Cannot Disable Subtitle Stream From Auto-Starting

[EpheMeroN]

A while back I was instructed here to do the following in Trace Mode to change the default audio stream; but that the same method should apply for subtitles as well.

So, the easy and general method (that should work with all DVDs) is:

Part 1: determine the target PGC and set the breakpoint:
1. start the trace
2. click on run
3. the main menu comes up
4. click on Audio on the virtual menu, then SELECT
5. select to go back to main menu, then SELECT
6. once at main menu, set the pre/post breakpoint

Part 2: trace to the target PGC and set the default streams
7. restart the trace (click on the Insert DVD icon)
8. click on run
9. the main menu comes up
10. click on Audio on the virtual menu, then SELECT
11. select French, then SELECT
12. select to go back to main menu, then SELECT

Part 3: run Jump2PGC
13. when the trace stops at the breakpoint, run Jump2Pgc

Note: After step 11 or 12, it might also be necessary to go to the subtitle menu, it you need to change the default subpic too.

I'm trying to disable the English subtitle stream from auto-starting w/ this particular dvd. I cannot disable it for the life of me! If you need any screenshots from within PgcEdit just let me know.

[blutach]

Sometimes,when you select none, the DVD programs it that you actually select a small stream (usually in your preferred subtitle language). This would be for "alien/foreign language speak" - eg When people are talking Japanese in The Last Samurai. So, Off does not always mean off. Check that the stream number is <64 after your steps above. If this is the case, then no subtitle stream can play, unless it is marked forced and the stream number is 63.

Also check the VOBs with DVDSubEdit - is the particualr stream labelled forced start? If this is the case, you'll need to change the subs to Normal start.

Regards

[r0lZ]

Yeah, disabling forced subtitles can be a pain!

As blu explained, if a subpic stream is "current" but not enabled (for example if the first stream has been set with SetSTN subpic 0, off) and there are forced subpics in that stream, they will be shown anyway. One way to avoid that is to change the "forced start" status of the individual subpics with DVDSubEdit, but of course you will not be able to see the forced subpics any more (except if you enable the stream with SetSTN subpic 0, on, in which case all subpics will be shown.) Another method is to create a dummy subpic stream, containing no subpics at all, and select it instead of the stream containing forced subpics.

1. Double-click the movie PGC to open the PGC Editor.
2. Click on the first subpic stream that is not assigned. It should be labelled as "none" and must be greyed out.
3. In the little "Subpic Stream Setup" window, push the sliders that are not grayed out to the right, at value 31. (There is usually only one active subpic for a movie in 4:3 and 2 for a 16:9 movie.) Accept all changes to return to the main window.
4. Right-click on the PGC and select Domain Stream Attributes. PgcEdit will ask you if it should fix the number of subpics. Answer yes.
5. As you will see, there is now a new subpic stream, with a blank language code. Since this subpic is dummy, I suggest to leave the language code blank. OK the dialog.

Now, you can use that subpic stream to disable the forced subpics. You must enable it with SetSTN subpic N, on (or off, it doesn't matter.) However, that cannot be done with the subpic menu of the DVD, since that stream is not referenced in the menu. So, apply the procedure explained above to select the desired audio stream, and then trace the DVD to find where the audio stream is set with a SetSTN command, and modify that command (or add a new one) to enable the new dummy subpic. Check carefully!

[blutach]

On that method, you may need to actually mux in a stream, with nothing showing in the bitmaps. It's not hard to generate with subtitle creator, but it just allows the player to find a stream in the VOBs to match the selected one (even though there will be no data and it will be entirely transparent).

Regards

[EpheMeroN]

Yeah, disabling forced subtitles can be a pain!

As blu explained, if a subpic stream is "current" but not enabled (for example if the first stream has been set with SetSTN subpic 0, off) and there are forced subpics in that stream, they will be shown anyway. One way to avoid that is to change the "forced start" status of the individual subpics with DVDSubEdit, but of course you will not be able to see the forced subpics any more (except if you enable the stream with SetSTN subpic 0, on, in which case all subpics will be shown.) Another method is to create a dummy subpic stream, containing no subpics at all, and select it instead of the stream containing forced subpics.

1. Double-click the movie PGC to open the PGC Editor.
2. Click on the first subpic stream that is not assigned. It should be labelled as "none" and must be greyed out.
3. In the little "Subpic Stream Setup" window, push the sliders that are not grayed out to the right, at value 31. (There is usually only one active subpic for a movie in 4:3 and 2 for a 16:9 movie.) Accept all changes to return to the main window.
4. Right-click on the PGC and select Domain Stream Attributes. PgcEdit will ask you if it should fix the number of subpics. Answer yes.
5. As you will see, there is now a new subpic stream, with a blank language code. Since this subpic is dummy, I suggest to leave the language code blank. OK the dialog.

Now, you can use that subpic stream to disable the forced subpics. You must enable it with SetSTN subpic N, on (or off, it doesn't matter.) However, that cannot be done with the subpic menu of the DVD, since that stream is not referenced in the menu. So, apply the procedure explained above to select the desired audio stream, and then trace the DVD to find where the audio stream is set with a SetSTN command, and modify that command (or add a new one) to enable the new dummy subpic. Check carefully!
Okay. I did steps 1-5 successfully making the new dummy stream. I'm a bit unsure about creating this new SetSTN command. Are there any screenshots of PgcEdit I can post here to help me pinpoint where I need to make this new command?

By the way, I opened up the VOBs in DVDSubEdit, and the sub stream was set to "Normal Start".

[EpheMeroN]

Is this the sub info I need to edit and have it select the new dummy stream instead?

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/7500/72868533qx5.jpg

[r0lZ]

The Normal/Forced flag status can be different for each supic in a stream. You have to tick "Only show forced subpics" to find them.

You can change that SetSTN command, yes, but being a pre-command of the main movie, you will always set the same subpic, regardless of the selection you make in the subtitles menu.

[EpheMeroN]

@r0lz: I'm not sure if it's what I did w/ DVDSubEdit (disabling the forced subpics), or creating the dummy stream in PgcEdit, or if it was the combination of the two, but now the forced Eng subs are disabled upon movie playback, yet are still selectable via dvd menu or during playback! So however it worked, it did work. Cheers!