DiscoveryPlus: Can we PLEASE get the subtitles (CC) fixed??? They have NEVER worked!

jpp72

I really don't understand why this issue is not even getting acknowledge, let alone fixed...

Maybe the devs just don't understand what i am talking about. So i will try to break it down:

DiscoveryPlus has subtitles for pretty much ALL videos. The problem is, they have 2 types and StreamFab only seems to handle one type.That is the embedded/forced subtitles.

Perfect example is all the 90 Day Fiancé shows. When someone who doesn't speak English very well is talking, there are embedded subtitles. StreamFab downloads these and they are embedded into the file. You cannot turn these off. If you don't want them then you just don't download them.

The other type, which is the type people who want the subtitles actually care more about are the Closed Captions subtitles. These can be turned on or off in the video player of your choice and they will show up for the entire video, except the parts that have the embedded subs.

Here is a screenshot of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Season 7, Episode 2, at Timecode 00:00:13.107 seconds.

As you can see, after downloading the episode with yt-dlp, i extract the webvtt Closed Captions Subtitles and convert them to .srt as described here

If you download that same episode with StreamFab, you will see that the CC subs are not there.

I would like to use the scheduling feature of StreamFab to get the episodes automatically but without the subtitles, it's a no-go. The fact that we cannot select the bitrate is also annoying.

So right now, i have to continue using yt-dlp in order to get a lower bitrate 1080p video with both the embedded subs and the CC subs.

@Mona: Can you please acknowledge if the devs are willing to take a look at this or just tell me to stfu about Discovery+ Subs and i will.

october262

I really don't understand why this issue is not even getting acknowledge, let alone fixed...

Maybe the devs just don't understand what i am talking about. So i will try to break it down:

DiscoveryPlus has subtitles for pretty much ALL videos. The problem is, they have 2 types and StreamFab only seems to handle one type.That is the embedded/forced subtitles.

Perfect example is all the 90 Day Fiancé shows. When someone who doesn't speak English very well is talking, there are embedded subtitles. StreamFab downloads these and they are embedded into the file. You cannot turn these off. If you don't want them then you just don't download them.

The other type, which is the type people who want the subtitles actually care more about are the Closed Captions subtitles. These can be turned on or off in the video player of your choice and they will show up for the entire video, except the parts that have the embedded subs.

Here is a screenshot of 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? Season 7, Episode 2, at Timecode 00:00:13.107 seconds.

As you can see, after downloading the episode with yt-dlp, i extract the webvtt Closed Captions Subtitles and convert them to .srt as described here

If you download that same episode with StreamFab, you will see that the CC subs are not there.

I would like to use the scheduling feature of StreamFab to get the episodes automatically but without the subtitles, it's a no-go. The fact that we cannot select the bitrate is also annoying.

So right now, i have to continue using yt-dlp in order to get a lower bitrate 1080p video with both the embedded subs and the CC subs.

@Mona: Can you please acknowledge if the devs are willing to take a look at this or just tell me to stfu about Discovery+ Subs and i will.
jpp72

have you tried playing back the video on multiple devices to confirm that the CC subs are there ??
what is your playback device ??

jpp72

have you tried playing back the video on multiple devices to confirm that the CC subs are there ??
what is your playback device ??
october262

I know what i am doing. Trust me. I am not a non-technical noob. As i explained, i can get the subtitles using yt-dlp. I want StreamFab to fix their shit strictly so i can use the scheduling function.

The player will not play subtitles that are non-existant but just to humor you, i play all my stuff through Kodi. MPC-HC or VLC will also not show subtitles that don't exist. Just opening the file in MediaInfo tells me all i need to know. There are no Closed Captions OR Text Subtitles.

If there were real Closed Captions in the file, They would look like this. At some point, if you set it to download to MP4, it randomly would have the Closed Captions. But the fact is that my settings are set to download to MKV so StreamFab should download the video track and extract the CC from that track as .srt and then mux them into the MKV. It does not do that.

