# External subtitles

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482>\
**Category:** Plex Media Server\
**Tags:** server-windows\
**Created:** [May 31, 2021, 6:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482 "2021-05-31T06:46:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 6:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/1 "2021-05-31T06:46:04Z")

</div>

#### Version 1.23.1.4602

Much to my suprice my almost all my external subtitles has disapeared.  
I use the format:

```auto
/Movies
   /Avatar (2009)
      Avatar.mkv
      Avatar.dan.srt

```

Only a few subtitles in this format are recognized.  
What might i do wrong.  
(I’m pretty sure it worked for all my subtitles before

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 7:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/2 "2021-05-31T07:50:00Z")

</div>

Please post the first ~20 lines from the [Plex XML info](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201998867-Investigate-Media-Information-and-Formats "Plex XML info") of an affected video.

Are the media stored on the server machine or on a network share/NAS?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/3 "2021-05-31T08:05:24Z")

</div>

They are all stored on NAS

Here goes:

```auto
<MediaContainer size="1" allowSync="1" identifier="com.plexapp.plugins.library" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionTitle="Film" librarySectionUUID="47ada48d-8ad2-492d-8678-1ef36243a0b0" mediaTagPrefix="/system/bundle/media/flags/" mediaTagVersion="1622085934">
<Video ratingKey="17201" key="/library/metadata/17201" guid="com.plexapp.agents.imdb://tt0055499?lang=da" studio="SF Studios" type="movie" title="Som i et spejl" librarySectionTitle="Film" librarySectionID="1" librarySectionKey="/library/sections/1" originalTitle="Såsom i en spegel" contentRating="Not Rated" summary="K..." rating="10.0" audienceRating="9.2" year="1961" tagline="..." thumb="/library/metadata/17201/thumb/1621940217" art="/library/metadata/17201/art/1621940217" duration="5150040" originallyAvailableAt="1961-06-06" addedAt="1464015510" updatedAt="1621940217" audienceRatingImage="rottentomatoes://image.rating.upright" chapterSource="agent" ratingImage="rottentomatoes://image.rating.ripe">
<Media id="14309" duration="5150040" bitrate="1700" width="720" height="576" aspectRatio="1.33" audioChannels="2" audioCodec="mp3" videoCodec="mpeg4" videoResolution="576" container="avi" videoFrameRate="PAL" videoProfile="advanced simple">
<Part accessible="1" exists="1" id="15106" key="/library/parts/15106/1464012945/file.avi" duration="5150040" file="W:\Shared Videos\hd11\HD11.0-4\hd111.5-9\11150\Såsom i en spegel (1961)\Såsom i en spegel.Dan.avi" size="1094098668" container="avi" deepAnalysisVersion="4" requiredBandwidths="1691,1691,1691,1691,1691,1691,1691,1691" videoProfile="advanced simple">
<Stream id="34467" streamType="1" codec="mpeg4" index="0" bitrate="1498" bitDepth="8" chromaLocation="left" chromaSubsampling="4:2:0" codecID="XVID" codedHeight="576" codedWidth="720" frameRate="25.000" height="576" level="5" profile="advanced simple" refFrames="1" requiredBandwidths="1499,1499,1499,1499,1499,1499,1499,1499" width="720" displayTitle="480p (MPEG4)" extendedDisplayTitle="480p (MPEG4)"> </Stream>
<Stream id="34468" streamType="2" selected="1" codec="mp3" index="1" channels="2" bitrate="192" audioChannelLayout="stereo" requiredBandwidths="192,192,192,192,192,192,192,192" samplingRate="44100" streamIdentifier="1" displayTitle="Ukendt (MP3 Stereo)" extendedDisplayTitle="Ukendt (MP3 Stereo)"> </Stream>
</Part>
</Media>

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/4 "2021-05-31T08:13:59Z")

</div>

> [@ThomasCSR](#):
>
> `Såsom i en spegel.Dan.avi`

Considering the file name of the video file, have you verified that the name of the subtitle file is actually `Såsom i en spegel.Dan.dan.srt` ?

Did something recently change on your NAS?  
New firmware, or perhaps a change in the settings of the SMB server?

Has the folder `W:\Shared Videos\hd11\HD11.0-4\hd111.5-9\11150\` been added directly to your Plex movie library, or does it point to a folder above it?

Another thought:  
Settings - Server - Agents - Movies - “Plex Movie (Legacy)”  
Is the line “Local Media Assets” disabled? If so, re-enable it.  
Then perform “Refresh Metadata” on the affected movie.

This movie is still using the old (Python-based) metadata agent.  
Are you using the [opensubtitles.org](http://opensubtitles.org) agent, or perhaps SubZero?  
If you don’t, consider switching to the new agent: [https://support.plex.tv/articles/upgrading-a-movie-library-to-the-use-the-new-plex-movie-agent/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/upgrading-a-movie-library-to-the-use-the-new-plex-movie-agent/)  
Keep in mind that this conversion is not complete until you Refreshed Metadata for the whole library.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:25am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/5 "2021-05-31T08:25:17Z")

</div>

