Since I was told it’s a bug, make it a feature instead.
The way it currently works: Preferred Audio language: the language to choose if available Shown with foreign audio: shown if audio track language other than preferred audio language Preferred Subtitle language: the subtitle language to choose if available
The bug: Shown with foreign audio: show if audio track language other than preferred subtitle language
Two requests (I read the rules, it’s more like one conditional request)
Rename the current shown with foreign audio option to something that states what this option actually does: hidden with preferred audio
Add a new shown with foreign audio option where preferred audio language only determines the language to look for; have the preferred subtitle language be compared with the audio track language chosen for playback; if the two languages match, don’t show subtitles
I didn’t fully understand your comments on the other thread. Can you give an example of how you would use this?
Settings:
Preferred audio language
English
Preferred subtitle language
English
Auto-select subtitle mode
Shown with foreign audio
Results:
Movie audio
Subtitles shown
Subtitle language
English
No
N/A
Japanese
Yes
English
French
Yes
English
Those are my settings. I speak and read English, so that is my Preferred audio language. When I watch a show in a different language, I want English subtitles to be displayed.
I recognize that I’m sheltered and probably don’t understand your goals.
You chose the only instance where the current system works like the one I request here. For everyone who chooses differently, it doesn’t.
When YOU select a movie:
Plex looks for English audio, finds English audio, and English audio will be played. And you don’t get English subtitles (as is your preferred subtitle language) because your preferred audio language was found.
For you everything’s working because both your preferred audio and subtitle language are set as the same language. You don’t notice that the system has a huge flaw. But even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Lets say you speak a little German (why German? Cause they dub everything, making this example plausible) and one day you decide to improve on it. Let’s watch some of the movies you know. But this time in German with English subtitles. You change your preferences accordingly
Preferred audio language
German
Preferred subtitle language
English
Auto-select subtitle mode
Shown with foreign audio
You select a movie. You planned ahead and actually have one or two with English and German audio:
Plex looks for German audio, finds German audio, and German audio will be played. And you don’t get English subtitles (as is your preferred subtitle language) because your preferred audio language was found. The results are this
Movie audio
Subtitles shown
Subtitle language
German
No
N/A
English
Yes
English
Japanese
Yes
English
French
Yes
English
What?!
Plex doesn’t check if the language chosen for audio playback differs from the one you set for subtitles. It will only choose your preferred subtitle language if it doesn’t find an audio track in your preferred audio language.
What I want it to do instead is
compare the preferred audio language with the available audio tracks and choose one accordingly for playback.
compare that chosen audio track’s language with my preferred subtitle language and if they differ display subtitles in my preferred subtitle language
The second step is not part of the current system and the only case where you don’t notice it is by setting both preferred audio and subtitle language as the same language.
Edit: Before any replies with “set your subtitle mode to always enabled” pop up, no, I don’t want to see English subtitles with English audio, only when the audio is not English. (English is an example, pick any language you like)
- and a man with two clocks is never sure of the time.
Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to explain.
In this scenario, I would not change my preferences. I would leave my Preferred audio language as English.
I would instead select the German audio in the movie itself when I play it. (This step would not be necessary if Preferred audio language could be Original.)
Movie audio
Subtitles shown
Subtitle language
German
Yes
English
English
No
N/A
Japanese
Yes
English
French
Yes
English
(And I wouldn’t hear the truly awful English dub of Lola rennt.)
Are you changing your Preferred audio language setting frequently?
In this scenario, that wouldn’t help. The “preferred” language would be considered as German so it still wouldn’t pick the English subtitle since German is not foreign.
Consider this: You are me. You have three pools of movies/shows:
a ton of Japanese (~1300 files)
a lot of English (~640 files)
a few German, French, Spanish, Italian, Korean, Chinese, etc. you get it.
I like to watch my anime in Japanese with English subtitles, but a lot of them do have Japanese and English audio. My English movies/shows have only one audio track, English.
I see two options of setting my preferred audio language: English or Japanese.
For my English content I don’t need to set a preference. Japanese it is then.
If this feature were implemented my table would also look like this.
Movie audio
Subtitles shown
Subtitle language
German
Yes
English
English
No
N/A
Japanese
Yes
English
French
Yes
English
With the bugged server version and my settings it actually does.
No. That was an example. I just didn’t want to repeat my own case again. Well, now I did.
Tampering with the English tracks on my anime is out of the question. I share that library with my friend and her preference is set like yours, English for audio and subtitles.
To be clear, I’m not opposed to a change in how Subtitle activation works.
In the first post, item #1, you suggest renaming the current option. I don’t think Hidden with preferred audio would be a better name for the current behavior - it doesn’t control when subtitles hide. Perhaps Shown with non-preferred audio?
In item #2 you propose a new option. In my opinion that option shouldn’t be labeled Shown with foreign audio, and it would be very confusing to re-purpose the current name. Instead I suggest Shown when audio differs.
I can think of several scenarios where that option would prove useful. It would also be useful if a Preferred audio language: Original option existed.
I think we agree that dubs are bad, yet the Plex options are designed for them.
Much of your media has a single audio track, so it is used by necessity. But your actual preferred audio language for that media is still English. (This had me very confused.)
Consider if your media had multiple audio tracks. Much of mine does. Setting Preferred audio language to Japanese causes multiple problems:
English media with English and Japanese tracks play in Japanese, not the original English.
French media with French and Japanese play in Japanese, not the original French.
So that method for selecting non-dubbed audio doesn’t work for me or many users.
I’m looking at the Python PlexAPI. It appears possible to iterate through a Library, setting the audio and subtitle languages for each media item.
I’ll share if I make any progress. It would be easy to process different Libraries with different settings.
Edit: Hah, progress made - somebody else has done this.
Well … they’re related, anyway. Your inverted use of the Preferred audio setting is part of why you want the changed subtitle activation behavior. And your proposal redefined the meaning of “foreign” audio.
I think you want this feature because the underlying logic for both audio & subtitles isn’t meeting your needs. (Or mine, either.)
You’re right, I am hoping the whole thing gets more attention. Not because your change/tweak wouldn’t be valuable, but because I’m not optimistic about it being implemented on its own.
Just a lot more subtitle control with preferences would be nice. I also have a lot of Japanese content and the way subtitles are handled currently makes management kind of a pain. Stuff like per genre subtitle settings would be great.
- and a man with two clocks is never sure of the time.
