Strange symbols in subtitles

[AP123 15]

I’m on raspi with the newest emby version. Some movies or shows have added subtitles. Some work totally fine and some subs have {\an8} in front of every line of dialogue. No idea why. Any help would be great. 

[Luke 43521]

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

[AP123 15]

6 hours ago, Luke said:

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

log attached. only happens on embedded SDH subtitles, not on SRT

embyserver-63927964800.txt

[AP123 15]

On 10/18/2026 at 11:45 PM, Luke said:

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

Just circling back. Thanks. 

[AP123 15]

On 10/18/2026 at 11:45 PM, Luke said:

HI there, can you please provide a specific example?

How to Report a Problem

Thanks !

 

Seems like this has been an issue on Samsung tvs since 2023 at least. It’s a positioning issue. Not sure you all have a fix or can fix it. 

[Luke 43521]

Hi, what version of the Emby Samsung app are you up to now? What is the format of the subtitles? Are they internal or external ?

[AP123 15]

2 hours ago, Luke said:

Hi, what version of the Emby Samsung app are you up to now? What is the format of the subtitles? Are they internal or external ?

Emby for samsung 2.3.6

internal, SDH subs

[Luke 43521]

@SamES

[SamES 1143]

The short answer is that this is a known issue which has come up several times before. {\an8} tags are 'ass' subtitle positional tags and they not strictly supported in srt subtitles. In other words, they shouldn't be in the subtitle stream.

Out of curiosity, what happens when you play these in a web browser?

Here is more information

 

[AP123 15]

4 hours ago, SamES said:

The short answer is that this is a known issue which has come up several times before. {\an8} tags are 'ass' subtitle positional tags and they not strictly supported in srt subtitles. In other words, they shouldn't be in the subtitle stream.

Out of curiosity, what happens when you play these in a web browser?

Here is more information

 

Works fine in browser. Only happens on Samsung tv. It’s not a MAJOR issue it’s just annoying reading subs and seeing these odd symbols. But I can likely MKCleaver extract the subs, convert to different format, and likely add new files externally or even use Handbrake to reconvert the video and soft code the new srt file. Just more work than I wanna do lol

[visproduction 379]

Online steps to try for Samsung TV's

 https://techjunctions.com/samsung-tv-language-settings/

Quote

Enabling and Configuring TV Captions
Standard Path (Most Models):
    Press Home on your remote
    Navigate to Settings → General → Accessibility
    Select Caption Settings
    Toggle Caption to On
    Select Caption Mode to choose language options
    Caption Mode Options Explained:

Option
What It Means
    Default
    Uses broadcast-provided captions when available
    CC1
    Primary caption service (usually English in US)
    CC2
    Secondary caption service (often Spanish in US)
    CC3/CC4
    Additional caption services (rarely used)
Text1-4
    Text data services (regional content)
    For most users, leaving Caption Mode on Default works best since it automatically displays whatever captions the broadcast provides.
    Customizing Caption Appearance
    Samsung offers extensive caption customization under Digital Caption Options:

Font Style: Choose from various typefaces
Font Size: Adjust text size from small to extra-large
Font Color: White, black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, or cyan
Background Color: Change the caption background for better contrast
Background Opacity: Adjust transparency of caption background

Access these at: Settings → General → Accessibility → Caption Settings → Digital Caption Options
Quick Access Shortcut

Press and hold the Mute button (or Volume button on some remotes) to open Accessibility Shortcuts. This provides fast access to caption controls without navigating through full menus.

Streaming App Subtitle Independence

Here's what trips up many users: TV caption settings don't affect streaming apps. When you configure Netflix subtitles on Samsung TV, you're adjusting Netflix's internal settings, not the TV's caption system. Similarly, Disney Plus subtitles on Samsung TV require configuration within the Disney+ app.
Each streaming service maintains its own subtitle preferences, typically found:
During playback: Select the dialogue/subtitle icon
In profile settings: Accessible from the app's main menu

This independence means you might have English captions enabled on Netflix while Prime Video displays Spanish subtitles - each app remembers its own preferences separately.