DLNA streaming support for external subtitle files .srt

[bluevoice]

Hi,

I have a Qnap NAS 219 with Twonky Media server. I'd like to stream movies to my Cinema Gold TV (50PFL7956H/12) or my Bluray Player (BDP8000/12). Both devices don't support streaming of external .srt files along with the movie while connected to the Media Server.

So in the current situation I always have to copy the files from my NAS to a USB drive (i.e. .avi-file and .srt-file) and play the movie from the USB drive. In this case the subtitels are displayed properly, but only if you use a connected USB drive.

I'd like to keep the files on my NAS and stream the movies to my devices including subtitels, now there are a lot of extra actions that have to be completed before you can watch a movie properly.

Philips why not make things easier? Also, right now, the streaming function for movies is almost non functional for not English speaking people because of the lack of subtitles.

[sngbcn]

Hi bluevoice,

In this case it is not only up to tv to support subtitles from a media server. Also the media server needs to support this feature. If both TV and media server support it then you shouldn't have an issue.

From what I understand if you play the file on your Philips device you are able to activate subtitles, therefore the support is verified, does the Twonky Server support streaming of subtitles?

The DMS sw does: http://www.wildmediaserver.com/product_info.php

so maybe you have to ask Twonky to make things easier

Regards,

[bluevoice]

I tried 2 different servers that support displaying external subtitles, Twonky Media and TVMobili. The problem is not on the Media Server Side. Philips says their programming (firmware) does not support external subtitle files when streaming, only when connected through USB. Philips says they did not implement this feature because of cost considerations. Still, I think this is a key feature for movie streaming and would like to file a feature request.

[a_Tom]

Philips says their programming (firmware) does not support external subtitle files when streaming

where did you got this information?

[bluevoice]

where did you got this information?

Philips called me about the support request form I sent them.

[sngbcn]

hi bluevoice,

Which Twonky server version did you install? I will try to install it on my NAS

Regards,

[bluevoice]

TwonkyMedia qpkg version 6.0.33
TVMobili qpkg version 2.1.3282

[Philips - Thomas]

Hi Guys

we checked if there is any possibility to add Subtitles also to network streamed files.
Sorry to say but with the current DLNA Standards and implimentations this is not possible.

The only possible solution would be to have the server, transcode the video and insert the subtitle on the fly. Which requires live transcoding. However, i dont know any Server which does that.

If you have a Server, which live transcodes an external Subtitle to the Video File, maybe you can share this Server with other Users but from the TV side, there is nothing to be done

Regards
Thomas

[daL]

Hi Thomas,

I bought Twonky but that isn't indeed capable of doing the trick. A colleague tested ~6 products and according to him the only product which does it all is Wild Media Server (WMS). The problem is that it isn't cheap and you need a license for every consumer like the television.

Cheers
daL

[WHA1949]

I had a similar problem with twonky and my Philips BlueRay Player BDP 5100.

I do the following:

On a PC with mkvtoolmix I mux my videos and subtitles into a .mkv file. This file can even contain several subtitles. This mkv (which in my case contains mp4 video and .ssa subtitles) can be played with twonky 5.1.9 and I am able to select subtitles in BlueRay player.
The only problem is, that style information of subtitle, e.g. color=red, is not handled correctly.

Maybe this could work for your TV.

[V4Friend]

I had a similar problem with twonky and my Philips BlueRay Player BDP 5100.

I do the following:

On a PC with mkvtoolmix I mux my videos and subtitles into a .mkv file. This file can even contain several subtitles. This mkv (which in my case contains mp4 video and .ssa subtitles) can be played with twonky 5.1.9 and I am able to select subtitles in BlueRay player.
The only problem is, that style information of subtitle, e.g. color=red, is not handled correctly.

Maybe this could work for your TV.

Hello WHA1949,

Correct me if I'm wrong: your Philips BluRay player can also receive a video-stream from Twonky? And even better: when you merge the subtitles in the .MKV-file, the player can display the subtitles?

Then it would appear to me that Philips already possesses the software that is required to make it work for my 42PFL7676H TV too (and no additional development would be necessary...)

Please Philips: talk to the BluRay devs and add this feature to the TV-firmware!

[adb1973]

There's a FREE mediaserver that does that trick:
PS3 mediaserver.
Don't be fooled by it's name.

Still i feel internal mkv subs should be supported AFAIK that's well within DLNA standards Thomas

Hi Guys

we checked if there is any possibility to add Subtitles also to network streamed files.
Sorry to say but with the current DLNA Standards and implimentations this is not possible.

The only possible solution would be to have the server, transcode the video and insert the subtitle on the fly. Which requires live transcoding. However, i dont know any Server which does that.

If you have a Server, which live transcodes an external Subtitle to the Video File, maybe you can share this Server with other Users but from the TV side, there is nothing to be done

Regards
Thomas

[A_s]

Hi Guys

we checked if there is any possibility to add Subtitles also to network streamed files.
Sorry to say but with the current DLNA Standards and implimentations this is not possible.

The only possible solution would be to have the server, transcode the video and insert the subtitle on the fly. Which requires live transcoding. However, i dont know any Server which does that.

If you have a Server, which live transcodes an external Subtitle to the Video File, maybe you can share this Server with other Users but from the TV side, there is nothing to be done

Regards
Thomas

Still it's not in the DLNA standard this Feature is working with my Synology (NAS with DLNA feature) AND my Samsung TV.
My Synology don't do encoding on the fly , so i suppose that before playing the video the srt file is loaded via the network .

A_s

[damian_gtn]

Hello Thomas, did you try PS3 Mediaservers with Philips TV and subtitles? Does it work?

I've tryed 3 DLNA servers with no luck.

Regards,
Damian.

There's a FREE mediaserver that does that trick:
PS3 mediaserver.
Don't be fooled by it's name.

Still i feel internal mkv subs should be supported AFAIK that's well within DLNA standards Thomas

[bluevoice]

Hello Thomas, did you try PS3 Mediaservers with Philips TV and subtitles? Does it work?

I've tryed 3 DLNA servers with no luck.

Regards,
Damian.

I spoke to a Philips representative on this matter and he told me Philips is not going to implement this function (subs via DLNA) as they think the costs are greater than the advantages of having this function. Besides, according to Philips, there's just a small user base that uses DLNA streaming and even a smaller base of customers using subs via DLNA. I told them for not English natives this function is a must but he told me it's not going to happen.

Personnally, I never use the DLNA function because of the lack of subs. Now I have to copy a movie and subs to a USB stick and plug it in the TV or Bluray player. Why make things better?