Selectable Subtitles on DVD

[Sakuya]

Hi. I need help adding selectable subtitles for DVD. I have this movie that is separated into 2 files. The subtitles for it is also separated into 2 files. Each part of the subtitles have 2 formats so for the entire movie, there are 4 subtitle files. For example:

part1.idx
part1.sub

part2.idx
part2.sub

Since I am putting the movie onto a DVD, after converting them to MPEG, I must join them. And I will have to join the subtitles too. What (free) program should I use to do that? And then I must convert the subtitle file. What format should I convert it to? Plus, I want to create a still menu in Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro for the DVD so I can select to have subtitles displayed or not. Can anyone please help me? :scared:

Edit:
And since I am new to DVD-making, can anyone care to explain what VOBs and ISOs are?

[smiller667]

Plenty of questions :) ... welcome to the board, first of all. You can join your idx/sub-subs using vobsub joiner... convert them to sup using sub2sup & author your dvd using ifoedit or rejig. Sorry, no fancy menus that way ...

NB: I re-read my reply and realize it is maybe a bit too brief. I also hope I didn't sound impolite ... so I'll try to flesh it out a bit ...
idx/subs are essentially stripped-down vobs and contain the subs as bitmaps. If you need some text-based format for a particular authoring solution, an ocr step will be necessary (can be done using subresync).
The ifoedit (and rejig) authoring will give you: multiple audio (including ac3 & dts), multiple subs plus chapters. Not menus. As I am more interested in watching movies and less in creating fancy menus, I can't really help with menu creation.
As for alternative authoring solutions, DVDLab and TMPG DVDAuthor are nice, but currently do not subtitles natively. Some workarounds are available, I believe; they should be in the dvd authoring forum.
High-end packages like dvd maestro or scenarist will give you all the options you are asking for, but I have no experience using those.

[Sakuya]

So there is just no possible way to have selectable subtitles that can be selected by a simple menu? :( How about just a menu that has chapter breaks and a "play all" function and no subtitles? Because I'm pretty sure my remote has a subtitle button that I can use..:(

[smiller667]

I just updated my reply - our postings somehow crossed. You can have those simple menus, just not out-of-the box with the software I am using :).
I would recommend some reading in the dvd authoring and ifo editing forums ... it should be perfectly doable to do a nice chapter menu in dvdlab or tmpgenc and then replace the newly-authored vobs with those containing subtitles.
I am sorry that I can't give you a walkthrough for this, I am quite a noob at all that dvd authoring stuff myself (so far, a subbed movie with chapter stops is sufficient to keep me happy).

Steve

[Sakuya]

Thanks. Then I will check out that forum.

[Sakuya]

So VobSub Joiner should do the trick with joining the IDX and SUB? Will I have to recalculate the timing for the second part? :( I don't know how to do that.

[smiller667]

Of course you somehow have to time the second part - the idx file for the first part doesn't indicate how long the first part of the movie runs after the last subtitle is displayed. If you don't take that time into consideration, the subtitles for the second part will come too early (unless the first half of the movie really ends with the end of the last subtitle).
Join your movies, try to measure that time, and then use that time when joining your idx/sub. Play back the joined movie & the joined subs & see if it's correct - if not, modify that offset time for the second half until it is correct.
Sorry for the crappy English ... hope you can understand it.

[Sakuya]

The process sounds so complicated. :( Thanks! I'll try.

[Sakuya]

Actually, lucky me! After thorough searching, I found this which is what I've been looking for all along:

www.doom9.org/mpg/avi2dvdr.htm

:) But, in order to have selectable subtitles, it needs to have DVD Maestro or Scenarist! I don't have that much money! :eek: Any other alternatives?! :(

Edit:
So, you say IFOedit can take subtitles. Can it be selectable with the on/off switch? Maybe I can just make a DVD with still menus for "play all", "chapters", and "trailers" and for the subtitles, I just use the remote? Is that possible?

[smiller667]

OK ... pls. remember, I am not an expert at dvd authoring whatsoever (and this is more of an authoring question than a subtitle question). If you use ifoedit (or rejig) for authoring your dvds, you will get selectable subs (selectable via the remote). There is also a guide in the ifo editing or dvd authoring forum describing how to make the dvd start without displaying any subs (usually it defaults to the first sub).

Same applies for multiple audio - it is possible using these apps, but you have to select it via the audio button on your remote, not via a fancy menu.
Chapters - yup, but no chapters menu.

Enter dvdlab & tmpg author: these will allow you to generate menus (for chapters), buuut (you guessed it): no selectable subs or multiple audio. There are, again, methods for making an audio selection menu in dvdlab by manually editing the ifos (should be doable for a subtitle menu as well), but there are no out-of-the-box solutions I would know of.

Then come the full-fledged packages like dvd maestro or scenarist - but like you, I lack the financial means for those. I am thus so far limited to ifoedit-authored dvds - all the features, just no fancy menus.

[Sakuya]

Aw. So a DVD authored by IFOedit would be exactly like a VCD only you can DVD content? So, the movie plays automatically with AC3 sound, and when you press the "subtitle" button on your remote, you can turn on/off the subs. And for chapters, you just press the "next track" button? What about extra clips like trailers?

[smiller667]

It defaults to displaying the first set of subs, you can "cycle" through your subs and alo switch them off using the remote.
Multiple clips - author your titlesets in ifoedit, then use dvdshrink in (re)authoring mode. They will play sequentially.
Again, you might want to read up a bit on the various options for authoring in the appropriate forums - I am quite a noob in that regard.