Playback and subtitles

Playback and subtitles

Which player E2iPlayer uses, the keys during playback, audio tracks, picture format, subtitles and resuming.

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The players

Player	Description
external eplayer3 (exteplayer3)	E2iPlayer's own FFmpeg-based player. Plays almost everything, has its own subtitles, audio track choice, RAM buffer and software audio decoding. Recommended.
external gstplayer (gstplayer2 or gstplayer)	E2iPlayer's own GStreamer-based player. An alternative if eplayer3 has problems with a stream. If /usr/bin/gstplayer2 is installed (oe-mirrors/iptvplayer-bin-components, also used by ServiceApp) it is used automatically, otherwise the old gstplayer.
internal	A small player inside E2iPlayer, using Enigma2's own playback and the keys of your image's movie player.
standard	The normal movie player of your image.
auto	Takes the best available: external eplayer3 → external gstplayer → internal → standard.

The external players are only offered when they are installed (/usr/bin/exteplayer3, /usr/bin/gstplayer2 or /usr/bin/gstplayer). The Info screen (BLUE → Info → System) shows whether they are installed.

Which player is used?

In Settings → Players & playback there are four slots:

• First / Second movie player without buffering mode
• First / Second movie player in buffering mode

All four are auto by default. With both external players installed, auto gives eplayer3 as first and gstplayer as second player.

Per host you can choose a different player: in the host, BLUE (More) → Set active movie player. The choice is remembered for this host. Auto selection based on the settings removes it again.

Quick choice with the number keys in a host list (when T9 is off or no entry matches the letter):

Key	Plays with
1	first player, with buffering
2	second player, with buffering
3	first player, without buffering
4	second player, without buffering
0	automatic choice (and forgets the per-host choice)

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Buffering mode

Normally the player gets the stream address directly. In buffering mode, E2iPlayer first downloads the stream into a file and the player plays that file while the download continues.

• Used automatically for some links (e.g. f4m, links with special headers), otherwise as set in Settings → Buffering: HLS/m3u8 on, HTTP off, RTMP off by default.
• The buffering screen shows the percentage, the downloaded size and the speed. Playback starts when Video buffer size is reached (default 2 MB).
• Keys on the buffering screen:
  • OK: start playback now (when enough data is there)
  • RECORD: move the buffer to the download manager and keep downloading
  • EXIT: cancel
• When you stop playback, you are asked "Stop playing?". No continues buffering.
• "Whole file must be downloaded to start playback!": this MP4 has its index at the end. Wait, or use external eplayer3 without buffering, which starts much faster.
• The buffer file is written to the Buffering location (default: the downloads folder). Use a HDD/USB stick, not the flash.
• HLS live streams start about 2 minutes behind live by default. If that delay bothers you (e.g. live sports), set [HLS/M3U8] live stream starts behind live in Settings → Buffering to a shorter value.

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Keys during playback (external eplayer3 / gstplayer)

Key	Function
OK / PLAY / PAUSE	Play / pause
LEFT / RIGHT	Move the seek position in 5 s steps. Hold the key for bigger steps. The jump happens one second after the last press.
1 / 4 / 7	Jump back (step size from your image's seek settings)
3 / 6 / 9	Jump forward
UP / DOWN	Move the subtitles up/down (with external subtitles). In the Synchronize window: change the subtitle delay.
INFO / EPG	Show the info bar and keep it visible; press again to hide it
BLUE / SUBTITLE	Subtitle menu
GREEN / YELLOW / AUDIO	Audio track menu
RED	Video options (picture format, video mode)
MENU	Player menu
8	Loop on/off (repeats the video)
RECORD	Buffering mode only: stop playback and continue the download in the download manager
CH+ / CH− (also >| / |<)	Next / previous playable item of the list you started from (videos and audio; PIN-protected items are skipped). Live TV stays off in between. In a Play marked items run only the marked items. Not for files played from the download manager.
EXIT	Close the open window, hide the info bar, or stop playback
STOP	Stop playback

• Fast forward / rewind (FF/REW, trick play) is not supported by the external players.
• Seeking only works within the part that is already available (in buffering mode: already downloaded). Live streams cannot be seeked.
• The exact keys for 1/3/4/6/7/9 and STOP depend on your image's key settings.

