MKV files with subtitles are always enabled

General Discussions
1

Hi, I have quite a few MKV files that have subtitles within, Some have forced subtitles & some just have different languages. I have my subtitles setup in Settings/Server/ Languages with…

Automatically select audio and subtitle tracks = Checked
Prefer audio tracks in = English
Subtitle mode = Shown with foreign audio
Prefer subtitles in = English

Now, Even with this setup to show ONLY forced subs with the forced flag for foreign audio, Some MKV files that have random subtitles BUT not with the forced flag, & are chosen to be displayed by default. I’ve spent many hours/days going through some of these files to check/double check that they do not contain any forced flagged subtitles… They do not. But Plex still chooses to enable a sub from the MKV (Mostly English or Unknown flag) & enable it by default, Even with my settings in server above^^^.

If I change “Prefer subtitles in = English” to “Prefer subtitles in = None” or “Prefer subtitles in = Unknown” & scan library again, Plex will then enable subs in MKV files that did not have this issue above ^^^^ previously, But will disable some of the subtitles within MKV that were enabled previously without forced flag.

With my settings above, Plex should be searching for a combination of English & Forced flags, If both are NOT found on the same file, It should be ignored. But with MKV file’s, Plex will randomly enable any sub even if forced is missing (Mostly english or Unknown).

Baffled me TBH!!

(Sorry if Im in the wrong section too!!!)

2

This usually happens when audio and/or subtitle tracks are not labeled with the correct language tag or have no language tag at all.
For MKV files, this is quickly fixed with MKVtoolnixGUI 's “header editor”

3

@OttoKerner said:
This usually happens when audio and/or subtitle tracks are not labeled with the correct language tag or have no language tag at all.
For MKV files, this is quickly fixed with MKVtoolnixGUI 's “header editor”

Whats to fix here? Seems just fine.

878×399 25.5 KB

4

Your audio track has an ‘undetermined’ language.
Edit it, so it reflects the true language of the audio.

If the audio is ‘undetermined’, Plex doesn’t know if it fits your preferred audio language (which you set to ‘english’, as you wrote above.)
So it errs on the safe side and considers it to be not english
and therefore activates the english subtitle, so you can understand what is spoken.