This problem has been here for many years now on my Synology NAS (and I’ve had a few models, same issue on all of them). Sometimes it just won’t detect my external subtitles (english or swedish). I can have a file called “test.mkv” and “test.srt” and it won’t find it. I’ve tried switching encoding of the file. Not working. Refreshing the library, not working.
The only way I’ve found to fix this is to mux the srt into the mkv itself OR to use Plex Server on Windows because I’ve never had any issues like this on Windows.
Is there a working solution for this, yet or do I simply have to keep remuxing? It’s annoying anyway…
Non-ascii characters in file names or folder names. Avoid them.
Even if you have a folder full of files and only one of them has a simple ö in it, it causes ‘Local Media Assets’ for all the files to not work.
It is the same basic problem like this user had: https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/223099/problem-adding-new-local-extras
I’ve scanned my folder several times now. I’ve removed a few swedish characters, but still, no subtitles on a few of them even if they’re there…
Example below (rips of my own movies, no need to worry…)
Home Alone.1080p.mkv
Home Alone.1080p.srt
Doesn’t work. The above subs are not detected, but
Home Alone 2.1080p.mkv
Home Alone 2.1080.srt
is working properly!
If you have all your movies in one big folder, take one of the problematic movies and create a subfolder for it. (named like Movie Title (year))
Then move the video file and its subtitles into the subfolder.
Update the library. Empty library trash.
Does this change anything?
No it didn’t help. 
@oRBIT2002 said:
No it didn’t help.
It should be Home Alone (year).mkv
“Home Alone (year).eng.srt” or “Home Alone (year).eng.forced.srt”
That format. Replace eng with your country code.
Nope, no difference.
- activate debug logging (not ‘verbose’!)
- quit Plex Server
- wait 1 minute
- empty the log folder
- start Plex Server
- wait 2 minutes
- refresh the movie. Play the movie for ~ 1minute.
- wait 3 minutes
- shut down Plex server
- wait 1 minute
- zip up the whole log folder and attach it here
PMS 1.2.3-2914 has been released for Plex Pass download. It contains the correction for unicode (non-English) characters for subtitles and other local media assets.
I have a similar problem with my Movies and TV-Show subtitles.
PMS will disregard entire tv-shows and the occational movie.
After an “Update” on the show, the subtitles slowly start showing up.
Easy for me to fix, but my kids access shows and ask’s for subtitles, that are already there.
I was under the impression that PMS would check for subtitles being present, when a show is accessed?
@ElCapitano said:
I have a similar problem with my Movies and TV-Show subtitles.
PMS will disregard entire tv-shows and the occational movie.
After an “Update” on the show, the subtitles slowly start showing up.Easy for me to fix, but my kids access shows and ask’s for subtitles, that are already there.
I was under the impression that PMS would check for subtitles being present, when a show is accessed?
PMS version?
Log files?
PMS Version 1.2.0.2838
Thanks for the logs.
In opening the Scanner logs, almost immediately I see where PMS found a new movie and its companion subtitle file together.
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:28.663 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - Performing a scan with 'Plex Movie Scanner' (language: da virtual: 0).
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:28.684 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - * Scanning /mnt/NAS/Video/Movies/Valkyrie (2008)
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:28.864 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - * Scanning directory /mnt/NAS/Video/Movies/Valkyrie (2008) (parent: yes)
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:28.900 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: /mnt/NAS/Video/Movies/Valkyrie (2008)/valkyrie.2008.1080p-refined.mkv
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:28.901 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - Adding file for scanner: /mnt/NAS/Video/Movies/Valkyrie (2008)/valkyrie.2008.1080p-refined.da.srt
Oct 26, 2016 19:26:29.158 [0x7fffa03573c0] DEBUG - File '/mnt/NAS/Video/Movies/Valkyrie (2008)/valkyrie-1080p-refined.mkv' didn't exist, can't skip.
As I look further down, I don’t see where it was skipped, dropped, or otherwise ignored. Does the movie indeed have subtitles?
Also, I see where your episodes of Gotham (video and subtitles) get picked up by the scanner simultaneously. Can you confirm these are also present?
PMS searches for local (external subtitles, etc) when the Local Media Assets agent is enabled (Settings - Server - Agents). From the indications I have here so far, it looks like it’s finding the subtitles when PMS is doing its library update.
I do know a great deal of work was done with regard to non-English file name characters (Unicode) in version 1.2.3. Your log files show you’re running 1.2.0. Are you running 1.2.0 strictly for the DVR beta? If you are, we can ‘patch’ your Local Media agent and update it. If you’re not using 1.2.0 because of the DVR beta and you have your original copy of the 1.2.0 installation package, would you consider giving 1.2.3-2914 a try?
Also, not knowing your Server settings for Library (Settings - Server - Library), I’d like to recommend you enable the top two options if not already enabled:
- Update my library automatically
- Run a partial scan when changes are detected
Doing so will tell PMS to use the Linux kernel’s “Notify” service. This sends PMS a message when any directory being watched gets changed in any way. I have these enabled and don’t need to manually update. My desktop and NAS automatically detect new media + extras being placed in the library. PMS automatically scans to find out what changed, finds those files, and adds them to the library without having the scan everything again.
With regard to those things PMS disregards completely, do those titles (file names) have non-English characters in them?
Many thanks for your swift reply ChuckPa.
The TV-Show “The 100”, was not picking up existing subtitles. Season 3 has been in my library since season finale, with subtitles. So just a couple of hours before my post, and the attached log’s, I did an update on that library. Maybe you will be able to find some irregularities there.
I only have subtitles on English shows, so non of the missing subtitles would have non English characters in the filename. Unless they are using French characters in the Episode name.
All library settings are exactly as you suggest. I am in fact using the DVR beta, to access my HDHomerun…
