Force Subtitle Setup

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

First let me say I’m VERY sorry to add another ‘forced subtitle’ topic. I have read through many of the forums here trying to figure out how to set this up but to no prevail. With that being stated, I guess I need some understanding about how ‘Forced Subtitles’ should work… Please note I can get FULL SUBTITLEs to work or NO SUBTITLEs. I think I have all the setup done correctly… As seen below for ‘setup’. Now here is what I’m trying to accomplish:

I have Jack Ryan Shadow Recuit. It’s a MP4. There is NO subtitle embedded in that MP4 file.

I was HOPING that with this configuration, Plex would find a ‘forced subtitle’ file OR a full subtitle file that would only show the ‘russian’ language speaking parts. Same goes for any other movie with foreign (not english) speaking parts. Now I know that the ‘logic’ for this that I believe I read in the ‘Understanding Subtitles’ somewhere on plex website. BUT, if there is something I’m doing wrong the someone might be able to point me the right direction.

Again, the setup is Movie, No subtitles on it, trying to plex to force subtitles in english for foreign languages. If the below screenshot do not show probably I’ll add them better in the next post.

[Insomnic_1]

So… just to clarify, “forced subtitle” mean a subtitle track that is for foreign language parts of a movie only. There’s some technical functionality about it that explains the name but just go with “Foreign Language Only” subtitles in your head and a FLAG that can be set on it.

In Plex, for those settings to work the subtitle file with the necessary text for the foreign language needs to be labelled correctly for both the language and “forced” flag. The audio track also has to be labelled correctly with a language. If the audio track and the subtitle track are not labelled correctly, Plex won’t know what to do with it and you’ll have to select it manually (at which point it will remember for you).

I use MediaInfo app to check these flags. MediaInfo

When downloading subtitles or using separate subtitle files, I’m not sure where the “forced” and language flag would be read by Plex so someone more familiar with that should be able to help you out with that aspect.

For MP4s, I typically burn the foreign language into the file itself to make things easier. MKV handles subtitle setups a little better so I don’t burn subs there.

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

Ok so here’s the kicker, I don’t know where to check for this ‘head’ as you put it. I need info on how to check this. WHEN I select ‘search subtitles’ from with the movie, the below list of SRTs are found. So from what I’m understanding based on what you stated. The ONLY way i’m going to see forced subtitles for the MP4 movies is:

• if I burn them in the movie myself
  OR
• if I make a jack ryan shadow recuit.forced.english.srt file myself and put that in a folder with the same MP4 file..

Right?

So, aside from the ‘information’ about what forced title is and is not. If there is a way to set the configuration to make this work, i would appreciate those steps based on what I’m trying to accomplish. If you need more information before this can be done, please direct me on how to that get that information to provide as to make the step process easier.

I’m a novice when it comes to the fully understanding the ‘how’ srt files work in Plex, but quickly learn. So if there is a reason i’m not seeing forced subtitles in (i.e. Jack Ryan) the movie for the reason of… “That forced subtitle SRT file is not found in the list of files by SRT OpenSubtitles.” in that screenshot I have attached. Then that is fine, no problem . BUT if there is something I’m missing or need to check on configuration please let me know what and how I need to check set.

So below you see the ‘forced subtitles’ don’t show in the ‘Subtitles’ section the playback but searching finds plenty from the player. Which is the same from with the move metadata info.. (screenshot #2). So again, if I’m thinking of this wrong please correct, if there is something that needs to be check please direct me to that configuration point to check.. Thanks in advance.

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

So quick update, the MP4 has NO flag on it ( i guess) for the forced subtitle):

So the only thing I ‘think’ I might be able to do is create a ‘forced subtitle’ file myself and put it in the same folder as that movie? Not sure if that is the correct process or not. ;).

[Insomnic_1]

So the audio stream has the flag for Eng so that’s good. That’s right.

The tricky part with picking SRT subs is finding the Forced ones and finding the ones that will line up with your particular digital version.

At OpenSubtitles this search should work for good results:

That “globe” icon mean Foreign Language Only subs. You can also just browse the list of results and look for that icon. That might work better than the built in search. I recommend SRT format as well for compatibility.

[JuiceWSA]

A Forced Subtitle is a unique subtitle file - ONLY has the Russian Lines of Dialog in it. No English lines - only Russian. Your image above shows no Forced Subs - or no Forced Subs that are marked, at least.

