Plex not recognizing default languages and subtitles

General Discussions
1

I’ve been experiencing problems with my foreign language movies as well as anime not picking the default track when scanned. Some files it picks the defaults and other files it does not. I am not experiencing any problems in it locating the media or metadata from the internet.
Currently I have two plex servers, one on Freebsd, and one on Debian using the ubuntu package.

Currently the Freebsd unit has version 1.3.3.3148 from the public channel, the absolute series scanner and hamatv agent installed. Whether I add the media using plex series scanner or the hamatv agent
The offending media varies in age and format. All tracks have mkv language tags with only one track set as default.

File 1 & 2 fail to be recognized properly by PMS. PMS selects the first English Audio track and no subtitles.
File 3 PMS considers track 1 Cantonese audio to the be default track. The external subtitles are loaded.
File 4 PMS considers track 1 English audio to be the default track and no subtitles are selected.

MKV File 1 (Anime)

  • English AC3 audio - 5.1 448kbps
  • Japanese AC3 audio (default) - stereo 256kbps
  • English subtitle - Signs & Songs - SRT
  • English subtitle - Full - SRT (default)
  • English subtitle - Signs & Songs - vobsub
  • English subtitle - Full - vobsub

MKV File 2 (Anime)

  • English AC3 audio
  • Japanese AC3 audio (default)
  • English subtitle - Signs & Songs - SRT
  • English subtitle - Full - SRT (default)
  • English subtitle - Signs & Songs - vobsub
  • English subtitle - Full - vobsub

MKV File 3 (Foreign Language Movie)

  • Cantonese DTS audio
  • Mandarin AC3 audio (default)
  • English subtitle - SRT (external)

MKV File 3 (Foreign Language Movie)

  • English AC3 audio
  • Swedish AC3 audio (default)
  • English subtitle - Theatrical - SRT (default)
  • English subtitle - Narrative - SRT

Troubleshooting - Each series was moved into a testing library so that I could delete and re-add the library after each change. I also emptied the trash after each removal.
Change default track for audio and subtitle, no change.
Change default track to what I want, no change.
Set the vobsub track to default, no change.
Remove vobsub subs, no change.
Remove all subtitles and insert ass subtitle not even for this series (12 minute subtitle inserted into 20+ minute show)
Separate tracks into individual files and remux, no change.
Install a new operating system into a new VM, install PMS without extra agents, no change.

  • Plex Debian 1.3.4.3285 by yakumo installed in Debian
  • Plex Pass Ubuntu x64 1.4.2.3400 installed in Debian
  • Plex Freebsd 1.3.3.3148 installed in Freenas 9.3-201605170422

Choosing “Automatically select audio and subtitle tracks” prompts unwanted behaviour. It only lets me select one language for preferred audio. While this fixes the anime, listening to lord of the rings in Japanese is sub-optimal. I have changed my ripping settings to deselect audio tracks but this isn’t optimal either. The English voice work often doesn’t match the quality of the subtitles and other times the amount of words needed to convey a short phrase leaves me watching an actor eating while the English dubbing continues to talk.

The four file types I listed above are some of the worst offenders (While I reference lord of the rings it plays ok If I don’t have Plex automatically select the language). The default track flag for all tracks is observed in MPC-HC, PotPlayer, and VLC without selecting preferred languages.

I’m at my wits end for things I can think of trying. Please help.

2

Plex does not heed the ‘default’ flag. It simply uses the first stream that fits the desired language. So the order of the tracks in the file plays a role here.

Unfortunately, there can be no language preferences ‘by library’.
Nor can there be several preferred languages with a ‘order of preference’.

3

Thank you, While I enjoy not being crazy, I am astonished that this feature hasn’t been implemented. Once I searched order of tracks I found multiple feature requests and voted them up. Top two, use default settings as well as show track names. I am methodical about properly naming these when I rip them.