OSD fonts look wrong after google-noto-fonts-* upgrade

[luk1337]

Important Information

Provide following Information:

• mpv version: 0.36.0
• Linux Distribution and Version: Fedora 39
• Source of the mpv binary: Fedora RPM
• If known which version of mpv introduced the problem: not sure if this is actually mpv problem
• Window Manager and version: KDE Plasma (5.27.10)
• GPU model, driver and version: Nvidia GTX1060 (545.29.06)
• Possible screenshot or video of visual glitches

If you're not using git master or the latest release, update.
Releases are listed here: https://github.com/mpv-player/mpv/releases

Reproduction steps

Do the following dnf upgrade on Fedora 39:

 google-noto-fonts-common                                 noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     17.4 KiB
  replacing google-noto-fonts-common                      noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   17.4 KiB
 google-noto-naskh-arabic-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    247.5 KiB
  replacing google-noto-naskh-arabic-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  255.1 KiB
 google-noto-sans-arabic-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    230.9 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-arabic-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  605.6 KiB
 google-noto-sans-armenian-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     33.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-armenian-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   34.9 KiB
 google-noto-sans-bengali-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    434.5 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-bengali-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  434.5 KiB
 google-noto-sans-canadian-aboriginal-vf-fonts            noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     99.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-canadian-aboriginal-vf-fonts noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   99.7 KiB
 google-noto-sans-cherokee-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    133.1 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-cherokee-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  133.1 KiB
 google-noto-sans-devanagari-vf-fonts                     noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    253.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-devanagari-vf-fonts          noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  253.7 KiB
 google-noto-sans-ethiopic-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    506.3 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-ethiopic-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  506.3 KiB
 google-noto-sans-fonts                                   noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     42.5 MiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-fonts                        noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   42.1 MiB
 google-noto-sans-georgian-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     61.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-georgian-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  144.9 KiB
 google-noto-sans-gujarati-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    197.5 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-gujarati-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  204.0 KiB
 google-noto-sans-gurmukhi-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     48.5 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-gurmukhi-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   48.5 KiB
 google-noto-sans-hebrew-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     54.4 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-hebrew-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   54.4 KiB
 google-noto-sans-kannada-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    173.1 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-kannada-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  172.2 KiB
 google-noto-sans-khmer-vf-fonts                          noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    118.3 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-khmer-vf-fonts               noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  267.8 KiB
 google-noto-sans-lao-vf-fonts                            noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     34.8 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-lao-vf-fonts                 noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   34.8 KiB
 google-noto-sans-math-fonts                              noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    945.2 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-math-fonts                   noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  945.2 KiB
 google-noto-sans-mono-fonts                              noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     20.5 MiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-mono-fonts                   noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   20.4 MiB
 google-noto-sans-mono-vf-fonts                           noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    560.9 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-mono-vf-fonts                noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  555.9 KiB
 google-noto-sans-oriya-vf-fonts                          noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    193.2 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-oriya-vf-fonts               noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  193.2 KiB
 google-noto-sans-sinhala-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    355.0 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-sinhala-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  355.0 KiB
 google-noto-sans-symbols-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    236.1 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-symbols-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  236.5 KiB
 google-noto-sans-symbols2-fonts                          noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    657.2 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-symbols2-fonts               noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  652.4 KiB
 google-noto-sans-tamil-vf-fonts                          noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     78.4 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-tamil-vf-fonts               noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   78.4 KiB
 google-noto-sans-telugu-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    229.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-telugu-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  229.9 KiB
 google-noto-sans-thaana-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     29.6 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-thaana-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   31.6 KiB
 google-noto-sans-thai-vf-fonts                           noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     32.8 KiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-thai-vf-fonts                noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   77.0 KiB
 google-noto-sans-vf-fonts                                noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates      1.2 MiB
  replacing google-noto-sans-vf-fonts                     noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>    1.2 MiB
 google-noto-serif-armenian-vf-fonts                      noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     33.8 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-armenian-vf-fonts           noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   35.1 KiB
 google-noto-serif-bengali-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    697.5 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-bengali-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  697.5 KiB
 google-noto-serif-devanagari-vf-fonts                    noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    269.9 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-devanagari-vf-fonts         noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  269.9 KiB
 google-noto-serif-fonts                                  noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     52.8 MiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-fonts                       noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   52.6 MiB
 google-noto-serif-georgian-vf-fonts                      noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     75.6 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-georgian-vf-fonts           noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  175.6 KiB
 google-noto-serif-gujarati-vf-fonts                      noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    170.3 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-gujarati-vf-fonts           noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  170.2 KiB
 google-noto-serif-gurmukhi-vf-fonts                      noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     54.0 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-gurmukhi-vf-fonts           noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   54.0 KiB
 google-noto-serif-hebrew-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     72.7 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-hebrew-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   72.7 KiB
 google-noto-serif-kannada-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    232.3 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-kannada-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  230.8 KiB
 google-noto-serif-khmer-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    168.0 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-khmer-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  380.8 KiB
 google-noto-serif-lao-vf-fonts                           noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     44.6 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-lao-vf-fonts                noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>   44.6 KiB
 google-noto-serif-oriya-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    189.0 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-oriya-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  189.0 KiB
 google-noto-serif-sinhala-vf-fonts                       noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    341.6 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-sinhala-vf-fonts            noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  341.6 KiB
 google-noto-serif-tamil-vf-fonts                         noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    176.3 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-tamil-vf-fonts              noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  176.3 KiB
 google-noto-serif-telugu-vf-fonts                        noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates    329.0 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-telugu-vf-fonts             noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  328.4 KiB
 google-noto-serif-thai-vf-fonts                          noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates     42.2 KiB
  replacing google-noto-serif-thai-vf-fonts               noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>  102.8 KiB
 google-noto-serif-vf-fonts                               noarch 20240101-1.fc39                 updates      1.5 MiB
   replacing google-noto-serif-vf-fonts                   noarch 20230801-3.fc39                 <unknown>    1.5 MiB

Expected behavior

OSD fonts look like this:

Actual behavior

OSD fonts look like this:

Log file

log.txt

Sample files

n/a

[CounterPillow]

Your fontconfig is fucked. Enjoy debugging your system for the next week.

[luk1337]

Your fontconfig is fucked. Enjoy debugging your system for the next week.

Eh, perhaps Fedora one, since I can reproduce this in Fedora 39 Live.

[luk1337]

Reported bug on Fedora side instead — https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2262410, since I noticed that this also affects some other apps.

[astiob]

I want to point out that even before the quoted change, Fedora presumably used Noto Sans Arabic as its sans-serif for users with an actual Arabic locale, resulting in appearance similar to (same as) the “broken” screenshot in this report. Perhaps sans-serif isn’t quite that safe of a default for OSD/subtitle font.

@luk1337 or any Arabic users: FWIW another way to work around this is to set an explicit osd-font in mpv’s configuration.

Still, this is another reason why libass may want to change how it sizes fallback fonts.