“Shown with Foreign Audio” means if you have an item that’s Audio Track is totally in Russian, and all your tags are set correctly, Plex will auto select the English Subtitle Track to play with that Russian Audio Track.

It does NOT mean to Display Subs when somebody speaks Russian. That requires a Forced Subtitle.

Like These Externals:

See how tiny the Forced Sub file is? See how much bigger the Full Subtitle File is? The Forced Sub file only has the lines that are spoken, In Spanish for this Show. The other sub file is tagged English as well, but is the full Dialog - in this case containing both the English and the Spanish, but that is not always the case.

Often you will need a Forced Sub File or Track as the Full Sub doesn’t contain the Foreign Language lines.

Yep - the best way to get that Forced Sub is from the disc it came on - or from a decent download source - not untrained Marsupials.

The track you need when ripping with MakeMKV, for instance - will be the track with the fewest elements and the only way to find out is to rip 'em all out and look at 'em.

Also note: When you do locate that Forced Sub File and tag it properly, Plex will Prefer that file and turn it on. It will take the highest priority because the lines being spoken are lines of Dialog you DO NOT understand. I do speak English, and while I can’t hear it very well, I don’t speak Spanish at all, so even if I can hear it - Me No Savvy.

For Jack Ryan (and I have fairly good luck with others) go here:

https://subscene.com/subtitles/jack-ryan-shadow-recruit

Follow down the page until you see one that says:
Foreign Parts Only!

That might not be the one you want, but I’d start there. If your Jack Ryan is Blu Ray - that’s probably it. If your Jack Ryan is WebDL - it won’t fit (most likely - but check anyway).

@tazzin5_gmail_com

Ok so I went to OpenSubtitles.org.

That is probably the WORST place to go for a Forced Sub.

You’ll have better luck at Subscene - at least I do.

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

Ok so I went to OpenSubtitles.org. Getting that file is not very self explanatory :(. Do I have to have an account just to download the file?

[Insomnic_1]

I’m not familiar enough with it actually… I know it’s there and how it works but don’t use it myself. Try the site @JuiceWSA posted above. @JuiceWSA is a lot more familiar with managing these types of sub setups.

@JuiceWSA

For Jack Ryan (and I have fairly good luck with others) go here:

https://subscene.com/subtitles/jack-ryan-shadow-recruit

Follow down the page until you see one that says:
Foreign Parts Only!

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

Thanks JuiceWSA. So NOW i understand the requirement of what a ‘Forced Subtitle’ really contains. This gives me something new to work on. My apologies for my mis-understanding of it. I though it was the ‘full subtitle’ file and only picking out the foreign languages from that file somehow. ;). So ya, i was on the wrong page all together. Now that I know this and most of my movies are MP4 without any type of subtitles, I’ll need to create folders for the ones that need it. Now the question turns into, once I have the folders with the movies and ‘forced subs’, can please be setup to default to this IF the forced subs exist per this instance without have to set each move to a forced sub setting?

[JuiceWSA]

You should be putting ALL your Movies in Folders, not just the ones with subs.
Movies in Folders that don’t change aren’t scanned.
When/if you Add one thing to a Folder filled with Naked Movies - every single file, must be scanned.

The Sooner you get Started, the Sooner you’ll finish.
(my Dad used to say that - It annoyed me then, but he was right…lol)

[tazzin5_gmail_com]

sorry for the quick reply… I added the file and movie in one folder, refreshed the data, and it auto selected that file as forced subs… So I believe I’m good. I’ll work on this via the 2 sites somedavidw and JuiceWSA supplied. Thanks so much for the information/direction guys.

[Insomnic_1]

You’re welcome! Glad you got it sorted out.

@tazzin5_gmail_com

I though it was the ‘full subtitle’ file and only picking out the foreign languages from that file somehow.

Your understanding of Forced Subs is actually correct for BluRay\DVD. It is using the full native language subtitle with a marker to “force” the subtitles on for the foreign language parts. It just doesn’t work that way with digital rips but it’s still called the “forced subtitles” because the file only contains the parts that were “forced”.

It definitely gets funny when discussing it because of that mixed definition\functionality but once it clicks you’re usually good to go.