Subtitles and Transcoding

[Blatherscribe 5]

Hello,

 

Question about using Emby server for Windows with the Roku app:

 

Are subtitles related to transcoding settings in Emby? I ask because I cannot get subtitles to play at all, and the only thing I've changed since I last saw subtitles is I turned off transcoding (because it was causing pauses and stuttering in the mobile app).

 

If they are related, is there any way to display subtitles without transcoding? They're part of the mp4 file, but not burned in such that they're part of the actual images.

 

Finally, because it may have some use in figuring out the issue, I've always had odd problems with subtitles on Emby. I can't start them during playback; I always have to back out and enable them on the screen from which you play the video. Also, once enabled, I can't disable them within the Roku app. I have to go to my computer and turn them off for each individual video in the web app, otherwise the Roku app simply ignores my setting change. (If this is just the way it is, I can deal with it; I'm only mentioning it in case it's useful.)

 

Thanks!

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

Yes transcoding is related and that would really depend on the format the subtitles are in.  But have never tried subtitles in mp4 container.

 

There is a setting per user on the server in user preference (user icon-subtitles) that the roku honors also.

[Luke 42078]

Hi there, can we look at an example from when you can't get subtitles to play? Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue:

https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/790-how-to-report-a-problem/?view=getnewpost

Thanks !

[Blatherscribe 5]

Certainly, here you go.

embyserver.txt

[Luke 42078]

So it looks like you direct played an mkv on Roku. What format are the subtitles?

[Blatherscribe 5]

Subtitles are PGS. I've been direct playing because of some issues with transcoding, namely pausing on the Android app, and what seemed like lower resolution on the Roku.

[Luke 42078]

Ok, Roku doesn't' support that format of subtitles, so that means you'll have to choose between no subtitles, transcoding, playing on a different device that does support PGS, or acquiring external .srt subtitles.

[Blatherscribe 5]

Ah, OK, thanks for explaining it. Is there any way to turn transcoding back on, but keep the full original resolution? Use it just enough for subtitles, but leave everything else as-is?

[Luke 42078]

That's what should happen. I would check the quality setting in the app. If you're still unsure, please attach the ffmpeg transcoding log. Thanks.

[Blatherscribe 5]

Will do. Thank you very much for the help!

[Luke 42078]

Let us know how you get on. Thanks.

[Blatherscribe 5]

I tried again with transcoding turned on, and the subtitles displayed correctly. But the image seemed a bit fuzzier than usual. Is there any way to display subtitles without changing anything about the video? I have some hearing issues, and the subtitles are very helpful, but I'd like to be able to see these videos in the best possible quality. I've attached a transcoding log in case it's of use.

 

Thanks again for helping.

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

I tried again with transcoding turned on, and the subtitles displayed correctly. But the image seemed a bit fuzzier than usual. Is there any way to display subtitles without changing anything about the video? I have some hearing issues, and the subtitles are very helpful, but I'd like to be able to see these videos in the best possible quality. I've attached a transcoding log in case it's of use.

 

Thanks again for helping.

 

Sorry no log attached.

[Blatherscribe 5]

Sorry! I put it in the Choose File section, and forgot to hit the Attach File button. Fixed that.

 

ffmpeg-transcode-619b327c-40d4-4819-8359-88dec7c35f3d_1.txt

[Luke 42078]

One thing to test would be disabling hardware acceleration in server transcoding settings to see if that's the cause of the fuzziness.

[Blatherscribe 5]

I'll try it -- but wouldn't that reduce the quality of the transcode, if the computer has less power at its disposal for re-encoding the video on the fly? Not questioning your knowledge of the program, just trying to understand why it might work.

[Blatherscribe 5]

Update: Still a bit fuzzy in comparison with the original. In the Emby app, it says it's transcoding because the subtitle format is not supported. Is there any way to do the subtitle extraction without re-encoding the video? Or replace the subtitles with another format?

[Happy2Play 9780]

I am not sure any client that actually supports PSG subtitles.  So even if they were extracted they would have to be be converted to another format.  But converting graphical subs to text is not necessarily a easy issue.

 

External subtitles are recommended.  Or embedded text subtitles.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Happy2Play

[Luke 42078]

 

 

Is there any way to do the subtitle extraction without re-encoding the video? 

 

Yes, play with an Emby app that supports PGS natively without transcoding, such as Emby Theater:

https://emby.media/emby-theater.html

[Blatherscribe 5]

Unfortunately, I'm trying to watch my videos on a TV, using a Roku, not my computer. So a Windows program wouldn't help.

 

Sorry to bother you with a question not about Emby itself, but if PGS subtitles won't work, do you know of a way to turn them into embedded text? PGS is what was on the disc.

[Blatherscribe 5]

I've registered with opensubtitles.org, and had Emby Server run a check for missing subtitles, but it doesn't appear to have downloaded any. Is there a way to force it to use this plugin when PGS subtitles are present?

 

And thank you for helping me with this! It's hardly your fault the makers of Roku didn't think anyone would want to see the subtitles from Blu-Ray discs.

[ebr 16184]

What are the subtitle download settings in the library in question?

 

 

It's hardly your fault the makers of Roku didn't think anyone would want to see the subtitles from Blu-Ray discs.

 

You can't really blame Roku either as there is no way to play a BD on one of their players .

[Blatherscribe 5]

Subtitle settings are for English and Require a Hash Match is checked. I just realized that second one could mean only my particular exact file, rather than only a file from my particular source (which I do own, btw).

 

OK, I've unchecked the hash match thing, and scanned the libraries, and run the subtitle download task, and it's not downloading or displaying anything from Open Subtitles.

 

Also, I do have the option to extract subtitles on the fly checked, but for some reason there is image transcoding going on as well, unless I completely disable it.

[Happy2Play 9780]

I could be wrong but if you already have subtitles in your selected language (embedded), external ones won't be automatically downloaded.  Only items missing subtitle will get subtitles.

 

If you selected Edit Subtitles on one of your movies are you able to manually download subtitles?

[Luke 42078]

I've registered with opensubtitles.org, and had Emby Server run a check for missing subtitles, but it doesn't appear to have downloaded any. Is there a way to force it to use this plugin when PGS subtitles are present?

 

And thank you for helping me with this! It's hardly your fault the makers of Roku didn't think anyone would want to see the subtitles from Blu-Ray discs.

 

Hi there, yes, did you explore your subtitle download settings? also did you check out our wiki article on subtitle downloading?