**Updated** Bluray Ripping & Encoding (A Total Mac Solution)

[twitch2021]

I have to dig out my workflow from about a year ago but that sounds about right. You have to use some Windows tools to find forced subs, convert from PGS to SRT, then insert into the container (again, from memory). It's a PITA but you gotta do what you gotta do.

I've been thinking about putting together a guide for Blu-ray subs in a .m4v container, if nothing else so I don't have relearn how to do it every year when I queue up a new batch encode of my rips.

Yeah. I've got a couple workflows in place (depending on how much effort I want to put into the process) that are suitable for soft subs but there doesn't seem to be a simple way to get forced subs into a blu-ray rip->M4V. Either way, I've been playing around with Subler the last couple days and its OCR capabilities with VobSubs is pretty impressive (I came across an instance where it converted a ']' to a '1' a couple times and it missed a number of line breaks but that was about it). What would be amazing is if Subler would allow for the export of the OCRed VobSubs so I could perfect them in Jubler. I haven't tried Subler with a blu-ray ripped MKV but I imagine the process would be similar/identical to the one for a DVD MKV (and I won't be the least bit surprised when it's not lol). If you get around to jotting down your workflow I'd like to see it.

[twitch2021]

What you do,kind of depends on the level of perfection you are willing to settle on (are there levels of perfection? ). I have found it much quicker to find the srt files at various websites, download them, and use Subler (or HB) to mux them in. Some think the quality is not as "pretty" (they look fine to me). Some say there are mis-spellings (if there are, I haven't noticed them). The only thing I have really run across is timing. Some times I have to adjust the offset to get them to sync perfectly with the audio. Not a big deal, but that's why I use Subler. I measure the offset using my cellphone stopwatch. Go into Subler and change the offset. Quick remux and it's done. It can be done in HB also, but I think it is a transcoding which can take a long while. But I've never actually done it that way, just know there is a subtitle offset adjustment.

I've done this myself and while I'm on the verge of willing to settle for downloaded SRTs I would really like to be able to simply use the subtitles that are already right there on my blu-ray. For one, I know they're accurate and for two, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I can tell you from experience that a lot of the SRTs you find online are hit or miss. I had to rip and insert subtitles into a couple seasons of The Tudors for my girlfriend a few months ago and there were several typos. There have been murmurings here on the HB forums about the possibility of this feature coming to HB eventually. I think, for the time being, I'm going to focus on getting my DVDs ripped and ready and with any luck, by the time I'm done them, some kindly developer will have added this feature to this incredible piece of software.

To touch on your remark about using Subler to change the offset, you might also want to check out Jubler. It's an SRT (and ASS, SSA, TXT, and so on) editor. With it, not only can you make timing adjustments but you can correct typos, delete inserted lines that advertise for SRT sharing sites, or, if you're very courageous, create your own subtitles from scratch. These can then be passed through in HB or muxed using Subler.

[mic j]

I will look into Jubler. I know what you mean about the annoying advertisement for the srt sharing site. Would be nice to clip that out. Right now, I try to just use sites that don't do that. Does Jubler also do the addition/subtraction of other file tracks and metadata like Subler? Just looking at your post above, I didn't even know Subler would do OCR of VOBSUB's. Interesting.

[twitch2021]

I will look into Jubler. I know what you mean about the annoying advertisement for the srt sharing site. Would be nice to clip that out. Right now, I try to just use sites that don't do that. Does Jubler also do the addition/subtraction of other file tracks and metadata like Subler? Just looking at your post above, I didn't even know Subler would do OCR of VOBSUB's. Interesting.

Jubler is strictly a subtitle editor. It doesn't mux or transcode anything. But yeah, in a post of mine regarding VobSubs another user called heyadol told me that Subler has that capability now (and it's not half bad). Like I said, it would be even better if I could extract those OCRd subs and tweak them a bit but it's better than nothing. Heyadol said to passthrough the VobSubs from the dvd/MKV into the converted file in Handbrake and then use Subler to convert them but since I'm working from MKVs of the DVDs I find it's just as simple to transcode normally without the subs in HB and then mux the subs in from the MKV using Subler's import feature.

[Deleted User 11865]

Subler's File > Export should allow you to export individual tracks. MPEG-4 subtitles (what Subler outputs after the VobSub OCR conversion) are converted to SRT on export.

[twitch2021]

Subler's File > Export should allow you to export individual tracks. MPEG-4 subtitles (what Subler outputs after the VobSub OCR conversion) are converted to SRT on export.