The file names are correct. Playing movies from the NAS with VLC-player finds and shows the subtitles on all affected movies. There has been made no changes in the settings and the folder structure on the NAS for the last 4 years.  
The “Local Media Assets” is enabled. Maybe I once disabled it… I don’t remember.  
Anyway I got the subtitles back refreshing the metadata.  
I don’t use subtitle agents. I find subtitles or translate myself and ajust them before storing in the folder together with the movie.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:27am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/6 "2021-05-31T08:27:28Z")

</div>

> [@ThomasCSR](#):
>
> Anyway I got the subtitles back refreshing the metadata.

Could you take another look into the XML, to see if the content of the `guid="...` property is now different than before?  
If it is different, you have already converted your library to use the new agent, but you didn’t complete the conversion by Refreshing Metadata of the whole library.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:39am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/7 "2021-05-31T08:39:56Z")

</div>

It’s the same.  
I’m not very keen on changing agent since a lot of synpsis are “handmade”. I don’t want to loose anything 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/8 "2021-05-31T08:41:03Z")

</div>

Anyway I started a complete metadata refresh. It will take some time…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:41am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/9 "2021-05-31T08:41:06Z")

</div>

> [@ThomasCSR](#):
>
> I don’t want to loose anything

You won’t, if the “lock” icon is engaged on the Description field.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/10 "2021-05-31T08:45:12Z")

</div>

Okay. I started upgrading. X-ing fingers

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:49am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/11 "2021-05-31T08:49:34Z")

</div>

I’m not sure how long it’ll take to refresh all meta data. The round cirkel iscompleeted but I can’t start another refresh. Only cansle the ongoing one… So I’ll have to wait an see. Anyway several subtitles are still missing so refresh might still be running

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/12 "2021-05-31T08:54:09Z")

</div>

Don’t believe a compleete metadata refresh works.  
Refreshing a single movie brings subtitles back - but they are shown as “UNKNOWN”. Wierd

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:55am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/13 "2021-05-31T08:55:51Z")

</div>

Wait a little longer. Depending on the size of your library, this can take hours to complete.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 8:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/14 "2021-05-31T08:57:10Z")

</div>

Okay… I’ve got 5000 titles.  
I’'l continue tonight 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:34pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/15 "2021-05-31T14:34:41Z")

</div>

Seems my subtitles are back but…  
They are all “unknown”.  
Seems Plex doesn’t understand the language code “dan”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:41pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/16 "2021-05-31T14:41:58Z")

</div>

Could I see the precise & complete file names of a video+subtitle file pair?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/17 "2021-05-31T14:58:16Z")

</div>

![Image3](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/0/0/00a08a1609cbda8b960bbb3e7d01b79a6f0046c6.jpeg)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:14pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/18 "2021-05-31T15:14:13Z")

</div>

Just as I thought. The subtitle file is missing the language code.  
If you include the language code in the file name of the video file, the subtitle file needs a _second_ language code.  
The first one is merely there so the file name of the subtitle is identical to the video file. The second `.dan` will be used to tell Plex which language is inside.

So, change the file name of the SRT file to `Citizen Kane.Dan.dan.srt` and try again.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ThomasCSR](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/thomascsr/32/12675_2.png) [@ThomasCSR](https://forums.plex.tv/u/ThomasCSR)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/19 "2021-05-31T15:17:53Z")

</div>

If I use:  
Citizen Kane.avi  
Citizen Kane.dan.srt

Subtitles aren’t found  
???

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\
**Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/external-subtitles/719482/20 "2021-05-31T15:19:12Z")

</div>

Then switch the whole library to the new agent and be done.  
The old agents won’t see any bugfixes anymore.

Please enable the display of file name extensions in Windows explorer. Windows is hiding them by default, which could mislead you about the _true_ file names.

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