Because everything I’ve read here leads me to that conclusion. If I try to play a file with PGS subtitles from my NAS, PMS transcodes them. The Nivida Shield article says that if you try to play PGS subtitles on the Nvidia Shield server, they will be transcoded. The article you linked regarding the Samsung TV app said that all subtitles need to be transcoded.
Yet you’re saying that if I send a file containing PGS subtitles to the player on the Nvidia Shield, then they do not need to be transcoded. I’m sure you can understand why I want to know how it can do that.
I edited that before you replied. The Nivida Shield article says that if you try to play PGS subtitles on the Nvidia Shield server, they need to be transcoded.
The server doesn’t play anything. It sends files to players.
It says if you are playing a file with PGS subs on a player that needs the server to transcode them ( such as the Samsung player). then be aware that CPU transcoder ( which is slower) will be used rather than hardware transcoder.
Yes. So it needs to transcode them. Everything needs to transcode PGS subtitles. Except the Nvidia Shield player?? The Nvidia Shield player can play them without transcoding. How can that be?
This is important for two reasons:
If if can really do that, I should buy one.
If a little machine like that can do it, and do it in software, then why doesn’t Plex server do the same thing and send a stream that does not need transcoding to all of its clients? If it could do that then it would end this problem of transcoding PGS which is all over these forums.
But you still haven’t explained how that little machine can play PGS subtitles without transcoding them when everything else we’ve mentioned does need to transcode them. I really wish you would answer that.
Because it will only turn into along winded debate, about why x client to do y but z client can’t. Which is pointless and will lead nowhere.
The Android TV client plays them because it has access to the codecs to do so. Maybe the Samsung client will one day too. The Samsung app currently doesn’t.
I’ve been looking into Plex on and off for years, and I always walk away frustrated. This forum is littered with posts about subtitles. Everyone is confused. I’ve spent hours trying to understand the issues. I’m sure many many other potential new customers go through the same process.
There should be no need for “long-winded debates”, no need for a 50-post thread like this that has lead nowhere. All that’s needed is some simple, clear documentation. For some reason, it feels like Plex goes out of its way to keep things shrouded in a fog of confusion.
You now seem to be saying that the Nvida Shield has access to some, presumably proprietary, Codecs, and that is why it can play PGS files without transcoding. If that’s the case, why didn’t you say so hours ago?
And if there are such Codecs, then it’s reasonable for Plex customers to want to know about them and discuss them. What’s wrong with that? Why all the secrecy?
Me and chuck intimated that at the start of this topic. But you didn’t believe us and brought up API documents.
The entire point of the transcoder is to convert things when the player can’t play them on it’s own so you don’t have to worry about it and can just watch the movie or whatever you are watching.
I sorry but you still seem to be intent on sowing confusion. I know what a transcoder does. You don’t have to tell me.
You said that the Nvidia Shield does not need to transcode. I’ve been trying to find out for hours why that it is. Finally, in your previous post you seemed to say that Shield has access to Codecs that mean it doesn’t need to transcode. But I’m not really sure that is what you’re saying. If that’s the case you or someone else could have said it way back in the thread.
As I say the whole subject is incredibly confusing, and I can see that I’m not going to get any clarity. Nevertheless, thanks for taking the time to respond.
I also spent a very long time trying to find out what Plex clients (players) could “direct play” PGS (Blu Ray) or VOBSUB (DVD) subtitles from mkv files. The only players that can do this are the Plex Media Player (e.g. Windows desktop Plex app) and the Android player that the nVidia shield uses.
The reason why the Nvidia shield can play them back without the server transcoding (burning them into the image) is because in 2016 Plex for Android v4.25.0.581 has “Support for embedded PGS/VobSub subtitles when MKVs are Direct Played.”
Thanks for the link, Ian. That’s an interesting read.
I’ve given up trying to get a straight answer to this question. The article that you linked states that it was actually Plex who wrote the PGS/VOBSUB module on top of Google’s exoplayer, so you’d think it would be easy to get a straightforward and comprehensive answer to this question. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
A quick follow-up on the PGS/VOBSUB playback on shield TV:
I own a 2018 shield TV and it seemed to still transcode when i select PGS. Does this
only work if the subs are external files or should I be able to playback files with internal
PGS subtitles without transcoding?
