Serviio 1.8 and forced subtitles, can't seek

I was using v1.4 with an LG Smart TV, as well as other Android/Roku/etc devices.

Subtitles USED to be on by default, but I could easily turn them off on my smart TV with a couple of clicks. Interestingly, subtitles on my Android ServiiGo app were NOT forced displayed by default, but the option was there to enable if you wanted them. That option is now gone and subtitles are simply forced from the server unless turned off through Serviio Console. (The little "talking balloon" icon in MXPlayer that used to be next to the HW and Note icons at the top is simply missing now.)

Now with version 1.8, subtitles are still on, but the option on my TV to disable them is grayed out.

To add insult to injury, it is no longer possible to FF/RW seek through a video using MXPlayer on Android like I could with 1.4 serving it up.

I've just restored my 1.4 version, as 1.8 is horribly broken at this point. I do realize there are millions of combinations of hardware/software out there, so testing them all is not a possibility, but major features like forced subtitles and seeking through a video should have been in the QA list before releasing a new version.

[atc98092]

There's nothing wrong with 1.8, but it sounds like you have enabled burned-in subtitles. When you do that, the video is transcoded to burn the subs in. You can't disable them because they are part of the video stream, not a separate text stream. And you can't seek on a transcoded video.

Check your console settings and deselect Burned-in subtitles on the Delivery/Subtitles page.

The settings have not changed between upgrades.

Attached is what it looks like in v1.4.

Video1.png shows the little bubble icon available. NO hard-coded subtitles, even though the console clearly shows them enabled.
(The TV acts the same way - as if the server's forced subtitles are actually optional and selectable. NOT SO in v1.8.)

video1.png (334.7 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

Video2.png shows the popup box in Media Player after clicking on the subtitle bubble icon, allowing me to select subtitles.

video2.png (385.21 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

Video3.png shows the video after selecting the subtitles.

video3.png (363.77 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

I'll post the console settings in a second, but subtitles are clearly selected.

I forgot to mention that I am using the "Play Original" option in the ServiiGo Android app, so no trans-coding should be taking place.

Current console settings for subtitles:

serviio_console.png (16.9 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

Here is the same video in v1.8 using the same Android app and MXPlayer. Also using the "Play Original" option.

Notice the missing subtitle bubble icon, and hard-coded, forced subtitles.

video4.png (382.02 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

I did just realize that the trans-coding option is enabled, due to issues with surround sound on one of my devices. I'm forcing it to downmix to stereo.

serviio_console2.png (14.34 KiB) Viewed 3575 times

1. Why can I seek in v1.4 but not v1.8, even though the settings appear to be the same?
2. What's up with the non-selectable subtitles when they used to be selectable, even though the server was set to forced?
3. Why is it no longer possible to install JUST the console in v1.8? Server is forced and you cannot deselect it.
(Serviio server runs on my Linux server, I don't want it on my Windows box. I only use the remote console app in Windows.)

Like I said, horribly broken.

[atc98092]

That console is from 1.4, not 1.8. But if the file is being transcoded, seeking will never work. The file has to play without transcoding for FF/rewind to work. Like I said, 1.8 works fine. Any of my videos that play without transcoding I can ff or rewind with no problem.

Oh, about the console. It no longer has a standalone app, which is why there's no install option. It is web based now. Just go to localhost:23423/console on the Serviio computer, or change localhost to the computer name or IP address. You can access it from any computer on your home network.