Add support of embedded fonts into external ASS subtitles

[guilty57 4]

On 27/04/2025 at 08:19, Luke said:

Hi, the 4.9 beta server has added support for embedded fonts in the web app. Thanks.

What about the Android TV client app?

[Luke 42115]

20 minutes ago, guilty57 said:

What about the Android TV client app?

It should already work.

[guilty57 4]

It doesn't work without transcoding.

If I enable burn in then the formatting is as it should ne.

When I disable burn in feature the subtitles shows up in default font and formatting.

 

Is there sth. to configure in the server settings?

 

[Luke 42115]

@guilty57

 

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

 

[guilty57 4]

29 minutes ago, guilty57 said:

It doesn't work without transcoding.

If I enable burn in then the formatting is as it should ne.

When I disable burn in feature the subtitles shows up in default font and formatting.

 

Is there sth. to configure in the server settings?

 

App Logs sent at around 00.45 UTC+3

Local user: guilty57

Content: darly Dixon 3x1

ffmpeg-transcode-ae4eaffa-d93d-431a-9d48-9be7a68cbf22_1.txt embyserver.txt

 

The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon - S03E01 - Costa da Morte.tur.ass

Edited October 22, 2025 by guilty57

[guilty57 4]

How the formatting should be (Burn in feature is on, but this cause transcoding)

https://i.hizliresim.com/n3akl6t.jpeg

 

How it is when burn in is disabled:

https://i.hizliresim.com/pr70dge.jpeg

Edited October 22, 2025 by guilty57

[Luke 42115]

Hi, the changes are related to direct playing, not transcoding. Do you have a direct play example?

[Luke 42115]

On 10/22/2025 at 5:55 PM, guilty57 said:

App Logs sent at around 00.45 UTC+3

Local user: guilty57

Content: darly Dixon 3x1

ffmpeg-transcode-ae4eaffa-d93d-431a-9d48-9be7a68cbf22_1.txt 19.64 kB · 0 downloads embyserver.txt 386.6 kB · 0 downloads

 

The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon - S03E01 - Costa da Morte.tur.ass 346.37 kB · 0 downloads

Hi.  Can you try searching for our standard android app (Just "Emby" on Amazon and "Emby for Android on Google) on the same device's app store and see how that compares?

Thanks.

 

[guilty57 4]

10 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, the changes are related to direct playing, not transcoding. Do you have a direct play example?

When I disable burn in and select ass subtitle it shows up with default font and formatting and with direct play.

I have to enable burn in, so it shows up as it should be but this causes transcoding.

The app installed on Shield TV 2019 Pro is from the official play store.

I'll attach the logs here while burn in off and directplaying with .ass file.

EMby server log after directplay is attached.

Also sent the player log at 01.49 (UTC+3) with user "guilty57"

embyserver.txt

Edited October 23, 2025 by guilty57
Server and Player Logs

[Luke 42115]

5 minutes ago, guilty57 said:

When I disable burn in and select ass subtitle it shows up with default font and formatting and with direct play.

I have to enable burn in, so it shows up as it should be but this causes transcoding.

The app installed on Shield TV 2019 Pro is from the official play store.

I'll attach the logs here while burn in off and directplaying with .ass file.

Hi, yes we have two apps in the play store. I'm asking you to try the other one. It has a newer libass embedded. Thanks.

[guilty57 4]

13 minutes ago, Luke said:

Hi, yes we have two apps in the play store. I'm asking you to try the other one. It has a newer libass embedded. Thanks.

I didn't know there is two apps.

 

Edit: I've tried the other one (Emby for Android) and no formatting for the ass subtitles.

Edited October 23, 2025 by guilty57

[Luke 42115]

Can you please provide a log example? Thanks.

[guilty57 4]

Here is an example log.

 

 

embyserver (1).txt

[Luke 42115]

OK we'll take a look at this. Thanks.

[guilty57 4]

Thank you. I'll check.

[Steven 158]

Was there a solution for this?

I’m not even able to get the bold tag to be displayed in either .srt or .ass.

I’m not sure what the default font is but would just prefer a bolder Ariel style font that has a bit more weight and visibility.

 

This is using the Emby for Android app, not the Emby for Android TV app, on a Google TV.

Thanks

[Luke 42115]

On 3/1/2026 at 6:05 AM, Steven said:

Was there a solution for this?

I’m not even able to get the bold tag to be displayed in either .srt or .ass.

I’m not sure what the default font is but would just prefer a bolder Ariel style font that has a bit more weight and visibility.

 

This is using the Emby for Android app, not the Emby for Android TV app, on a Google TV.

Thanks

Hi, is the font file embedded into the video?

[RanmaCanada 500]

On 01/03/2026 at 06:05, Steven said:

Was there a solution for this?

I’m not even able to get the bold tag to be displayed in either .srt or .ass.

I’m not sure what the default font is but would just prefer a bolder Ariel style font that has a bit more weight and visibility.

 

This is using the Emby for Android app, not the Emby for Android TV app, on a Google TV.

Thanks

Pretty sure it will not change the font on the fly. If you want a font, you need to add it to the file. Would suggest you take a look at Subtitle Edit.

[guilty57 4]

Main purpose of this topic is to ask help about how to view font attached ass subtitles. For external use especially.

Not the video.

[pwhodges 2017]

I would not be confident that you will get the solution you are looking for, especially as the use of separate ASS subtitles, let alone with attached fonts, is so rare (I have never come across them).  In the time you've already waited for a solution it would have been easy to merge the subtitles with the videos using MKVToolNix (which will convert the fonts attached to ASS files into MKV attachments), and get round the issue completely; you could even have developed scripts to do it easily if you continue getting media in this format.

Paul

[guilty57 4]

For just this reason, I prefer for a very long time Plex, as it just renders font attached external ass subs without problem. Now, I'm using Plex on android TV os, and infuse on tvos.

But Emby is more problem-free than Plex when it is about performance.

So, when this is implemented, I'll switch back to Emby.

 

[Steven 158]

Thanks everyone for the response. Yeah this is more complicated than I had anticipated!

I have just extracted all subtitles from all my movies/shows and set as .srt's, so they remain when the file is upgraded etc, and then went down the rabbit hole of wondering how to change the font.

Testing this on my PC using MPC I thought it was straightforward until I tested with Emby.

I also assumed even just defining the existing font as bold it would have an effect, but then I discovered that the font used was GoNotoKurrent, which doesn't contain other weights.

 

I do find the current font gets a bit swallowed in some scenes keeping it at a reasonable size, due to it being a thin font, but it's a very first world problem.

 

Thanks again for the replies.