Handbrake is burning subtitles when using MP4

[mixels]

This is an odd issue that I originally thought was a problem with my version. After updating my media player to the latest nightly build and trying six (yep, six, including VLC) other players, I'm pretty convinced this is a problem with the way Handbrake is creating MP4 containers. If anyone has any tips, I'd truly appreciate it.

Subtitles are throwing me for a loop. I'm backing up BD movies, so these subtitles are sourced from images. Everything works just peachy when I encode with an MKV container, but I'd prefer to use MP4 for specific device compatibility issues. The fact that subtitles work as expected when using an MKV container is another factor that makes me think this is an issue with Handbrake's muxing of MP4s.

Handbrake is burning subtitles no matter what when I use the MP4 container. If I try to include multiple subtitle tracks, my media players behave as though there are none. The subtitles play, however, implying that they are in fact burned into the movie itself.

The plain implication of this is that it's impossible right now for me to include optional subtitles without going through the hassle of OCRing the original BD subs and creating SRT files. It's also impossible to have Handbrake automatically include multiple language subs for me, as if I include multiple subtitle tracks, my media players still play the primary track as though it were burned in, and my media players show no subtitles available.

Before you ask, I understand how burned and forced subtitles are supposed to work in Handbrake. I've read the Wiki and the user guide. I'm leaving "Forced Only," "Burn In," and "Default" unchecked for these tests and am just trying to add the regular English track for now.

If anyone has seen this issue before and knows of a fix, I'd love to hear it. Below is the PasteBin for my encode of 1 chapter.

http://pastebin.com/rpeGPzWS

[s55]

* subtitle track 1, English (track 0, id 0x1200) Picture [PGS] -> Render/Burn-in

MP4 does not support PGS as soft subtitles, so you can only burn them in, or not have them at all.
The UI may not be reflecting this correctly, but libhb is correctly falling back to burn in.

[mixels]

* subtitle track 1, English (track 0, id 0x1200) Picture [PGS] -> Render/Burn-in

MP4 does not support PGS as soft subtitles, so you can only burn them in, or not have them at all.
The UI may not be reflecting this correctly, but libhb is correctly falling back to burn in.

Hm, ok. Time to do some jury rigging, or maybe get going with OCR. Thanks!

[maxim_d33]

use .mkv

[Smithcraft]

As mixels said, MP4 is being used for device compatibility.

SC

[GregiBoy]

Or get onto http://www.opensubtitles.org/en

[maxim_d33]

As mixels said, MP4 is being used for device compatibility.

SC

yes, overlooked , sorry.