I've got to say, thank you for all your help. Now, I realize that this is beyond the scope of your duties here (as Subler is not connected to HB) but you do seem to have an incredible amount of know-how so if you'll let me, I'll continue to pick your brain.

I've tried using the Export function as you suggested but I'm not getting anything. I've tried simply importing the MKV, checking the subtitle I want (and making sure 3GPP Text is selected during import), and selecting File>Export but when I do, nothing happens. I've also tried processing the subtitle (which creates an m4v file) and then importing that back into Subler (which then shows the subtitle file with the format 3GPP Text) to try the Export but I still get nothing. The app simply doesn't do anything when I click Export and at times it won't even be an option until I uncheck and recheck something in the listing window. I've browsed what little documentation I can find on Subler but I can't find anything that talks about how the Export function operates.

[twitch2021]

*shakes head*

Nevermind...apparently I tried every combination of checking stuff off except "none". Got it! Thanks again Rodeo!

[Deleted User 11865]

I have no idea of why this happens. I actually haven't played with the latest Subler beta.

[twitch2021]

It's a pretty nice companion app to HB for those of us playing with subtitles (as well as for getting metadata in there too). It's made a lot of what I need to do a lot easier.

[kuhnboy]

What you do,kind of depends on the level of perfection you are willing to settle on (are there levels of perfection? ). I have found it much quicker to find the srt files at various websites, download them, and use Subler (or HB) to mux them in. Some think the quality is not as "pretty" (they look fine to me). Some say there are mis-spellings (if there are, I haven't noticed them). The only thing I have really run across is timing. Some times I have to adjust the offset to get them to sync perfectly with the audio.

I just posted a how to on how to do your own soft subtitles with OCR:

HOWTO: OCR Subtitle Tracks on Mac OS X Natively
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=23986

[mentalmike]

Thanks for that very educational tutorial. Unfortunately, for me the inclusion of the DTS-HD audio track in my MKV package, whether via muxing in the original or direct HB passthru, always results in audio playback deficiencies on my Pioneer BDP-430 player. The typical behaviour on playback displays random stuttering of the audio track wherein my player switches back and forth between DTS and stereo mode and audio also completely drops out at times. Meanwhile the video track always appears to play flawlessly. Of course, my original Blu-ray defaults to DTS-MA on my player and works just fine.

Notwithstanding that observation, if I select only the DTS 5.1 track in MakeMKV rather than including the DTS-HD, then passthru the DTS 5.1 in HB, the resulting MKV package plays in DTS mode on my Pioneer player, no problems. While I find this puzzling, overall I am very pleased with the standard 5.1-channel DTS Surround encoded product. From what I have read, few audiophiles are genuinely able to discern the difference between lossy DTS 5.1 and lossless DTS-HD MA anyway.

Any comments regarding my results or suggested tweaks to mitigate my problems when packaging the DTS-HD audio track in my MKVs would be most appreciated.

[Deleted User 11865]

What are you using to play the final encode?

[mentalmike]

I burn the final encode back onto 25GB Blu-ray media (Verbatim BD-R) and play the resulting Blu-ray disk on my Pioneer BDP-430 player feeding into my Pioneer VSX-920 AVR.

[Deleted User 11865]

As an MKV file or do you use something to convert it to a Blu-ray or AVCHD disc?

[mentalmike]

I burn the MKV on the blank Blu-ray media in DVD-ROM (UDF) format using the latest version of Toast Titanium. The Pioneer player allows me to access the disk through the "Disk Navigator" menu. From there I simply select the MKV file and it plays it directly.

[Deleted User 11865]

OK. Have you considered that this may be a bug of your playback device and/or setup?

In the MKV container, DTS and DTS-HD have the same codec "ID". This seems to confuse some devices…

[mentalmike]

Thanks Rodeo. I can not rule out the possibility of an MKV related deficiency in my playback device, though it is noteworthy that the DTS-HD seems to work fine when coming from a BDMV blu-ray. Perhaps I should try including only the lossless audio track and let Toast have a go at authoring that product into a BDMV or AVCHD disc as you suggested previously.

[davemchine]

You guys are way beyond me with all this blue ray ripping and encoding but I did want to throw in my 2 cents regarding hard subtitles. I have used mp4tools to transcode the video and add the hard subtitles. I've only done it once so I don't have a lot of experience but thought I would mention it.
http://www.emmgunn.com/mp4tools/mp4toolshome.html

[tomtastic]

I haven't read thru all this in detail yet, but just to clarify, you're able to play back the HD audio formats on a Mac thru XBMC? Is there any specific reason this wouldn't work on Plex?