[Request] Better support of subtitles, like direct play

Hey,

Do you have any plans of improving support for subtitles, so you can direct play movies with an external srt file on ios, android, chromecast etc.

If you are not planning on this, then I hope you are going to make it later :slight_smile:

This is the feature that stops me from buying plex for lifetime, because if I share my server to my friends , I and them can’t watch at the same time, unless one of us use plex home theater on a pc, because my server is not strong enought to handle two streams at the same time when transcoding them (hardburning in subtitles on the fly).

I don’t want to hardburn the subtitles into the movie permanent, because not all of my friends are using subtitles…


IF YOU WANT THIS TOO, LIKE THIS POST!!

I don’t get your request. You want better support for subtitles, because you bought a cheap server? Otherwise plex supports direct play of videos with srt files and I’m using it every monday night with 2 streams without any problems…

I don't get your request. You want better support for subtitles, because you bought a cheap server? Otherwise plex supports direct play of videos with srt files and I'm using it every monday night with 2 streams without any problems...

Not all of us have an server with two Intel Xeon.. I have an Intel Core i5-3570 Processor and then I do not use it, it is around 1% of load. Then I watch a movie on my chromecast without subtitle (srt) it's still around 1% of load, but if I use subtitles it runs up to 97% of load because it transcodes...

How do you watch movies with a srt file and direct play them on a android/ios/chromecast? I know you can do it on the plex home theater, but I can't get it to work on ios/android etc.

That's a chromecast limitation and not a plex one, if you want subs without transcoding you can buy a roku ok applte tv.

I have to admin i have a chromecast to and i would like that feature to but for the time beeing is not possible, maybe if google changes something in the next future...

I get it, it should be nice.
What I have done is that all of my family that using my shared libraries did purches a rasperry pi with MPEG2 and VC support.
Then the server don't need to transcode as often.

That's a chromecast limitation and not a plex one, if you want subs without transcoding you can buy a roku ok applte tv.
I have to admin i have a chromecast to and i would like that feature to but for the time beeing is not possible, maybe if google changes something in the next future...

Here https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/media they are saying chromecast is supporting subtitles in Webvtt and ttml format, but I know nothing about this, just look like chromecast support it.

I get it, it should be nice.
What I have done is that all of my family that using my shared libraries did purches a rasperry pi with MPEG2 and VC support.
Then the server don't need to transcode as often.

Are you using rasplex for this? And are you never transcoding with subtitles? Can you start a movie from the plex app on your phone?


This is helping me guys, but it will still be good to have support for subtitles on android and ios too without needing to transcoding :)

How do you watch movies with a srt file and direct play them on a android/ios/chromecast? I know you can do it on the plex home theater, but I can't get it to work on ios/android etc.

You can't at the moment. But you can always embed several subtitles (as you see below SRT and TX3G is your best bet), and make sure your media is in a MP4 container with H264/AAC. See below:

Direct plays targets:

iOS: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: TX3G

Android: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: (Android will try to render (external) SRTs on the device manually. This allows it to either Direct Play a video with a subtitle selected, or possibly only remux a video during transcoding rather than a full transcode. There’s an option in the Settings to turn off the client side handling of these subs as well)

Chromecast: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: Pretty sure none at the moment.

You can't at the moment. But you can always embed several subtitles (as you see below SRT and TX3G is your best bet), and make sure your media is in a MP4 container with H264/AAC. See below:
Direct plays targets:
iOS: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: TX3G

Android: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: (Android will try to render (external) SRTs on the device manually. This allows it to either Direct Play a video with a subtitle selected, or possibly only remux a video during transcoding rather than a full transcode. There’s an option in the Settings to turn off the client side handling of these subs as well)

Chromecast: MP4 with H264 video codec and AAC audio codec. Subtitles that direct play: Pretty sure none at the moment.

Get it to work on android, but I don't know how to transfer srt to TX3G, and it will be pretty impractical to have two subtitles, that is the same, just another file ending.. Are you going to support srt on ios, or is it not possible?

Very bad that it does not work with chromecast, is it anything other that is cheap I can use instead? I have looked on a a Raspberry Pi model B Rev 2 (with rasplex), is this a good alternative to an pc connected with hdmi to my tv? Do I get 1080p and do I still need to transcode with an Raspberry Pi instead of a chromecast? And can I use my phone to find the movie, and press a button to watch it on raspberry pi (with rasplex)?
Do raspberry pi with rasplex have some limits? Like only support mp4 and aac audio? It is good to know if it has any :)

Get it to work on android, but I don't know how to transfer srt to TX3G, and it will be pretty impractical to have two subtitles, that is the same, just another file ending.. Are you going to support srt on ios, or is it not possible?

Very bad that it does not work with chromecast, is it anything other that is cheap I can use instead? I have looked on a a Raspberry Pi model B Rev 2 (with rasplex), is this a good alternative to an pc connected with hdmi to my tv? Do I get 1080p and do I still need to transcode with an Raspberry Pi instead of a chromecast? And can I use my phone to find the movie, and press a button to watch it on raspberry pi (with rasplex)?
Do raspberry pi with rasplex have some limits? Like only support mp4 and aac audio? It is good to know if it has any :)

Yeah I just realised that you can't have srt files in an MP4 if you want to keep compatibility. There are a few software apps on Windows and Mac that allow you to convert from basically whatever format into MP4, and when you select which sub to be embedded it will convert it for you.

There is no dirt cheap solution that can do all the hard work for you if you at the same time with have multi-platform support for your friends. If you want a semi-cheap HTPC solution for your home I know that Tobias himself is using PHT on a NUC. Those are quite cheap. Can't remember which model of a NUC he has though.

Regarding raspberry pi, I have no idea.

Yeah I just realised that you can't have srt files in an MP4 if you want to keep compatibility. There are a few software apps on Windows and Mac that allow you to convert from basically whatever format into MP4, and when you select which sub to be embedded it will convert it for you.
 
There is no dirt cheap solution that can do all the hard work for you if you at the same time with have multi-platform support for your friends. If you want a semi-cheap HTPC solution for your home I know that Tobias himself is using PHT on a NUC. Those are quite cheap. Can't remember which model of a NUC he has though.
Regarding raspberry pi, I have no idea.

Ok, I ask at the rasplex forums :) thanks for help :)

For the iOS part, TS is actually just referring to this feature request without knowing it.

Early 2021 clean-up: implemented (current-generation clients / new players have wider support for direct playing more subtitle formats)