Just curious. What does “fairly recent” even mean? Google made improvements to how Exoplayer handles ass/ssa as discussed in this thread at the end of 2019, and from what I can tell that hasn’t been implemented into the player in the android app…?
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Sounds like he’s saying the ExoPlayer is recent, but Plex nerfs it before using it.
That is not what he is saying. It sounds more like updating Exoplayer isn’t something that happens very frequently, and that the current version in Plex is at least a year old at this point, but it’s just a guess from my side.
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I don’t know the exact version off hand, I’d have to look around. But Plex’s implementation of Exoplayer has modifications to fit in with the rest of Plex’s features. Just updating the core Exoplayer code won’t work. It needs to be made to work with the rest of the app.
I could be wrong as I’m not a developer, but AFAIK, the implementation of ass/ssa for Exoplayer only deals with files stored locally on the device. It doesn’t help with streaming, like what Plex does. There isn’t a native ass/ssa support when streaming.
It would be helpful if a developer could give us a short write up on why this is an issue, to be honest. Is it being worked on? How long could it take? Another year? Two? The complete lack of acknowledgement and input on the way going forward with this isn’t helping anybody. And when Plex users see that the competing products like emby or jellyfin have support for ass/ssa on Android it’s just salt in the wound.
I think I started watching anime with softsubbed typesetting back in 2005 or 2006, and here we are in 2020 complaining about the lack of support. It’s just odd to me how ass/ssa has been around for such a long time and for some reason it’s not supported by Plex on a capable platform like Android/Shield, devices that most likely are more powerful than the computer I used back then.
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Probably because Substation Alpha is not a standard developed and supported by a major corporation, so other companies generally don’t trust it. SSA was invented by a person whose real name we don’t even know, and has been refined and expanded over the years, eventually gaining scripting and becoming “Advanced SubStation”. It reminds me of how long Matroska has been a thing, and how long it took for smart TV’s to gain the ability to play files in that container. Even today there are still Plex users who claim you have to use MP4 for best compatibility with your media.
Ever since VSFilter stopped being actively developed we don’t even have a “reference implementation” of SSA. So now you have fansub groups warning that there will be differences in subtitle rendering depending on if you use watch using mpv, or MPC-HC, or MPC-HC with xy-VSFilter, etc, and considerations to things like “if the subs are set up in SD, do we scale up the style, or re-render them in the resolution of the display device if it’s HD” because this can impact things like readability when outlines change.
Last month I watched a certain show, as done by a certain fansub group. I alternated between three players: Plex Media Player 3.0.0.24, Kodi 18.7 w/ the Plex Add-On, and watching on Plex’s app where the subs got transcoded by the server. None of them rendered everything correctly. One displayed the main dialog in something that did not look like the correct font, another did not render the kfx during a pull-song (displaying it as transparent letters on a night sky so you could not read it), and I think the transcode was probably closest. But none of them matched playing the file back on a traditional PC player. That’s the hurdle in adding ASS support to a commercial product.
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From my experience most notable players seem to stadardize around libass these days. I believe all players you tested, except MPC, use some version of libass. Fansub groups who make subs that aren’t compatible with libass, meaning most players normal people use, are dumb. I don’t even care about the overly fancy ■■■■ some groups do.
I just want some basic support for subtitles, placement and multiple parallel subs used for overlapping dialogue or signs shown at the same time as someone is talking.
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Regardless of the excuses, 3 years is more than enough time to perfect a core feature. Alternative players have no issues, competitors including free ones have made massive strides and work, it can be done. Being purposely vague, noncommittal, denying an issue exists and radio silent on dealing with it helps no one.
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Also interested in this. Hope it comes eventually.
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Sad to see this is not fixed… I’m sure people have already spent a decade waiting for this basic feature. Could there possibly be any more excuses? I just can’t fathom why Plex doesn’t have this implemented yet. Several paying customers have requested for this and nothing comes from it. Seeing all this discussion feels like everyone is talking to a brick wall. That brick wall is Plex. I’m extremely dissapointed to say the least.
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30% of my anime library is composed of series using SSA/ASS subtitles.
It is possible to read them using the ‘Only image formats’ option, but the style is not preserved and the subtitles VOBSUB and PGS don’t work anymore. So this is not a solution.
It’s very frustrating not to be able to watch all your series, especially when everything works fine on Windows, iOS or other players (Kodi…). Please add this feature quickly, we are soon in 2021.
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Now that MKV’s can support Dolby Vision and Atmos, the need for Plex to support ASS becomes even more crucial.
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Commenting to keeping this alive.
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Yes. Bumping the topic. Any updates on this?
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I know mpv on android has audio passthrough issue, that’s why you don’t use it on android but use it on iOS.
How about using libvlc instead?
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+1 for fixing this.
Switched from an old Mac mini to the shield after reading so many happy plex reviews. Almost none of my anime works now. My server doesn’t have the transcode power. Get these ASS subtitles direct playing. The idea of using Kodi when I have Plex Pass is so embarrassing.
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+1 for updating exoplayer (new version from google has this fixed)
Been forced to use Kodi for vast majority of my viewing.
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+1 for ASS/SSA support. Just wanting to make sure that visibility is kept on this one.
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+1 for ASS/SSA support.
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Also having this issue while watching 1080p files. Can we get support for this please?
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