VobSub subtitles with mkvmerge

[Isarl]

Hi all,

I'm having troubles muxing my .idx/.sub into my MKV file along with my XviD video stream and two VBR MP3 audio streams. I don't get any error messages, mind you; the mux completes just fine, but once I move the muxed file to another directory, the subtitles stop working. Again; no error messages. The subtitle stream shows up in MPC, too, but the subtitles themselves don't display.

What am I doing wrong? Here's a play-by-play:
i) open mkvmerge GUI
ii) add video file to input files
iii) add audio stream 1's file to input files
iv) add audio stream 2's file to input files
v) add .idx file to input files
vi) add chapters
vii) enter file/segment title
viii) start muxing

Again, as soon as the muxed .mkv is removed from the same directory as the .idx and .sub, MPC won't display subtitles.

[Isarl]

I just tried again with .srt subs, and I have the same problem - the subs muxed into the MKV don't seem to be working.

[foxyshadis]

If they show up in the stream (or if you load it into mmg), it's not a muxing problem, it's a playback one. Somehow MPC must not like the subs; the only thing I can guess offhand is that maybe the text is set to fully transparent, or is showing up offscreen?

Oh yeah, you have to be using VMR7/9 renderless, Haali's, or EVR to see subtitles with MPC's internal renderer. If you use overlay or VMR7/9 windowed, you have to use VSfilter or ffdshow subtitles.

[Isarl]

I'm using Haali and ffdshow (I didn't change anything from the default CCCP install), but they're still not showing.

How can I go about troubleshooting this?

[foxyshadis]

Look in the options under output, choose one of the renderers I listed. The default with CCCP is probably overlay, which disables internal subtitles. (CCCP will show them if you install VSfilter, which should also be default, but they won't be as clean.)

[Isarl]

The default was actually System Default. Changing to Haali or VMR9 (renderless) didn't fix the problem. Presently when I play a file in MPC (back on System Default for rendering), I get icons in the task tray for Haali's Media Splitter, and ffdshow audio and video decoders.

Mind you, you've convinced me that this is in fact a player problem and not necessarily my inability to mux; I have some videos with subs that I watched ages ago that no longer work for me. So, that's good I suppose!

[foxyshadis]

When you changed renderers, did you reopen the video file first? It doesn't actually change until you reinitialize it by loading a video.

If it just won't work, you can turn subtitles on in ffdshow. (You might need to get a newer on from ffdshow-tryouts for nicer-looking subs.)

[Isarl]

I did not try reopening the video file, no. I just tried switching renderers again and reopening the video file each time; still no dice.
I'll try a complete reinstallation of the CCCP and see if that does it.

[Isarl]

That's done the trick! I highly suspect that my subsequent installation of the GordianKnot Codec Pack (and possibly the Rip Pack as well) tampered with something that the CCCP didn't like having been tampered with.