Features, settings & updates

[Jmusich]

I have a mp4 movie with subtitles. The Film is being streamed by a WD My Cloud Elite device through my network to two roku ultras. I cannot figure how to get he subtitles to display. The original resides on my imac. When I play he film in Quicktime the subtitle show up. The subtitles do play running the WD 0S5 software on my ipads. Thanks

[MilesT]

Seems like Roku media player app can't do subtitles embedded in mp4.

Post that as a suggestion in suggestion area of this support website.

[atc98092]

Roku devices only support text based captions. If you've ripped a movie from a DVD or Blu Ray, those captions are called image based, and Roku devices won't play them. 

Roku devices will play captions from an external SRT file, so that's a possibility for you. There are web sites you can download SRT files for many movies or TV shows. There are also tools that can extract the image based captions and create an SRT file from that, although I don't know how successful they really are. I've never used them.

One type of cations that will display would be what's included in something recorded from broadcast TV. The EIA-608/708 captions contained in OTA TV are text based, and Roku displays them just fine. I have a number of things recorded from over the air, and if they have captions the Roku shows them without a problem. 

[Jmusich]

Opps. Sorry ! Problem was on my end. I did not force the srt file to be burned in. Once I did that subtitles were there to read, 

[atc98092]

Roku should not require the SRT file to be burned into the video stream. That's a text file, and should play correctly without burning the text. But perhaps it's a setting in your DLNA server that needed to be enabled to serve the captions file. I can't say, as I'm unfamiliar with the servers provided on NAS devices. 

[Jmusich]

I can see then subtitles on my iPads through the WD Os5 using the WD app when playing this movie. I do however need to select subtitles. On the Roku software the subtitles are not seen. Therefore I ending forcing the set file using handbrake. And now it is working. However I am not above pointing a jaded glance at Wd for not integrating a media server into their Os. However that being said I have always had to force an srt file to play with the Roku devices.

[atc98092]

Humm, strange. I use Serviio (not available for WD devices) as my DLNA server, and it streams the SRT file when found automatically. It doesn't get burned in unless I trigger thitat in the Serviio settings, but I don't do that because that forces transcoding on every video (it's a system-wide setting), regardless of the player's support of the video in question. 

DLNA servers like Serviio are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, and a handful of NAS devices. Same with Plex or Emby. I think they would all do a better job than whatever is on your WD now. But it does require a computer or NAS device always powered on and connected to your network.

[Jmusich]

My WD elite is always powered on. I am using twonky as you may remember. My computer is tuned off when I am not using it. Twonky is working now. I am reticent about switching for fear it could blow the whole thing up. Wd is pushing Plex. But i know nothing about how to use it. It seems it is a subscription service. Do you know ? Thanks

[atc98092]

Plex is free, but it does have some added features that one pays for. I don't use any of those, so I'm still using the free version. There is no subscription to just use the media streaming functions. 

When Plex is installed, it needs to be configured. This is done using a computer browser on any computer connected to the same network. You need a Plex account, but that too is free. You then tell Plex where it can find your media, and if a folder contains movies, TV shows, or music. I recall trying Twonky in the past, and you have to do most of those same steps on setup. After that, you just update it occasionally when it tells you there's an update. So far I've never had an update mess up my settings, so it's pretty transparent.

While I do use Plex, it's not my primary media server platform. As I mentioned, I use Serviio since I have more control over how it works with each of my players. But it's as easy as Plex to use if you don't want to worry about stuff like that. But while Serviio has versions for some NAS devices, there are none for WD devices. 

[Jmusich]

Thanks for the Plex advice. Twonky has been supportive if I need help. But the initial setup was a guessing game, When WD had it embedded as the media server it was straight forward. Click and go. Now as I have it set up if I do not take he correct path I may not see my videos. I do not see explicit instructions. I have Plex can set the roku media software on the right path immediate I would use it. It just befuddles me that WD can sell a product as a media server and not have a software ready to go. I am going to google plex and WD to see if thee is a video. Thanks