Discovery+ has 2 types of streams right now. HLS and DASH. The HLS videos have the CC embedded into the video. All the newer stuff use DASH and the CC are in a separate file altogether.

When downloading with yt-dlp, it will created 2 MP4 files. One being just the subtitles and the other being the actual video+audio with the embedded subs for non-English or bad English pronunciation. I parse the 1st file to extract the WebVTT, convert to SRT, then mux SRT and other MP4 into an MKV.

If StreamFab was even attempting to download the CC, the subs dropdown would say English (CC) but it only says English and there are no other subs to pick.

When downloading with StreamFab, the resulting MKV has embedded CC nor does it have Text CC:

When downloading with yt-dlp and running my scripts to extract/convert/mux, i do have the Text CC:

Ignore the different file size/bitrate. I choose a lower bitrate because it's insane to have such high bitrates for reality show. Alas, StreamFab doesn't let us pick the bitrate for Discovery+ DASH videos.

Cats4U

There are two ways of looking at this, one, you are getting from the wrong source, two, StreamFab needs to finish out Discovery+'s setting like they have Amazon's.

The following is not your screenshot, it is mine. It came from Discovery+ on Amazon, the settings listed will follow. Amazon allows what you want to do. The developer for StreamFab simply needs to set up Discovery+ the same way.

jpp72

If Discovery+ was available on Amazon Prime in Canada, i would totally sub to it but it's not. It would solve my subs issue AND i would be able to get the stuff in H265

october262

If Discovery+ was available on Amazon Prime in Canada, i would totally sub to it but it's not. It would solve my subs issue AND i would be able to get the stuff in H265
jpp72

do you have hulu or the roku channel ?? according to google the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After is available there too.

jpp72

do you have hulu or the roku channel ?? according to google the 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After is available there too.

october262

I appreciate the suggestions but Hulu is only 720p and you need the live TV sub to get only 4 of the 90 Day Shows.

Roku Channel you also have to pay extra for the 90 day shows.

Fact is, i already pay for Discovery+ and it has 12 million other shows that are not on Hulu or Roku Channel. 90 Day Shows were just an example...I do download a lot of other series that are not anywhere else. The only way i would pay AGAIN for Discovery+ is through Amazon Prime so i could get the shows in H265. Right now, a free tool can get any show on Discovery+ as H264, correct bitrate, and subtitles so it would make no sense to pay to get the same but only PERHAPS the scheduling function works...

I guess i will need to find the time to code a scheduler myself... I just don't have said time... :(

Cats4U

If Discovery+ was available on Amazon Prime in Canada, i would totally sub to it but it's not. It would solve my subs issue AND i would be able to get the stuff in H265
jpp72

I guess that puts the end to that idea. I think you had said you were in Canada before but I just didn't remember. There's no two ways about it then, StreamFab has to provide Discovery+ with all the features in the Amazon Prime module. It's not totally certain at this point what Discovery+ will look like when they combine with HBO Max, supposedly sometime next year, but it should be worthy, especially then, of the all out Amazon treatment. Frankly, I don't know why they don't do that with all the modules. HLSes and DASHes are HLSes and DASHes no matter what streaming service is being used. The only thing that changes is the encryption and they have that well in hand. All the processing and remixing can be done with any streamer's data.

remmy90

Its also now in very low bitrate on Hulu so you wouldn't want that either I wish they would fix that as it use to be at a much higher bitrate and everyone else can do it

jimc115

Discovery+ has 2 types of streams right now. HLS and DASH. The HLS videos have the CC embedded into the video..
jpp72

I can tell you right now that SF does NOT support ts files...(NO HLS). so you aren't going to get what you want. I've asked before on this and also Crackle.

DeadPixel

I know what i am doing. Trust me. I am not a non-technical noob. As i explained, i can get the subtitles using yt-dlp. I want StreamFab to fix their shit strictly so i can use the scheduling function.

