subtitle problem with DSM-750

[roise_r]

hi,
i am trying to run subtitles on my d-link dsm-750 for a long time now. the latest success i had is to put .srt subs into a .mkv container using ripbot. if i do that i am forced to re-encode the whole video (as there is no option to just copy stream), although i am not actually stamping the subs to the video. i.e. i can switch them off if i want to. i cannot include subs whatsoever using any other kind of muxer: xvid4psp, mkvmerge, virtualdub, avidemux. what is ripbot doing that all these other tools cannot do ?

[Atak_Snajpera]

If you want add subtitles to mkv use mmg.exe from mkvtoolnix package

[Tycketoryde]

the latest success i had is to put .srt subs into a .mkv container using ripbot. if i do that i am forced to re-encode the whole video...

Nope, most of these Type of Questions are because People don't know the Basics, don't know what a Container (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matroska) is, and what you can do with it.

AVI, MKV MP4 are all Containers. Picture them as being little Boxes you can stuff Video Tracks, Audio Tracks, Chapters, Subtitles, etc. into.

Now Imagine, in order to play a Movie, you would have to start your Video Playback Software, then launch your Audio Player at the same Time, and yet another Renderer for your Subtitles. A "Container" does everything for you by clicking on only 1 single File, calling on the appropriate Playback Codecs.

You don't "have to" add your Subtitles to the encoding Process unless you want to perma-bake them into the Video Track. Encode without Subs. Then, as mentioned above, download the latest MKVmerge (http://www.videohelp.com/tools/MKVtoolnix) and "Open/Add" your MKV File, then "Add" your Subs to it right after. Now Hit the "Start Muxing" (... means to put together...) Button and save to a new MKV File.

On the "Global" Tab you can also select "Link & Split" the new MKV Container into 1.99GB Segments so you can burn them to DVD-R Disk, even Span them across 2 or more Disks without having "to split & sync" any Subtitles.

The encoding World becomes a rather simple Concept when some very basic Fundamentals are understood.

See ---> Container Comparisons (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_container_formats)

[roise_r]

very useful, but unfortunately for me, my problem is not misunderstanding the container concept, but that i can't use ripbot to just copy the video stream from the original .mkv container and mux it with the subtitles to another .mkv container. at least i have not found an option in ripbot that will mux a new .mkv file by just copying the video stream from another .mkv file, like xvid4psp does for example

[roise_r]

If you want add subtitles to mkv use mmg.exe from mkvtoolnix package

i did that and the subtitle stream shows perfectly fine on my PC, but for some reason it won't work on my dsm-750, while if i use ripbot and actually take the time to re-encode the whole video, the contained subtitles will show on the player and i can turn them off if i want. (they are NOT embedded into the picture)

[Tycketoryde]

i can't use ripbot to just copy the video stream from the original .mkv container and mux it with the subtitles to another .mkv container.
That's exactly what the above Replies respond to, exactly what "MKVtoolnix" does for you. Should be all done in under 15 Minutes. Simply "Demux" the Subtitles from another MKV File using "MKVtoolnix" to your HDD, then open the MKV File which contains your Video Stream, then "add" the Subtitle you had "Demuxed" to your HDD, and then "mux" them together to a new MKV File.

at least i have not found an option in ripbot that will mux a new .mkv file by just copying the video stream from another .mkv file, like xvid4psp does for example
Ripbot is not the MKV Tool to use for that. It simply makes a Container after your Video Stream has been encoded, and then packs the Works, ... Video, Audio, Subs together into a MKV Container.

If you want to edit the MKV Container after, ie. demux, add, copy over or whatever, that is what "MKVmerge" is for.

i did that and the subtitle stream shows perfectly fine on my PC, but for some reason it won't work on my dsm-750,
Weird. Your D-Link DSM-750 Specs call for Subrip SRTs. Some SRTs out there for download are saved in Unicode to permit embedding of "Special Characters", and perhaps Ripbot converts them back to UTF-8 for Standards Compliance. "MKVmerge" will take ANSI, UTF-8 & Unicode SRTs, and they'll all render just fine under "Media Player Home Cinema" Edition. Other than that I can't think what the Problem might be. Maybe Ripbot's Author has another Explanation for this.

The D-Link DSM-750 does not support SRTs natively, but only through the Media Lounge Interface. Some h264 Encoders out there have MKV Playback Settings, ie. whether its to be played on a PC or Home Player. There seem to be no such Settings in MKVtoolnix, and I have no Idea if that even has any Bearing on your Unit's Playback, or the Media Lounge Interface of your Unit.

Seems you have had all sorts of Problems with your Unit ---> AAC 5.1CH audio plays as 2CH on my DSM-750 media player (http://www.avforums.com/forums/streamers-network-media-players/1063941-aac-5-1ch-audio-plays-2ch-my-dsm-750-media-player.html)

Reading your Thread over there, I would suggest you try saving your SRTs to ANSI, then another to UTF-8, and yet another to Unicode, then load each one into a new Container and see if not one of them plays packed up by MKVmerge.

[roise_r]

ok, sorry for the late response.

as embarrassed as i am for telling this, i have to say that i was wrong about claiming that ripbot actually makes the contained (not embedded) subtitles show up on my stand alone dsm-750. i did many experiments during the past week :), and no subtitles run on the device no matter what, except if u run the video through the d-link media server and not through twonky or tversity. so i guess the reason i was so convinced that ripbot did the job is that I accidentally embedded the subtitles to the video, thinking that they are only contained. when i ran the movie from my computer it must have been a different file :-/

sorry for all the trouble and :thanks: for the help