Is Infuse a good substitute for Plex?

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I have Plex installed on a Mac Mini, and I have a Plex Pass. I also have the Plex app on a Roku Ultra connected yo my TV. I keep the software updated.

I have been having some problems with the subtitles on some movies. I try to connect to OpenSubtitles when watching a movie, but if I pick a subtitle, many times it is not in sync with the movie, so I turn subtitles off. I have been researching Jellyfin, and it seems to be better with subtitles. However, some users say it is not good with macOS.

I am wondering about the Infuse app. Does anybody have experience with Infuse on a Mac? Will it work if I also have Plex installed?

Any comments would be appreciated!

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Looking at this in the present Plex clients development, 4K content go with Infuse . The big Caveat is infuse is for Apple devices only, so the Roku won’t be much help.

Now that the New Plex Experience app for Roku is now in Beta, I would be checking that out first.

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Thanks. I’ve heard good things about the Apple TV device, but that’s an additional expense for us. And, yes, I’ll wait for the new Plex Experience app for Roku. I appreciate the info.

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John, can you advice this plex subscriber

@jfreiman

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I can speak towards the Roku size and have been running the Roku Preview with the new Experience.

Unlike the Apple and Android versions, the underlying mechanics of Plex weren’t changed from the current stable Roku Plex build.

They’re are a couple/few user interface glitches, and 1 or 2 features not exposed, but it’s solid and feels new and current when used side by side with the big Studio apps.

Subtitles - first question, do you have your library set to :check_mark: Enable voice activity detection?

You’ll find that in Edit Library –> Advanced

While I do have this feature enabled on my server,I do try and provide English subs for all new content I add. I have this feature activated in case someone wants to use subtitles other than English or for the shows and movies I haven’t matched yet.

But I would start out by activating this setting on your server to analyze your videos voice activity and see how that goes.

Depending on your hardware and the quantity of videos etc, it may take a while for Plex to work through your library.

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Thank you for the detailed response, jfreimann. Yes, I did have Enable voice activity detection checked in my libraries. But sometimes when I search for subtitles (More…) when watching a movie or TV series, the search simply errors out with no explanation (Sorry, something went wrong). Other times the search works, but the subtitle file I choose is not in sync with the video. Other times it is. This randomness on the subtitle search is frustrating.

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While I don’t have direct experience with using the built-in find subtitle feature, I can tell you that using opensubtitles gives equally frustrating results.

Between subtitles being unlabeled, multiple or dozens of subtitles for “Blu-ray" or “web" etc, there’s are so many variations, it’s nearly impossible to match too your source.

Sometimes I’ll use Whisper at the fastest setting -errors and all and use that AI generated sub to match to an online source…

If you don’t mind “help" from AI, then look at what CoPilot suggests here:

To get the best results from Plex’s built-in subtitle search feature, users should treat it like a precision tool rather than a catch-all. Here’s how to dial it in for optimal performance:

:magnifying_glass_tilted_left: Use the Right Entry Point

- Pre-play screen or during playback: Subtitle search is available from both, but the pre-play screen gives more control over language and subtitle type.

- Supported clients only: Make sure you’re using a Plex client that supports subtitle search—like Plex Web, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Roku, and others.

:brain: Understand How It Searches

- Powered by OpenSubtitles: Plex uses OpenSubtitles.com, matching by title, file hash, and preferred language.

- Star icon = hash match: If you see a star next to a subtitle result, it means Plex found a perfect hash match—usually the most accurate option.

:gear: Tweak Your Preferences

In your Plex account settings under Audio & Subtitle Settings, you can fine-tune:

- Language preferences: Set your default subtitle language to improve match accuracy.

- Hearing-impaired subtitles (SDH): Choose whether to prioritize or exclude these.

- Forced subtitles: Control how Plex handles subs for foreign-language dialogue in otherwise English content (e.g., alien speech in sci-fi).

:hammer_and_wrench: Troubleshooting Tips

- Disable “Automatically select audio and subtitles”: Some users report better results when this is turned off.