The player will not play subtitles that are non-existant but just to humor you, i play all my stuff through Kodi. MPC-HC or VLC will also not show subtitles that don't exist. Just opening the file in MediaInfo tells me all i need to know. There are no Closed Captions OR Text Subtitles.

If there were real Closed Captions in the file, They would look like this. At some point, if you set it to download to MP4, it randomly would have the Closed Captions. But the fact is that my settings are set to download to MKV so StreamFab should download the video track and extract the CC from that track as .srt and then mux them into the MKV. It does not do that.

Discovery+ has 2 types of streams right now. HLS and DASH. The HLS videos have the CC embedded into the video. All the newer stuff use DASH and the CC are in a separate file altogether.

When downloading with yt-dlp, it will created 2 MP4 files. One being just the subtitles and the other being the actual video+audio with the embedded subs for non-English or bad English pronunciation. I parse the 1st file to extract the WebVTT, convert to SRT, then mux SRT and other MP4 into an MKV.

If StreamFab was even attempting to download the CC, the subs dropdown would say English (CC) but it only says English and there are no other subs to pick.

When downloading with StreamFab, the resulting MKV has embedded CC nor does it have Text CC:

When downloading with yt-dlp and running my scripts to extract/convert/mux, i do have the Text CC:

Ignore the different file size/bitrate. I choose a lower bitrate because it's insane to have such high bitrates for reality show. Alas, StreamFab doesn't let us pick the bitrate for Discovery+ DASH videos.
jpp72

jpp72, what are you using to extract the WebVTT from the .mp4? I am struggling to find a solution that works correctly

DeadPixel

Finally found something that works. would be keen to hear if you have found something better?

mp4box.exe test.mp4 -raw 1 -out sub.vtt
vtt_to_srt.exe sub.vtt

thats ends up with sub.srt that can easily be muxed into a mkv

jpp72

Finally found something that works. would be keen to hear if you have found something better?

mp4box.exe test.mp4 -raw 1 -out sub.vtt
vtt_to_srt.exe sub.vtt

thats ends up with sub.srt that can easily be muxed into a mkv
DeadPixel

There are countless ways of doing it. You are using GPAC which is fine. Bento4 also works well.

Converting from vtt to srt i use ffmpeg instead of whatever program you are using


ffmpeg -i subs.vtt -c:s subrip subs.srt

AGuyWithAComputer

Question, When you download this from SF. Do the forced subs still appear?

I Ask because the line in your screen shot "And honestly, my boobs," visually appear to be embedded in the video and are not a separate sub title stream in an MKV.

I would switch output to MP4 and export subs to SRT file in SF. This would result in 2 files. Personally I've had issue with SF and MKV files with subtitles of any kind So I still use MP4's with SRT files for subs and make my own MKVs

DeadPixel

There are countless ways of doing it. You are using GPAC which is fine. Bento4 also works well.

Converting from vtt to srt i use ffmpeg instead of whatever program you are using
ffmpeg -i subs.vtt -c:s subrip subs.srt
jpp72

Thanks, nice to know a few other methods. vtt_to_srt is just a python script that removes the WEBVTT formatting and leaves the rest as is. I was having trouble with some other methods either screwing around with the sub formatting or strangely changing the overall runtime of the subs so it was OOS.

This does not seem like it would be a big issue to get fixed in SF

DeadPixel

Question, When you download this from SF. Do the forced subs still appear?

I Ask because the line in your screen shot "And honestly, my boobs," visually appear to be embedded in the video and are not a separate sub title stream in an MKV.

I would switch output to MP4 and export subs to SRT file in SF. This would result in 2 files. Personally I've had issue with SF and MKV files with subtitles of any kind So I still use MP4's with SRT files for subs and make my own MKVs
AGuyWithAComputer

SF will not download any subtitles for me any more from discovery plus in both UK and US regions. Mediainfo for the mkv or mp4 just does not show them, nor do they show in any player. I have also tried the option to export the file separately and nothing get downloaded.

jpp72

Question, When you download this from SF. Do the forced subs still appear?