If so: what would I need to set the “Burn-In Subs” setting to within the Shield Plex App?
Thanks for any help shield really does everything well when it comes to plex and this subtitle thing is the last bastion for me.
Honestly, I am completely confused about the above discussion. I have never been able to get the shield tv to play PGS subs without also transcoding. If there’s a setting somewhere that would fix this, I’d like to know. Otherwise, 4K content is pretty much unusable in Plex, since it has to be transcoded to see subtitles.
Well, I decided to thoroughly test this today and I’ve been (to my surprise) been able to get it to work.
I’ve cleanly converted my Bluray of “Inglourious Basterds” (many languages and PGS subs, but no throughout whole movie) to an MKV file and kept the original PGS subs in there, loaded it onto my NAS with the latest Plex Server version and played it back on the Shield TV (going into my Pioneer receiver and then into an LG OLED).
Worked with subs and without subs, both with NO transcoding happening, when checking the server activity on my Plex NAS. I also tested it with other movies using both PGS and SRT and that worked as well and for both 4K (HEVC) and normal 1080p (AVC, H264, VC1).
I just made sure Plex is updated on every device and in the Shield Client option i set the burn subtitles option to “Automatic”.
Not sure what else could be wrong with your setup if it does not work, but for me (FINALLY!!) it does.
OK I just tested both xbox 2.23.1 and android app 7.82 on my xbox one x and sony x900f which is essentially the same app as Nvidia shield, see results below:
1). BBC Dynasties. Remux 4k file which has 4k HDR and DTS 5.1. and PGS subtitles:
Both xbox and android TV direct steam video without any issues, audio is transcoded to ac3.
however, when you load PGS subtitles, xbox one x will starts transcoding video to h264 while android app direct steams.
note that SRT subtitles do not have this issue, but I prefer not to use it since its way too bright when HDR is turned on.
2). Avengers infinity war. Remux 4k which has HDR, dolby atmos, EAC3 and PGS subtitles
both plays fine without subtitles.
as soon as you add PGS into it, xbox one x starts transcoding.
and when you use atmos track, both xbox and android app starts transcoding even if no subtitels is loaded, which is really wonky.
hi, i my setup is: plex server on qnap nas - cheapiest with 4core intel cpu, “main TV” is nvidia shield → yamaha reciever, which is capable of 4kHDR passthrough and every audio format playback (atmos, dtshd) → sony android tv
secondary tv is some small smart samsung 2018 model
on main setup, i have never seen any transcoding - subtitles works perfetly, atmos works perfectly (because reciever can play it) on the other hand, when i try to play x265 with pgs subtitles on samsung - i get buffering every 10 seconds - transcoding because of subs. the worst was plex directly in sony tv, sony is cutting support for audio formats, so even basic dts was not working… shield seems like solution to everything second shield is on way to “fix” samsung tv…
I have problems with buffering on a Samsung smart TV as well (if I’m not mistaken, it’s UE75MU6172UXXH). Because my Plex server is on Intel NUC, which only has a Celeron CPU (J3455) I wasn’t sure what is the reason for that buffering (4k not needed, 1080p is enough to cause buffering). Today I had a chance to test my Plex server with a Philips TV set. Not sure of the model, but it’s a newer model with OLED. Tested with the movie which isn’t able to play with subtitles enabled without buffering at home, no problems whatsoever on Android Plex app on that Philips.
I really hope Samsung will do something about those codecs that are mentioned in this thread. At least now I know the problem is not on Plex server side (well, apart from that that my Intel NUC doesn’t have enough CPU power for real-time transcoding).
Oh, but … something still isn’t right. A few days ago I’ve purchased Plex Pass because I’ve read claims that with Plex Pass hardware (with GPU) transcoding should work (and my NUC should support hardware transcoding). Getting Plex Pass doesn’t seem to fix my buffering issues.
shield really does everything well when it comes to plex and this subtitle thing is the last bastion for me. 
