What media formats are supported?

[larssorensen83]

I was looking at this What media formats are supported? because I was asked for a recommendation for a new LG tv for one of mine friends.

I noticed:

Enabling subtitles of any type will require them to be transcoded (burned) into the video stream.

But I don’t think that is correct (anymore) and I know it is a hassle but it would be very much appreciated if someone could look and make sure that the infomation on that page were up to date whenever someone relevant get a spare moment as I use that page to make sure my Playback device recommendations are Plex compatible.

[Alucard1]

What is transcoded locally to your TV is on what the TV supports not what Plex Support. If you plan on watching 4K HDR with HD audio you will probably want to get the Nvidia Shield. If watching 1080/720 the Plex TV app should work fine. If using Subs then the video still may be transcoded. Also some audio may be transcoded if your TV does not support the audio format.

[premikkoci]

All subs (even .srt) are burn in if direct play cannot be achieved. Incompatible audio+subs cause video transcoding. So forget HDR content with TrueHD or DTS audio and enabled subtitles.

[larssorensen83]

@premikkoci

All subs (even .srt) are burn in if direct play cannot be achieved.

So if direct play can be achieved they are not burnt in?

The only thing that page says about subtitles is this

Enabling subtitles of any type will require them to be transcoded (burned) into the video stream.

And as I said in my post I don’t think that is correct.

Incompatible audio+subs cause video transcoding. So forget HDR content with TrueHD or DTS audio and enabled subtitles.

I know about the audio transcoding

[FordGuy61]

@larssorensen83

LG tv

When using the Plex LG app, TrueHD and any dts format of audio will be transcoded by the Plex server to a supported format.

This is how the Plex LG app behaves with subtitles:

1. Enabling image based subtitles, PGS or VOBSUB, results in a video transcode.
2. If audio is transcoding, enabling any subtitle results in a video transcode.
3. If audio is direct playing, text subtitles, SRT & VTT, direct play.
4. For ASS/SSA subtitles:
1. If Burn Subtitles = Automatic in the Plex LG app, enabling ASS/SSA subtitles results in a video transcode.
2. If Burn Subtitles = Only Image Formats, ASS/SSA subtitles, direct play, but formatting information (color, location, etc) may be lost.

[FordGuy61]

@larssorensen83

What version of the Plex app are you using?

Also, what version of Tizen is your TV running?

I thought transcoded audio + subtitles meant a video transcode for Samsung TVs (as it does for LGs).

It seems that is no longer true. I may have to correct a couple of posts.

Thanks.

[larssorensen83]

What version of the Plex app are you using?

Client version 5.12.0 (Early access)

Also, what version of Tizen is your TV running?

Platform Version 5.0

[FordGuy61]

Thanks for the info.

[larssorensen83]

No Problem - If there’s anything else I should check just say so.

I thought transcoded audio + subtitles meant a video transcode for Samsung TVs (as it does for LGs).

Can you confirm that transcoding audio + subtitles still means video transcoding on LG TVs because then I know to only recommend buying Samsung TVs?

[FordGuy61]

@larssorensen83

Can you confirm that transcoding audio + subtitles still means video transcoding on LG TVs

LG B7 OLED, Plex client v5.12.2
PMS 1.22.2.4276 on a Synology DS918+

Playing a blu-ray rip on my LG B7 OLED. TrueHD audio transcodes because it is not supported by the TV. Enabling SRT subtitles results in a video transcode.

@larssorensen83

only recommend buying Samsung TVs?

FYI, there’s bug in Tizen 5.5. Until Samsung fixes it subtitles will be burned into the video if the audio is transcoding. See post below.

I looked at flatpanelshd.com. According to that site, Samsung 2020 models run Tizen 5.5 and the 2021 models run Tizen 6. No idea if the bug is also in Tizen 6 (not sure if they’re shipping yet).

Two Tizen Samsung TV's - one works with subtitles (srt), one doesn't

Tizen 5.5 uses HLS vs Tizen 5.0 that uses DASH. Streaming subtitles are an issue in HLS when not direct playing, so it needs to be burned in. Unfortunately a bug on Samsung’s side is preventing us from using DASH for Tizen 5.5, so until that’s fixed by them, we’re stuck.

[larssorensen83]

FYI, there’s bug in Tizen 5.5. Until Samsung fixes it subtitles will be burned into the video if the audio is transcoding.

I will test that later today, just to be 100% sure - but even so I still thinks Samsung comes out on top, unless things are going to change on LG TVs they always transcodes video, if audio needs transcoding and subtitles are enabled as your image shows, or am I missing something? Is that going to change on the LGs?

[larssorensen83]

@FordGuy61

@FordGuy61

When using the Plex LG app, TrueHD and any dts format of audio will be transcoded by the Plex server to a supported format.

DTS-HD MA 7.1 works fine on this LG TV so for my part I will just avoid TrueHD

[FordGuy61]

@larssorensen83

LG TVs they always transcodes video, if audio needs transcoding and subtitles are enabled as your image shows, or am I missing something? Is that going to change on the LGs?

You’re not missing anything.

Never say never, but I don’t see it changing, at least for current LG TVs. Nothing has changed since I’ve owned my LG.

@larssorensen83

DTS-HD MA 7.1 works fine on this LG TV

Yes. Same on my B7. If you pass the audio to a receiver/soundbar via HDMI-ARC it passes the dts 5.1 core, not the full dts-HD MA stream (HDMI-ARC is bandwidth limited & does not support TrueHD or dts-HD).

FYI, LG dropped support for dts audio in their 2020 models, which run webOS 5. Plex will transcode the audio to a supported format if you play a dts audio track using the Plex LG app.