Roku won't play English (Advanced SubStation Alpha (.ass) and SubStation Alpha (.ssa)) subtitles

[Rogue73k 2]

I believe this was the same issue reported by @CharlesFin March, I think I have isolated the condition that is reproducible. This condition in my experience is with embedded .ass/.ssa subs, and it is only the Roku client where these do not display. I have tested Linux, Windows, ChromeTV, AppleTV and Android and those clients display fine. I have an Emby server on Windows, Version 4.8.11.0. In the example I'm providing, I was able to correctly see the subs on a Web client and on an AppleTV client, but nothing displayed on the Roku client. I found another version of this media, where I had noticed it working correctly on the Roku, and I checked both files with MediaInfo [included in the attachments] and I only noticed the S-TEXT/ASS does not seem to work on the Roku but does everywhere else and the other file where the S-TEXT/UTF8 formatted subs, work everywhere. I have included screenshots of the three clients and the behavior. I first tested the Web client and that starts around line 49710 in the log [embyserver-63879820516.txt]. The example uses is an episode of Bosch Legacy S03E03, and this is the S-TEXT/ASS embedded subtitle. Please advise if there is any more or other date/images needed. All the original testing is dated 2025-04-09. The secondary testing with a file that is working is from 2025-04-10, and I included some screen captures where you can see I chose the SRT version. I have also had success in simply extracting the .ass out to an .srt using "Subtitle Edit" and that has been our workaround, just extra effort and not automated. I hope I have provided enough detail and the correct files. Thanks!

Bosch.Legacy.S03E03.1080p.HEVC.x265-Me-----.mkv.MediaInfo.txt Bosch.Legacy.S03E03.1080p.x265-EL---.mkv.MediaInfo.txt embyserver-2025-04-10.txt embyserver-63879820516.txt ffmpeg-remux-2d6cbb13-cd07-4f44-a013-c1b0ad19b40f_1--2025-04-10.txt ffmpeg-remux-6ec91dc9-b6c8-4acd-9981-61e459a1832d_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-552b2e0a-4f73-49cd-b9a9-2a60df5ea262_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-c1ecd3e7-4478-4a8a-b964-d00d50e22981_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-c55e526b-7eda-4328-b707-54e6096f7716_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-d4aa1c79-cb78-48b6-8c48-f21ce61f94b9_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-44f098ef-6c5a-408e-8ff6-3b7d567bdb7d_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-44f098ef-6c5a-408e-8ff6-3b7d567bdb7d_1 (1).txt ffmpeg-transcode-176d4489-9346-479e-8c75-20ee413ded99_1.txt hardware_detection-63879820530.txt

[ebr 16169]

Hi.  The Roku only has very limited support for that subtitle format.  Did you try checking the option to use the server to burn these in?

[Rogue73k 2]

Thanks for the response. Not sure if I have the right settings in mind, when you suggest "...option to use the server to burn these in?". I have had the same setup for several years now. In Preferences -> Subtitles, I have it set to "Smart", and in Server -> Transcoding the option for "Allow subtitle extraction on the fly" is enabled. Is that the option you are referring, or can you direct me where?

I wish i had an example of this working or not from earlier releases, but it is only recently that this scenario was brought to my attention and that it only affected the Roku client. In this, I thought it may be an opportunity ID the issue. It may not be resolvable if it is indeed a device shortcoming. In that case, I will just need to extract / convert the .ass subs to an extra .srt file. 

[pwhodges 2012]

This is not a server option, but an option in the Emby client for the Roku, to request that the server burns in ASS subs.

Paul

[Rogue73k 2]

@pwhodgesThank you, I did not look for that on the client. I just tested and that option does allow the ASS/SSA subs to display. There is a significant performance hit to my setup, as the Emby server is older and the transcode load makes the file unwatchable due to constant stops. But that seems to only really be at the beginning of the first time burning them in. I'll play with it some more, but it looks like for these subs in my use case, making a standard subrip .srt file, will quell the child user rebellion  . Again, thanks, Paul and @ebr.