- Check DNS and ad-blockers: If subtitle search fails, make sure OpenSubtitles isn’t blocked by your ISP, router, or Pi-hole setup.

- Restart your device: Occasionally, a simple reboot (especially on Android TV or Shield) resolves subtitle search issues.

:puzzle_piece: Bonus: Complementary Tools

If Plex’s built-in search isn’t cutting it, consider pairing it with:

- Bazarr: Automates subtitle downloads from multiple sources and integrates with Sonarr/Radarr.

- Sub-Zero (legacy): Once a popular plugin for subtitle management, though now deprecated, it inspired many of today’s workflows.

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I’ve been moving between Plex client and Infuse for a few years, across MacOS and iOS/iPadOS and Apple TV.

I’m not a heavy user of subtitles, however do turn them on for a few shows, and things seem to be ok for me. I’ve never noticed a major issue.

The good news is that testing Infuse is quite easy, as you can install it, tell it to connect to your Plex server (or it can pick-up files from other sources, including SMB, local disk, Emby, Jellyfin and a multitude of Cloud file services). You don’t need to change anything in your Plex setup and can run Plex and Infuse clients side by side (your playback positions / watch will keep in sync).

You should be able to test what you need to see in the free app, without need to unlock pro. So shouldn’t cost you more than a few minutes of your time to test.

James (the owner and main dev) is very active in the Infuse forums, perhaps taking a look through the posts to get a vibe might be useful? (Search results for 'subtitles' - Firecore).

I’d personally rather keep all of my media watching in one App, especially for my family and overall WAF (wife acceptance factor). So I’m hopeful that I can get back to using the Plex client across my devices.

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Thanks John for helping out a fellow Plex subscriber. Having a Roku with New Experience gives a good prospective going forward. As for Firecore product Infuse, yes it a great product but not much good without a Apple client or willingness to purchase. So I hope CinemaJunky curiosity has now been meet with what is needed going forward.

Cheers

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@CinemaJunky does have an Apple client, his PMS install is on his Mac Mini….

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Pms is not a client per se, plex for Mac is though

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OK, I’ll test it out as you said. Thanks.

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OK, I found the Apple TV app for Roku and installed it. However, I don’t seem to be able to connect to the App Store so I can install the Plex app on my Apple TV app on Roku. I have the Plex app for Roku itself on the Roku Home Screen. Any ideas how to install the Plex app into the Apple TV app?

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Please have a read, at present there is no Infuse client for Roku that I know

Apple Tv+ app is referring to Apple Subscription for Content.

What you could try is JellyFin Server for Mac as Roku have a Client for JellyFin. You can run both Servers ( Plex and Jellyfin) on Mac Mini without issue.

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So do I need the Apple TV hardware to put the infuse app on it?

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Based on this, ‎Infuse on the App Store, you should be able to install it on your Mac Mini and use that to test it. It might not be the most ideal, but it would at least let you test it and see if you want to go the route of swapping your Roku’s for Apple TV’s.

Note: I do not use Apple products, I am a Windows/Linux/Android user, so I am very limited in answering questions. I just did a quick search to see about Infuse and Mac OS.

-Shark2k

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Sorry about the incorrect steer @CinemaJunky, from your first post, I misread and thought that you used both Roku and MacOS as your client setup. “Experience with Infuse on a Mac” was the line that threw me :slight_smile:

Just as others have correctly confirmed above, I’m afraid that Infuse isn’t an option for this config.

Plex Media Server (PMS) running on MacOS
Plex client running on Roku

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I installed the Jellyfin app on my Roku, but I can’t get it to connect to my Plex server on my Mac Mini. I typed in the URL but the app always comes back with: Can’t find server, are you online?

How do I connect Jellyfin app on Roku to my movies and TV series libraries on my Mac Mini?

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You must install a Jellyfin Server app on Mac mini also.

Top one ok, click on link below

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maybe this will be useful info @ https://support.plex.tv/articles/auto-sync-subtitles/

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