Server Version#: 4.54.5
Player Version#: Unsure. One is Roku 3, 2015 model.
I think I’ve tried every burning or not burning or whatever else on the settings of the Roku, the settings of Plex on the Roku, and my settings on Plex at home. Is there something I am missing? Subtitles work, it’s just on Rokus they need to be manually selected each time. The media just won’t have subtitles without you putting in some effort… Any fixes?
So if you play the same movie with the same user on a different player, you don’t have to manually select the sub, only on Roku?
Actually my only two users have Rokus, so that doesn’t help things. I know subtitles work as expected at my place.
It was stupid to post this right before I go to bed, also, ty.
No problem. In order for them to have subtitles automatically chosen, they have to setup the languages in their own Plex profile. On Roku settings they should set subtitles to burn automatically or always (not sure about the difference)
On their own Roku settings do you mean moving to settings on Roku and changing the subtitles to burn automatically?
That’s my problem, we have tried literally everything in burn or not burn or every single other other one of the several choices Roku settings give. We change that, check, change it to other stuff, check. None of it works. Is there anything I can do beyond changing settings in the Roku app?
@JuiceWSA has a PhD in Roku devices haha. Maybe he’s familiar with what’s happening.
‘Burning’ or Transcoding the subs has nothing to do with them showing up automatically. That requires an account setting - in their Plex.tv Account (nothing you do at the ‘Server’ will set their specific ‘Account Settings’):
Right here:
I have a few Rokus ( @CostaHT may know that…lol), but that setting, so far works fine on every other device or client I use as well.
Mine is Always on because it’s more likely I’d turn them on than off and I use ‘Instant Replay’ (specific to Roku Devices) so the subs must be ‘On’ in order for that to display them ONLY if I back up a bit to see what I missed.
‘Shown with Foriegn Audio means that if I play an item with a Chinese Audio track Plex turns on the English subs - for without that I’ve got nuthin’ going on.
The setting does work exactly how it’s described, but if your subs AND audio tracks are ‘Unidentified’ Plex can’t do anything with them. Plex won’t know what to do with ‘Unknown’ Audio or Sub tracks or files.
Also, there have been some changes in the Roku App (that haven’t affected me that much, or at all really), but normally in order for a Roku to display subs at all they must be turned on ‘Platform Wide’ (by pressing the * button while an item is playing and turning the subs on - or through Playback Options in a pre-play screen).
If @ljunkie wants to explain in detail how that works now - he’ll have to show up and explain it in detail. Everything is working as I expect over here in JuiceVille.
Note:
Everything is identified - and Plex has the subs selected - 'cause that’s how my account is set:
Also note:
A Forced Sub is Always Selected first - ‘cause those guys are speaking a language I don’t understand and without subs in those ‘Foreign Languages’ - I got nuthin’ going on.
All my stuff is correct and working as expected:
Last Note:
A ‘Forced Sub’ ONLY contains the lines spoken in languages other than English and are unique to that item. Plex can’t know when a guy is speaking Latvian and show subs for those lines. I MUST have the sub file with only those lines and I MUST mark it and the audio track correctly.
Even tho my Accont setting is ‘Always Enabled’, Plex knows I only understand English and without those Forced Foreign Language Sub Lines - I got nuthin’ going on.
The Final word is Plex can ONLY deal with ONE Native Language. Not Two, or More. I only speak English and Redneck English - so for me it’s easy.
I asked about this one … the updated Roku app will enable the Roku System Subtitles if a subtitle is needed to be played natively. This is huge improvement for the Roku clients as Roku is uniquely dumb in how it handles subtitles. 
I have “English” as my language and “Shown with foreign audio” as my subtitle mode.
If Roku Plex Client is set to “automatic” for subtitles (my preferred setting) that means burn-in will kick in when necessary or the Roku’s subtitle setting will be flipped to ON for the video to playback subtitles natively.
For me, this means forced language files with English (for the foreign language audio like Orcs talking in Lord of the Rings or German in a few X-Men First Class scenes) kick in automatically on Roku without me having to fiddle with the subtitle option for Roku. The “Roku Subtitles On” is turned off when the subtitles are no longer needed (video playback ends).
This also means English subtitles using complex layout or styles in my anime gets burned in to the video for playback.