I Ask because the line in your screen shot "And honestly, my boobs," visually appear to be embedded in the video and are not a separate sub title stream in an MKV.

I would switch output to MP4 and export subs to SRT file in SF. This would result in 2 files. Personally I've had issue with SF and MKV files with subtitles of any kind So I still use MP4's with SRT files for subs and make my own MKVs
AGuyWithAComputer

In SF, MP4 or MKV, you will get the And honestly, my boobs but it would not be a selectable track or an external SRT.

The I know is in the SRT but i didn't get it with SF. I used yt-dlp

AGuyWithAComputer

In SF, MP4 or MKV, you will get the And honestly, my boobs but it would not be a selectable track or an external SRT.

The I know is in the SRT but i didn't get it with SF. I used yt-dlp
jpp72

So "And honestly, my boobs" is either burnt in or is a CC, which is encoded in the video. If it is a CC when viewing with VLC you will get the choice of 4 sub tracs labeled as Closed caption 1 through 4 (I see this on downloads from Peacock). More than likely it is burnt into the video.

SF has a setting under VIP Services for Subtitle Format make sure that is set to Extract to SRT File. Especially if you are outputting to MP4, this will make a SRT file by the same name of the video for each download. The Remux to file has never seemed to work right for me either, to the point that it looks like it doesn't download them with MP4. I don't know about with MKV as I do not use that option in SF and prefer to remux the MP4 and SRT files into my own MKVs

Now if you set it that way and you still do not get a SRT sub file, then we do have an issue and you should up load your log file for the Devs to investigate.

I do not have Discovery+ so I cannot test that module.

jpp72

So "And honestly, my boobs" is either burnt in or is a CC, which is encoded in the video. If it is a CC when viewing with VLC you will get the choice of 4 sub tracs labeled as Closed caption 1 through 4 (I see this on downloads from Peacock). More than likely it is burnt into the video.

SF has a setting under VIP Services for Subtitle Format make sure that is set to Extract to SRT File. Especially if you are outputting to MP4, this will make a SRT file by the same name of the video for each download. The Remux to file has never seemed to work right for me either, to the point that it looks like it doesn't download them with MP4. I don't know about with MKV as I do not use that option in SF and prefer to remux the MP4 and SRT files into my own MKVs

Now if you set it that way and you still do not get a SRT sub file, then we do have an issue and you should up load your log file for the Devs to investigate.

I do not have Discovery+ so I cannot test that module.
AGuyWithAComputer

Ya they are burnt in. SF is just not downloading the CC. Before Discovery+ switched to DASH videos, SF would download the CC encoded in the video 1 out of 10 times. It was completely random. It also only worked if it was an MP4.

I have tried every permutation of settings and the result is always the same.

MP4 with Embedded Subs
MP4 with External SRT
MKV (FFMpeg) with Embedded Subs
MKV (FFMpeg) with External SRT
MKV (MKVToolnix) with Embedded Subs
MKV (MKVToolnix) with External SRT

I got a message from Mona telling me to try with VLC but as i keep saying, i know very well what can and cannot play CC. Fact of the matter is if you can select the tracks in VLC, they will show up as tracks in MediaInfo also. Another reason for them to just actually take a look and see for themselves would be me telling them that i can get the subtitles using another tool! It's extremely frustrating for them to say try this, try that, when they cannot show that it works just fine for them.

Sigh...

P.S. Since you understand the issue, Discovery+ has a free trial if you want to give it a go. I am wondering if somehow something else that i have installed on my system is causing the issue as Showtime CC subs didn't work for me but worked for someone else...

Attaching the SRT file for S07E02 of 90 Day Fiance: Happily Every After so you can see what SF is supposed to generate but doesn't.