quite a recent thing, in the older Emby app for Android TV there was no such thing. The playback was smooth with subtitles.

[Oomek 3]

13 hours ago, Luke said:

@Oomek

 

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

 

@Luke

Would you please explain how to enable debug mode in Android TV app. The instructions from the link are not clear. This stutter is unbearable.

Edited October 22, 2024 by Oomek

[Oomek 3]

I've managed to find this debug option and I've generated a log, but I still do not see the Send Log button. How do I send it?
 

Quote

Now there will be a new tile on your home page settings row (or menu option on the user menu at the top) labelled "Send Log".

[Oomek 3]

stutter.srt
You can use this srt file to test for stutter. There is a frame, or two dropped on every new subtitle line appearing.

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  The instructions you are following for sending the log are for a different app.

You can just attach the log here.

[Oomek 3]

Thanks for the reply. I'd like to share it, but how do I get it out of Chromecast? The share button isn't working.

[Luke 42077]

On 10/23/2024 at 3:40 PM, Oomek said:

The share button isn't working.

Do you have any software installed on the device that you can share to?

[Oomek 3]

42 minutes ago, Luke said:

Do you have any software installed on the device that you can share to?

I'm not sure if I understand, I have Netflix, Prime, Emby, iPlayer.
How do I share the log?

[Oomek 3]

This stuttering is really taking all the joy from watching movies on my TV. Can we proceed with debugging this?

[Luke 42077]

On 10/25/2024 at 11:04 AM, Oomek said:

I'm not sure if I understand, I have Netflix, Prime, Emby, iPlayer.
How do I share the log?

Are you able to install an email or messaging app on the device? Then you could send it to yourself.

[Oomek 3]

I'm sorry, but I've lost my patience and sold my Chromecast Google TV 4K, and bought a newer version called Google TV Streamer 4K. The logs are gone unfortunately, but I will report if this stutter is still happening on a more powerful device when I get it.

Edited November 7, 2024 by Oomek

[Oomek 3]

Unfortunately I've wasted £99. On the new device movies are still stuttering with subtitles enabled.
I've enabled the debug log. Downloaded some file manager, enabled ftp connection, browsed through folders, but the Emby log file is nowhere to be found.
Checked the following folders that I could access:
\device\Android\data\com.mb.android\
\device\Android\obb\com.mb.android\
 

Edited November 7, 2024 by Oomek

[Oomek 3]

I've returned Google TV Streamer, couldn't stand this stuttering anymore. It's somebody else's problem now
Surprisingly my old Emby WebOS app on my LG tv plays smoothly without any hiccups.

[daf78 1]

Not sure if this is posted somewhere in all the threads about this issue but I just noticed that the stuttering disappeared when I set the background to transparent.

Text size, color and shadow doesn't seem to matter. Tested on both a 1080 .h264 and a 4k hdr10 hevc movie with both srt and pgsubs. With background set to black everything stutters.

This is on a Formuler z11 pro max with Emby for Android 3.4.20.

Edited November 18, 2024 by daf78
Additional platform information

[Luke 42077]

On 11/17/2024 at 10:50 PM, daf78 said:

Not sure if this is posted somewhere in all the threads about this issue but I just noticed that the stuttering disappeared when I set the background to transparent.

Text size, color and shadow doesn't seem to matter. Tested on both a 1080 .h264 and a 4k hdr10 hevc movie with both srt and pgsubs. With background set to black everything stutters.

This is on a Formuler z11 pro max with Emby for Android 3.4.20.

HI, that's helpful. We'll take a look at that. Thanks.

[becksworth 1]

On 11/17/2024 at 7:50 PM, daf78 said:

Not sure if this is posted somewhere in all the threads about this issue but I just noticed that the stuttering disappeared when I set the background to transparent.

Text size, color and shadow doesn't seem to matter. Tested on both a 1080 .h264 and a 4k hdr10 hevc movie with both srt and pgsubs. With background set to black everything stutters.

This is on a Formuler z11 pro max with Emby for Android 3.4.20.

Can confirm this fixed the stuttering for me on a 2nd gen fire cube with the latest android app 3.4.16 installed. Had a black 70% occupancy background. Changed to transparent and playback is butter smooth again.

Edited January 5, 2025 by becksworth

[visproduction 315]

Beck,

Aha.  I bet the 70% transparency contributed to the stuttering.  If you set it to 0% transparency for ease of reading, it might also be fast.

[RanmaCanada 494]

Subs are sadly really hard on devices, specially Advanced Sub Station Alpha and PGS. We need more powerful devices for playback, or better implementation of subs on the players.

[Luke 42077]

For video stuttering, please try Emby for Android 3.5.25 and let us know how that compares:

https://emby.media/emby-for-android.html

Thanks.