As others mentioned though - your account language settings and the subtitle\audio identification and flags (default or forced) on the video work together. So if you have “unidentified” subtitles or account language not setup, it won’t kick in the appropriate subtitles. You can manually select them though and it will remember that selection next playback.
Edit: @JuiceWSA … excellent write-up by the way. Subtitles and subtitles on Roku are weird to get the knack.
I can’t confirm that as ‘Working’ in the case of ASS subs.
IF I have it set to Automatic - ASS subs are Burned.
IF I have it set to Image Formats Only - they are NOT burned - and that is my preference.
I’m overjoyed at the Auto On thing… that makes sense to me.
The automatic setting on clients kicks in subtitle burning for ASS\SAA subs only that have “complex” layouts or styles. Since that’s exactly when I need it to work for anime - it’s always anime that has to be so persnickety - it’s been working perfectly for my needs with that automatic setting. If the ASS\SAA is just text though, no styles, it doesn’t burn it, just treats it like SRT basically (at which point why not just use SRT right?).
ASS is not an image format so your setting makes sense that they aren’t burned in with Image Formats Only. Edit: I don’t have any ASS\SAA that doesn’t have styles in it though so haven’t really seen how Roku handles ASS\SAA that doesn’t have style\layouts in it… or I haven’t noticed, which seems “automatic” is still working automatically for me.
On iOS clients for example, I also have to flip the “over-ride styles” setting on to get the burn-in layouts\styles otherwise the iOS player (new or legacy) want to use the custom subtitle options available on that client setup … so it makes sense why it’s a client setting.
Last I checked - 20 seconds ago - ASS subs are burned with Automatic Selected:
…those are not ‘complex’ - they are simple text subs with no formatting after Handbrake did it’s worst - and turned them into (nasty) ASS.
Right. That’s the expected behavior. ASS\SAA is almost always “complex” (that’s the point of ASS\SAA) and Automatic burns in any ASS\SAA that has complex layout\style. On Roku, which doesn’t support ASS\SAA that means that Automatic = “Burn ASS\SAA”.
On my iOS clients - unless I have “over-ride style” enabled, it doesn’t burn it on automatic, it just plays it direct (but often without the styling (which sometimes matters and sometimes doesn’t).
Does that makes sense? I maybe saying it oddly because once it clicked for me, it’s clicked… so might be missing the “explain to those who haven’t clicked” words.
Actually, PMS doesn’t know/check if ASS are complex or not. It’s just always assumed there is formatting so “auto” will force a transcode of ASS for any Plex client that doesn’t support direct play of ASS subtitles. The only clients that do support it are iOS/TVOS and Plex Desktop/HTPC.
None of it makes much sense, but Roku not dealing with ASS subs at all (very well) does.
Even if I select Image Formats Only, ASS subs require ‘remuxing’ and while not actually a ‘Burn’ - it’s tolerable.
Edit (20 seconds old) Image Formats Only:
that’s a ‘Mux’ - I can (barely) live with it…lol
Ah. Gotcha. Thanks for clarifying … I was just using the words from the KB articles about the client subtitle settings. https://support.plex.tv/articles/204275243-settings-plex-for-roku/
Makes sense for Roku that it’d equate to “just burn 'em … who uses SAA\ASS without them being complex?”.
@JuiceWSA … yeah, if I hadn’t been into anime starting way back in VHS titling days I would NOT be as aware of all of this as I am and I don’t expect the average person to be. I always assume ASS\SAA is “anime only” subs at this point.
I don’t mind the muxing too much either … luckily most of my files are mostly native supported on my clients.
Edit:
And not some style functions so I have to turn on the “over-ride styles” setting to be sure… which is an odd setting description in my mind just because I don’t think “over ride plex” I think “over ride the file” when thinking of subtitle styles.
I’d like to have a Meaningful Discussion with the Handbrake Guy.
Why it insists on turning UTF-8 subs - direct playable in everything on Earth - to ASS - is way beyond me.
I stopped letting HB do the subs - and only use externals now as a result of HB’s bonehead development choices.
Thanks a lot JuiceWSA! I’ll try this all out and get it working, appreciated.
This topic was automatically closed 90 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