Player menu (MENU)

• Configuration: the external player settings (subtitle look, info bar, …). Some changes only apply after restarting the video: "Some changes will be applied only after movie player restart." See Settings explained.
• Subtitles
• Audio tracks (when the video has several)
• Video options
• Show playlist (only during autoplay, see Autoplay)
• Stop playback with buffer save (buffering mode only)

Audio tracks

GREEN, YELLOW or AUDIO opens Select audio track. The tracks are shown as [codec] name. Your choice is remembered for this video. If the stream has no audio track information: "Information about audio tracks not available."

No sound with AC3/EAC3/DTS/AAC? Try the software decoder for that format in the external player config (Use software decoder for the …).

Video options (RED)

• Video policy, Video policy for 4:3, Aspect: picture format (letterbox, pan&scan, stretch, …). The picture changes while you move through the list. The choice is remembered for this video.
• Video mode: switch the output resolution (e.g. 1080p / 2160p). You are asked "Is this message displayed correctly?". Without an answer it switches back after 10 seconds. When you leave the player, the previous mode is restored.

Only options your box supports are shown.

Info bar

It shows:

• the title, a progress bar (with the buffered part) and the time played, remaining and total
• during autoplay: the line Playlist n/m, e.g. Playlist 3/10 (marked, shuffled)
• a play/pause icon and a loop icon
• the player (ffmpeg or gstreamer logo)
• video information, e.g. h264 1920x1080p, 25fps, 16:9, HLS

The last part is the stream type (HLS, DASH, MP4, MKV, TS, RTMP, …).

• It hides after Info bar timeout (default 5 s) and stays visible while paused.
• A clock (Video player OSD clock format) and colour themes (Player Skin) can be set in Settings → Skin.
• The front display (LCD/VFD) can show playback info (Create LCD/VFD summary screen).

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Subtitles

BLUE or SUBTITLE during playback opens Select subtitles track:

Entry	What it is
None	Subtitles off
[codec] name	Subtitles inside the video (embedded)
[lang] title	External subtitles already loaded for this video
Synchronize	Shift the timing of the external subtitles (see below)
[lang] title (Download suggested)	Subtitles offered by the host. Selecting one downloads it.
Load	Load a subtitle file from the box (starts in the video's folder for local files)
Download	Search and download subtitles from subtitle websites (see below)

Your choice is remembered for this video.

Timing and position

• Synchronize: UP / DOWN move the subtitles earlier/later in 0.5 s steps. The window shows the delay (e.g. +1.5s). The delay is saved for this subtitle.
• Without the Synchronize window, UP / DOWN move the subtitles higher or lower on the screen. The position is saved.

Downloading subtitles

1. BLUE → Download.
2. Confirm or simplify the movie title ("Confirm the title of the movie").
3. Choose a provider ("Select subtitles provider:"), then the subtitles.
4. 'Subtitles "…" downloaded correctly.': they are loaded right away.

If nothing is found: "Simplify the title and try again." (e.g. without year or episode title).

Providers:

Provider	Needs
OpenSubtitles.org REST, OpenSubtitles.org API, OpenSubtitles v3 (Stremio)	— (OpenSubtitles.org login optional, Settings → Subtitles)
OpenSubtitles.com API	your own free API key (Settings → Subtitles), login optional (more downloads per day)
SubSource.net, SubDL.com	— (optional API key: the official API is searched as well)
Subf2m, Subtitlecat (incl. machine translations), YTS Subs, MovieSubtitles.org, IndexSubtitle.cc, JustSubtitles.com	—
Wyzie Subs	Free API key from store.wyzie.io (Settings → Subtitles)
Titlovi.com	Free titlovi.com account (Settings → Subtitles)
Napisy24.pl, Napiprojekt.pl	Polish; Napisy24 login optional; Napiprojekt needs the subtitle parser extension
Subs.ro	Romanian
Prijevodi-Online.org	Croatian/Serbian; series without account, movies need a login (the site currently asks for a captcha at login, which E2iPlayer cannot solve)
Titulky.com	Czech/Slovak, only listed with Enigma2 language Czech or Slovak; login optional, otherwise the site's captcha and countdown are shown
Subtitles Mora (archive.org)	Arabic, only listed with Enigma2 language Arabic
YouTube	Only when the video comes from YouTube

