Emby Server Doesn't Pick Up Changes in a Movie's Subtitle Track Settings

[saj 14]

This is certainly a small thing, and I'm not sure if we should consider it an error. If a movie file (mkv) has a subtitle track set with default=yes in the emby library, emby of course picks that up when I play the movie. My playback subtitle mode is set to Default, so the track setting is honored. Now if I see that and don't want the movie to default to showing subtitles, I use MKVToolnix to edit the mkv subtitle track header to turn off the default flag. However, even after a library scan, emby remembers the old setting, and I have to change the subtitle setting in emby to Off. Maybe the overhead of picking up that change is too great, but I just wanted to make you aware of the issue.

[Luke 42087]

As long as the date modified timestamp of the video file is changing, then Emby should pick up the change, and you should be able to confirm this in the Media Info section of the detail screen.

[saj 14]

OK, I checked and the date modified field is definitely set properly. I just did this about an hour ago, the date modified field was updated, I forced a library scan and the value of the subtitle setting did not change to off in emby until I changed it manually there.

[Luke 42087]

I think you're looking at the wrong thing. You can't configure the flags in Emby. I'm referring to the media info at the bottom of the detail screen.

[saj 14]

OK, perhaps I can give a better description of the problem.

 

In my personal settings, my Subtitle mode is set to Default.

 

If I add a new movie to the library, and it has a subtitle track, then the default setting in the header for that track is honored, and when I open the detail view for the movie, I see the proper default setting under the Subtitle section of the Media Info at the bottom of the screen, AND near the top of the screen, I see, in the line for Video, Audio and Subtitle setting, the appropriate value in Subtitle, reflective of the default listed at the bottom under Media Info.

 

Now, if I edit the subtitle header in the movie file using MKVToolNIx and change the default value from its original value to its opposite, cause emby to rescan the library and then look at the detail page for the movie, I see the updated value for subtitle default (yes or no) listed in the Media Info at the bottom of the display, BUT, on the line near the beginning of the detail page, I see the line with Video, Audio and Subtitle Entries near the top of the display, and the Subtitle entry does not reflect the change that shows in the Media Info below. The net effect of this is that when I play the movie the subtitles will be displayed or not as they were originally, without regard to the fact that the Media Info displayed value has changed.

 

So it appears that emby is picking up the change in Media Info just as it should, but any change in the default status from the subtitle header is not reflected in the Subtitle value near the top of the screen, and whether subtitles are displayed or not is controlled by that value near the top of the screen. I think the change in the Media Info value should be reprocessed according to my personal Subtitle Mode setting (in my case, Default), and the result should replace the value in the Subtitle field that actually controls whether subtitles play or not.

[Luke 42087]

We remember previous subtitle selections, so that is why. if you try this with a new video, then it should respect your settings.

[saj 14]

I see; so the fact that I overrode it once in emby before I modified the track header prevented the track header change from having an effect on the emby setting. That makes perfect sense and works exactly as it should. Sorry, I troubled you with this.

[Luke 42087]

I think whenever you change the setting in Emby we should clear out existing values that are remembered for that user, i think that will help eliminate any confusion about this.

[saj 14]

Whatever you think is best. Now that I understand the process fully, I have no problem with how it works now.