DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

General questions or discussion about HandBrake, Video and/or audio transcoding, trends etc.
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fgregoire
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:57 pm

DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by fgregoire »

Hello

I have DVD that I want to convert to MP4 files, and which include subtitles in 2 or even 3 subtitles in different languages.

I am using HandBrake 0.9.4 x86_64 on a Mac Mini (2009 model).

When I convert to an MKV file, I get the option of saving all the subtitles, not burned in. Which means that in my MKV player, I can select subtitles, or display no subtitle, even on the fly.

When I convert to an MP4 file, I am obliged to select only ONE subtitle, which will be burned permanently in the video, and when playing in QuickTime I have no option to unselect the subtitle.

It seems that there is a provision with the MP4 format,for storing non burned in subtitles. But this option seems not to be allowed by HandBrake. Subtitles MUST be burned in the video.

As I would prefer to create all my movie library in MP4 format rather than MKV, how can I solve this problem of keeping ALL the subtitles in MP4 files ?

Is the HandBrake team aware of this limitation, or should I just switch to a more sophisticated (even commercial) DVD converter ? Which one ?
Deleted User 11865

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

You can embed VobSubs (DVD picture-based subtitles) in the MKV container, but you cannot do so in MP4 (i.e. it's not supported by any player).

You need to use an application to convert your DVDs' picture-based subtitles to text-based SRT files; then you can use HandBrake to passthrough the text-based subtitles to MP4.
fgregoire
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:57 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by fgregoire »

thank you

is there another container than MKV, that allows DVD picture-based subtitles ?
DisabledTrucker
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 5:22 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by DisabledTrucker »

You need to use an application to convert your DVDs' picture-based subtitles to text-based SRT files; then you can use HandBrake to passthrough the text-based subtitles to MP4.
This would be done by (how)?!?

What software is recommended for doing this? (Outside of Handbrake, since it seems like this isn't an option within it at this time.)
Where would one put the SRT file and is there an option to pass this info on in the software, I haven't seen that option as of yet, does the SRT file need to be there to activate it?
How does the lastest release do it for the "Main" language and it's not possible to do it for all/some of them? (I'm still currently using SVN_2907 32-bit, haven't yet tried to upgrade to 0.9.4, though will be after the encodes currently taking place finish.)
DisabledTrucker
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 5:22 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by DisabledTrucker »

I am using HandBrake 0.9.4 x86_64 on a Mac Mini (2009 model)
Some help here, try using the 32-bit version unless your Mini can boot into 64-bit and you have the 64-bit version of VLC installed, according to what I have read, Unless you can run Snow Leopard in 64-bit mode, it's basically slower to use the 64-bit versions.
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s55
HandBrake Team
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Joined: Sun Dec 24, 2006 1:05 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by s55 »

Unless you can run Snow Leopard in 64-bit mode, it's basically slower to use the 64-bit versions.
This isn't the case.
Deleted User 11865

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by Deleted User 11865 »

DisabledTrucker wrote:
You need to use an application to convert your DVDs' picture-based subtitles to text-based SRT files; then you can use HandBrake to passthrough the text-based subtitles to MP4.
This would be done by (how)?!?

What software is recommended for doing this? (Outside of Handbrake, since it seems like this isn't an option within it at this time.)
There probably will never be. Converting picture-based subtitles to text-based subtitles requires using Optical Character Recognition, which is hardly reliable and often requires the user to actually input the character whenever the OCR isn't sure it got the right character. It's not something that can just be added to HandBrake, it's a multi-step process for which you really need a separate application.

Under OS X, you might try D-Subtitler (PPC-only, not updated in 4 years, and never worked very well for me). Under Windows, SubRip would be the best-known app for this kind of thing I guess.
DisabledTrucker wrote:Where would one put the SRT file and is there an option to pass this info on in the software, I haven't seen that option as of yet, does the SRT file need to be there to activate it?
Subtitle tab has an "Add External SRT …" button.
TedJ
Veteran User
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Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:25 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by TedJ »

avidemux has a vobsub -> srt decoder, if you're looking for another mac option.
DisabledTrucker
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 5:22 pm

Re: DVD -> MP4 with multiple subtitles

Post by DisabledTrucker »

Rodeo wrote:There probably will never be. Converting picture-based subtitles to text-based subtitles requires using Optical Character Recognition, which is hardly reliable and often requires the user to actually input the character whenever the OCR isn't sure it got the right character. It's not something that can just be added to HandBrake, it's a multi-step process for which you really need a separate application.
However this was done for the "Main" language, it worked perfectly on the "Transformers 2" movie, at least the "Closed Captions" did. Now I understand that OCR makes this difficult at best to convert to text anything picture based, I wasn't aware that all the languages were that way on the DVD's. Which would explain why the other languages have to be "burned-in" on the conversions, too bad there isn't a way to make it so that you could turn them off, like when you want to use the closed captions instead, which may be in another language.

While we're on this subject, how many SRT files can we add at a time? If they are just text files, can't we create our own SRT files using a text editor, (if we were willing to go through all that trouble)?
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