Providers for your Enigma2 language come first. Subtitles of the same release as the playing stream (resolution, source, group) are listed first. Removed because the sites are gone or blocked: OpenSubtitles.org WWW, Podnapisi.net, Subscene.com, PopcornSubtitles, Subtitles.gr.

Downloaded subtitles are stored in the cache folder (<cache folder>/Subtitles/) and can be cleaned up in Settings → Storage → Detail/expert mode. Packed subtitles need unzip / unrar on the box.

Subtitle files next to the video

With Automatically turn on external subtitles (on by default), a file with the same name as a local video (e.g. movie.srt for movie.mp4) is loaded automatically, as long as you haven't chosen another subtitle for this video before.

Formats

• Always supported: SRT, WebVTT (.vtt), MPL/MPL2, SSA/ASS, MicroDVD, SubViewer and TMPlayer (also in .sub / .txt files; the content decides the format, not the extension).
• With the subtitle parser extension (_subparser), also: SMI, RT, DKS, JSS, PSB, TTML.

The extension is also faster. When it fails on a file, the Python parsers are tried. The Info screen (System page) shows whether it is installed. It can be switched off with Use subtitles parser extension if available.

Look

Font size, colour, background, border, shadow, position and line wrapping are set in the external movie player config (MENU → Configuration during playback). Most changes are visible immediately. See Settings explained.

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Resuming playback

With Remember last watched position (external movie player config, off by default):

• When you stop a video, the position is saved.
• The next time you play the same video, playback continues automatically about 5 seconds before that point (no question).
• Skip video shorter than [min] keeps short clips out of it.
• Only with the external players.

The positions are stored together with audio/subtitle choices in the movie metadata cache (<cache folder>/MovieMetaData/). Delete movie metadata cache now also deletes all saved positions.

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Playing downloads and local files

• Download manager: OK on an item → Play with [...] player (first or second player). Works for finished downloads, running downloads and files in the Archive. See Download manager.
• LocalMedia host: browse the drives of your box and play files directly (never with buffering).

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Autoplay

PLAY (or BLUE → Play all from here) in a host list plays all items one after another, starting at the selected item. Before each item a countdown runs (Autoplay start delay, default 3 s). The first link of each item is used; items without a working link are skipped. EXIT or STOP in the player ends autoplay. With BLUE → Randomize a playlist / Reverse a playlist you can change the order first, with BLUE → Select and Play marked items you play only the rows you marked.

During autoplay the external players show Playlist n/m in the info bar, and MENU → Show playlist lists the items of the run: OK on one of them jumps there. All details: Playlists and selection.

To go through a list by hand instead, use CH+ / CH− in the player: the player closes and the next / previous item of the list starts.

Screensaver during audio playback

During audio-only playback (radio, music) the external player shows a screensaver after 1 minute without a key: the cover or host logo, the title and the playing time, moving on black. The first key press only ends it. Delay or off: Settings → Screensaver configuration (see Settings explained).

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Playback problems

Problem	Try
Stutters / stops	Lower quality, RAM buffer size for eplayer3 (external player config), or buffering mode
No sound	Software decoder for that audio format (external player config)
Wrong picture format	RED → Video policy / Aspect
Player doesn't start	Other player (BLUE → Set active movie player); check the Info screen whether it is installed
gstplayer problems	Use eplayer3. In buffering mode: check gst-ifdsrc on the Info screen (System) and reinstall it if it is "not loadable"
Subtitles out of sync	BLUE → Synchronize

More in Troubleshooting / FAQ.