Server Version#: 1.29.0.6244
Player Version#: Whatever is current on NVidia Shield
I am streaming an old series captured from my DVDs in 8x9 frame aspect-ratio and with VobSub subtitles to my NVidia Shield Pro.
Everything is fine except the placement of the subtitles. They are placed at or below the bottom end of the frame, rendering at least half of them invisible.
Same server, same stream, on a Plex Web client under Chrome displays the same subtitles perfectly.
One small issue but which may be a hint is that the subtitles are yellow on the Shield Pro, but White, as they are supposed to be, on Plex Web client.
I have found one way to get around this: force conversion by selecting “Convert Automatically.” That, I believe, forces the Plex server to hardcode the subtitles into a re-encoded image stream. Generally, that is not ideal, but fortunately, at least for 480p content, this does not seem to overtax my Synology DS 1019+.
Shield is supposed to support direct play of VOB subtitles. Not sure where the “Convert Automatically” option is you’re referring to, but you can turn on transcoding for VOB subs by setting the Subtitle burning option to “Only Image-based Formats” as well. Note this will also cause transcoding of PGS subs though, which do not have an issue right now.
The reason there is no client-nvidia-shield tag is the same reason there is no client-samsung-phone tag. The Shield runs the Android client the same as many other devices.
As I said, direct-play of VOB subtitles kind of worked; it just didn’t place the subtitles at the correct position for my source material, even though on other clients (like Web or iPad) it does. As does playing the files directly on my PC using various players. So I think this must be a bug.
As for your other point, fair enough! I didn’t realize that the Shield ran the stock Android client.
Yeah, it is an issue with VOB subs. There’s been a few other threads on it but no response from Plex staff. Web playback does not support image-based subs, so video is being transcoded whenever they are used there. The PC apps are using mpv for a playback backend (I think iOS, too – at least Apple TV does), so there wont be any issues there.
I think this current bug might be related to the VOB subtitles being incorrectly zoomed so the left/right edges touch the playback window edges, when they need to be kept in the video’s own aspect ratio.
Even before this they did not play back correctly (subs on a 4:3 program would be stretched and not the same as when they were transcoded with the video).
Are there any updates for anyone on this topic? I am having this issue on my Google TV OS TCL Smart TV. The bottom of VobSubs are cut off and out of frame. The client has no trouble direct playing subs, it can direct play PGS, VobSub, or ASS without issue. I’m not satisfied with forcing transcode just to get something to show up right that shouldn’t be an issue.
I also noticed a problem with the vobsub subtitles. it does not show up in direct-play at all. You have to transcode it to show up. on the other hand on the windows software, it is displayed perfectly without transcoding.
sorry for my english, i go through google translate
I didn’t realize that the Shield ran the stock Android client.
