Channels & viewing

Are your Roku channels not working? Find troubleshooting tips for adding/removing channels, logging in, authentication, activation, playback issues, and more.
cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
TBAGTO
Newbie

Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

I watch a lot of anime and one of the main apps I use is the Funimation app. Funimation utilizes Roku’s subtitle and captions settings. Why are all the fonts for subtitles impossible to read? I wish Roku would add a thick border font. I don’t want to add a black background to the text. I try to keep the subtitles from blocking as much of the picture as possible but you cannot read them. Looking online this is a common problem. Come on Roku. Give us a legible font. 

Tags (1)
1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
RokuDanny-R
Retired Moderator

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

@TBAGTO

Thanks for the post.

For more information about that channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact the channel support directly to inquire further. Many channels on Roku are developed and maintained by the channel provider themselves. 

 

Thanks,
Danny

Danny R.
Roku Community Moderator

View solution in original post

0 Kudos
18 REPLIES 18
RokuDanny-R
Retired Moderator

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

@TBAGTO

Thanks for the post.

For more information about that channel's features and functionality, you'll want to contact the channel support directly to inquire further. Many channels on Roku are developed and maintained by the channel provider themselves. 

 

Thanks,
Danny

Danny R.
Roku Community Moderator
0 Kudos
Cheesebread222
Reel Rookie

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

@RokuDanny-R, I have to be honest, this isn't really a solution.  this post was about the build-in Roku app subs, not the individual channel that uses them. 

 

the basic subtitles provided by Roku are, to be quite frank, lacking.  their 'white' option is actually more of a gray, they lack a sufficiently bold font, and the outline is simply too thin.  I myself was also watching something on Funimation last night, and missed several lines because of how unreadable the text can be at times.  And I must echo the sentiment of the previous poster, adding a background simply obscures more of the picture, which is less than desirable. 

 

As a fairly new Roku customer, I've been pleased with almost every other aspect of the device so far (and the few I haven't been pleased with are either due to bad internet connection, which is a problem on my end, or a problem specific to the apps, which is on their end), but the default subtitles that come with the Roku are simply lacking.

 

One last complaint I suppose I have is that they can't be toggled per app, and must be always on or always off.  This is annoying, as I really only need them when watching something in a language other than English, but it's a minor complaint and I can work around it.  the subtitle font problem, though, I fear renders some content simply unwatchable. 

ryokorosia
Newbie

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

@Cheesebread222 You are a wonderful responder. Please send a way to fix this issue!

denhow
Roku Guru

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

This may not be too helpful, but I'll offer it anyway. I'm 75 years old and with my old eyes I use captions a lot. I agree that the Roku captioning leaves a lot to be desired. After much experimenting these are the best settings I've found, given what we have to work with. Maybe other people will at least find this to be a good starting point for their own experimentation.

Text style: Sans serif proportional

Text edge effect: None

Text size: Large

Text color: Yellow

Text opacity: 100%

Background color: Black

Background opacity: 50%

Window color: Black

Window opacity: Off

YogiB
Channel Surfer

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

As a new Roku user, I am having the same issue. The Roku's standard subtitle ("caption") options are just horrible.
Serif / Sans Serif should never be used for subtitles as they are hard to read fast with all the unnecessary decorations.

Roku should and must include widely used fonts, such as Arial, Roboto and Helvatica.

As others also pointed out: the outline isn't thick enough, so white subtitles aren't legible on light surfaces.

Furthermore, it would be really great if they could be completely at the bottom of the screen, instead of ~20% up.

MJmusicguy
Streaming Star

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

try these

@YogiB @Cheesebread222 

Text style: Sans serif proportional

Text edge effect: dropshadow right

Text size: medium

Text color: Cyan

Text opacity: 100%

Background color: Black

Background opacity: off

Window color: Black

Window opacity: Off

0 Kudos
MJmusicguy
Streaming Star

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

you can also use yellow whatever you profer but use my other settinfs

0 Kudos
samtwo
Channel Surfer

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

I just received 3 roku devices and after 10 minutes I realise the font problem. Why not arial? If I don't find a way to change the fonts on plex I will return them all back. 

Michelle3
Roku Guru

Re: Terrible Subtitle Fonts

Jump to solution

@samtwo I don’t think Roku has an Arial font  and Plex probably doesn’t either.  The font developer probably has to license the platform company to use a specific font.

~ Jordan

I’m into videotapes and old electronics stuff, including extenders, converters and analog 4:3 TV sets (which are obsolete these days), and Miss Bianca is my favorite character in Disney’s The Rescuers (1977) and its sequel, The Rescuers Down Under (1990). I am not a Roku employee, only a user like you. ~ Jordan

Roku Express+ 3910X
0 Kudos