The ability to add subtitles to a video is an essential part of any interesting media player. Especially when some of the best movies and TV shows in the world are unlikely to be in your native language.
ContentsHow to automatically download subtitles on PlexHow to add subtitles to your existing shows on PlexHow to add local subtitle filesCheck what subtitles are availableHow to enable Plex subtitles by defaultHow to enable Plex subtitles while streaming readLearn more about using PlexSubtitles can also be useful if you are trying to learn a foreign language. You can even add captions for content created in your own language if the content includes hard-to-understand accents or periods of silent speech. Or if you have hearing problems.
Unsurprisingly, Plex supports multiple subtitle solutions, but they're all disabled right away. So here's everything you need to know about using subtitles on Plex.
Let's say you don't have locally saved caption files, or at least the majority of your content doesn't have captions. You must source your captions from a third-party provider.
Using a media scraper, Plex can extract OpenSubtitles.org subtitles for free. You just need to start the process.
To get started, go to Settings>Settings>Agents . Using the tabs at the top of the page, navigate to Movies (or Movies in the UK) >Plex Movie (Legacy) . Find OpenSubtitles.org , make sure the box is checked and drag it to the top of the list.
Your list should now look like this:
Next, go back to the tabs at the top of the screen, but this time head to Shows>TheTVDB . (The shows are called Programs in the UK edition). Again, check the box and drag OpenSubtitles.org to the top.
By making these changes, Plex is prioritizing downloading subtitles when you add new content to your library.
To tell Plex which languages you want, you need to change the agent settings. On the same screen, click on the Equipment icon next to OpenSubtitles.org. If you have an account on the site, you can enter your username and password, although this is not essential for the tool to work. You can specify up to three languages using the drop-down lists.
The changes you just made to the Media Capture Agent will only work for any new content added to your library.
If you're just starting your media collection, that's fine, but in most cases you'll probably want to retrospectively add subtitles to your existing TV shows and movies.
To do this, you need to refresh your library's metadata. Locate the library you want to refresh in the list on the left side of the Plex home screen. Click the three horizontal dots to access the context menu, then go to Manage Library>Refresh All Metadata .
If you have an extensive library, the process can take a long time. So if you're in a rush to get subtitles on a show (or episode), navigate to the video in question, click the three horizontal dots in the bar at the top of the screen, then click Update metadata .
OpenSubtitles.org has a large number of free subtitle files, but it doesn't have everything. If the subtitle file is missing for one of your favorite shows, you may need to locate it elsewhere.
Substage, SubtitleSeeker, and SRTFiles are three of the best places to visit. We've covered other sources for subtitles in another article.
Plex supports subtitles in five formats:SRT , SMI , SSA , ASS , and MTB . Formats such as VOBSUB and PGS will only work on certain Plex players and should be avoided if possible.
Once you have downloaded the files you need, save them in the same directory as the medium for which they apply. For example, on my server, I would save the Red Dwarf Series 1, Episode 1 subtitle file in E:TV Red Dwarf Season 01 .
You also need to name your subtitle files accurately:
The language code should follow the international standard ISO codes.
For more help with naming your Plex files, be sure to read our article on how to optimally name your Plex files.
To complete the process, scan your library (Context menu>Scan Library Files ). Plex should find the subtitle files and link them to related videos.
Once you've followed all the steps we've detailed so far, you might want to check if they actually worked.
To see what subtitles are available for a given TV episode or movie, go to its Plex page. If adding subtitles was successful, you will see all languages listed (expand the drop-down menu to see the full list).
Click on a language to override the system settings (described below) and set the default language file for that particular video.
Great, now you have all the Plex subtitle files you need. But how do you look at them? This is where you will finally start to see the fruits of your labor.
If you plan to use subtitles most of the time, it makes sense to change Plex's settings so they're enabled by default.
Go to Settings> Settings> Languages . Uncheck the box next to Automatically select audio and subtitle tracks , and you can change the settings below.
For the purpose of this process, we are interested in Subtitle Mode and Prefer subtitles in . Set the prerequisite to Always on , and the latter in the language of your choice. Click Save Changes to complete the process.
Maybe you don't want subtitles on all the time. After all, if you don't use them, they can get boring. But do not worry; it is just as easy to manage subtitles video by video.
Once your video is playing, click the Settings button Ho icon in the lower right corner. In the context menu, you will see a list of all the subtitle files you have for the video in question. Click on a language to activate the file.
Using captions is just a small part of configuring the Plex app to suit your needs. And don't forget that over the past few years, Plex has added features such as live IPTV, an on-demand video library, and support for live channels via antenna.
.item-num::after{content:"https://www.moyens.net/"; }
About the author
