[BUG] External SRT subtitles not working with downloaded videos

Plex Players Mobile Devices
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1

Server Version#: 1.32.2.7100
Player Version#: 9.23.0.1746

I have several movies and series with external subtitles (SRT). If I stream them to my tablet, I can select the subtitles and I see them as expected. However, if I download the video (including the subtitles), I see them only if:

  • I turn off wifi before watching it, or
  • I disable the “Prefer downloaded content” in the Advanced → Player settings.

To reproduce the problem:

1 - Stream a video (NOT downloaded) with external subtitles. Verify that the subtitles are displayed correctly.
2 - Download the video, making sure that the subtitles are selected.
3 - Make sure that the “Prefer downloaded content” is ENABLED.
4 - Play the video. Note that the subtitles are NOT displayed, even if they are correctly selected in the “Playback settings”.
5 - Turn off wifi on the device and restart the Plex App.
6 - Go to the downloads, play the video. Now the subtitles are displayed correctly.
7 - Turn on wifi, restart the Plex App, and DISABLE “Prefer downloaded content”.
8 - Play the video. The subtitles are displayed correctly.

I tried the above with various movies and series, and with my setup I can reproduce the problem every time.

Incidentally, I found mentions of a very similar issue, possibly the same, in older (2021 - 2022) forum posts and in other forums in the internet.

2

This is a known issue where the tracks from the source don’t line up with the tracks on downloaded version. We are working on it.

3

Can you please explain what that means?

The video file has no embedded subtitles, there is only one SRT file, both are downloaded at the same time from the server, the files on the server are not modified after the download.

How can the “tracks” (whatever you mean with this term) not line up? They are the same. Also, if there are downloaded copies of the movie and subtitles, the ones on the server should be ignored (once you verify that the latter have not been changed in the meantime).

As an ex software engineer I am confused by this answer.

4

The issue comes when the Downloaded file is transocded. If the file was not transcoded, then there is some other issue and I’ll need more details. For a transcoded download, the issue is:

When Downloaded, only 1 track of each type (video, audio, subtitle) is included. Sometimes, not even the subtitle track if it was burned in. When viewing the video from the library, you are still shown all the tracks that are available. With the “prefer downloaded content” option, it will try to play the same tracks from the downloaded file, but they may not exist there (this is the mixmatch I referred to), so the playback will error out or stall while the app tries to play something that it can’t find. The workaround for now are what you already listed, 1 - play from the Download section so it only tries the tracks that exist or 2 - turn off “prefer downloaded content” so it doesn’t try to play tracks that don’t exist.

5

The files are not being transcoded. I checked and in any case my Plex server is absolutely not able to transcode 2 hours of 1080p video in the few minutes that it took to download the movie.

I guess you have to fix another bug…

Try following the instructions in the first post and see if you can reproduce the problem. I can reliably do it, however if you can’t, please let me know what else you need.

6

Can you send me the xml info for the video you tested with?

7

There you go. If you need more examples, I can provide them.

Please note: changed the extension from XML to TXT, otherwise I wasn’t allowed to uploaded the file.

6599.txt (42.0 KB)

8

Hmm. I was expecting to see multiple subtitles, but there is only 1. I can’t think of why this isn’t working for you. Would you be willing to share that movie with me so I can test from my end? Send the invite to my username moviefan.plex

9

Done. Please let me know if you haven’t received the invite.

10

I got the invite but you didn’t enable downloads.

11

Sorry. I’m not too familiar with this. Try now.

12

Hmm. Still not able to download. I can’t remember if downloads works with individually shard items. Can you add a label to that movie and share the entire library with just that label as a restriction.

13

Done.

14

Ok, got that Downloaded. Followed your steps above exactly and the subtitles do show up. I don’t know why they don’t show for you.

15

Strange… I tried it with the movie I shared with you and it didn’t work. aI m running the server on a Linux machine (Debian) and I have Android clients. Which platforms are you using?

Let me try again. Until now I run the tests on my home network. Now I am on a business trip. I will try in a few minutes.

16

I am testing from a Samsung S22.

17

I am using a Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, and I could reproduce the issue just now. Let me try on my phone (Pixel 7 Pro).

18

Same behavior on both devices. However, I discovered something new by chance: the bug happens only if you start playing the movie from the library or the home screen. If you start it from the downloads page, then you will see the subtitles. It took me a few minutes to understand what I was seeing. This behavior is highly confusing.

Edit: the above with the “Prefer downloaded content” setting enabled.

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