Subtitles not working

[bigmunki]

I have ripped the subtitles successfully using r4r (i think!) the file names are:-
DRUNKEN_MASTER.idx
DRUNKEN_MASTER.sub
I tried to include the subs with the avi (rather than in a seperate file) using gknot
I followed the guide but does not seem to work now i have encoded the film is there a program i could use to merge the film with the subs or do i have to do it again?
All help appreciated.
Tom

[manono]

Hi-

You can keep them separate and play them through DirectVobSub. But if you want them "burned" into the video, you'll have to reencode (you can just run the second pass again). Didn't you run the Preview, or open the .avs in VDubMod before encoding to make sure they were in the video? I guess not. If you've created the subs correctly, and if you've created the .avs correctly, then when you run the Preview, you should see them.

[plissken]

I fiddled around with subtitles a bit and finally got them working. If you've got the idx and sub files, you're halfway there. After you press save and encode, you have another window where you can choose to include your subtitles to be embedded. Select the idx file.

Then press preview. If you see the subtitles, good. If not, maybe "show forced subtitles" is on. In which case you have to edit the idx file with a text editor. There is a line where you replace ON with OFF or vice versa, depending on your requirements. Generally, this option is off by default - it was for me.

Also, the idx file also specifies in it which subtitle stream to include. Vobsub comes with a utility (can't remember name) for fixing outta sync subtitles. Open your sub file with this utility and check which stream contains the subtitles you want included. Then change the idx file to read that particular stream.

I'm assuming you've got the G/Knot rip pack which comes with Vobsub. Unfortunately, there is no GUI for editing the idx file but it's not too hard to figure out.

So you got two options. Find out whether the subtitles you want are 'forced' or not and find out whether it's the correct stream. A sub file can contain many subtitle streams: English, Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, whatever.

[ukb007]

Hi, experts.

Should we open the .avs in VDubMod to check? The guides don't say that! This brings me to the point: don't you think it's time one of you sits down and writes about these insights? There are so many questions: like what's the .d2v file and what's the .avs file for? Which one is a frameserver? Nic gave me an explanation, commenting that it's complicated, and I am trying to grapple with it.

How about writing a guide that also EXPLAINS in simple terms, rather than saying "click next, next, next, and OK".

GKnot is a great program. The 'Ripping' tab has textual help. Why can't the other tabs have the same, too? If necessary, procedures can be spread out to a couple of additional tabs.

Thanks.

[manono]

Hi-

Well, you raise some good points. A lot of beginners don't really want things explained point by point. They just want it to work. As you gain experience, and as you read around the boards, you'll learn the reasons why things are done as they are. In defense of Doom9's guides; he can't really explain more in them than do this/do that. If he were to take the time to explain the reasons for everything, these things could take up many more pages than they already do. Other people around here have written some pretty detailed guides, though. For example, Snowbeach has written quite a thorough XviD Guide. You can find it linked in this XviD Newbie Guide thread:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53136

Should we open the .avs in VDubMod to check?

The easiest way to check that the .avs is OK is to play the Preview in GKnot. If you do some .avs editing, you can open it afterwards in VDubMod, or you can even play the .avs in your player of choice, just as you would the final .avi. I guess it's common sense to test the thing before doing the encoding and then getting a crash for reasons you might not understand. There is a good reason for opening it in VDubMod though, and that is that it often gives you an error message that may help pinpoint the problem.

don't you think it's time one of you sits down and writes about these insights?

Probably, but we're all lazy. :) But with experience you'll learn them all anyway.

Nic gave me an explanation, commenting that it's complicated

He's right, it is. I'll ignore the MpegDecoder.dll, as it's not in general use. But the encoders can't handle the vob files all at once. The purpose of frameserving is to feed the frames into the encoder as they are needed. The .d2v/.avs allow this to be done. In addition, the .avs allows such filtering as cropping, resizing, denoising of various kinds and many other things before hitting the encoder, and without color space conversions, all of which speeds the encoding when compared to previous methods (VFAPI). I hope none of that contradicts anything that Nic told you. If it does, then he's right.

I noticed from some of your other posts that you've been having trouble with the subs. For me, the thing I usually change is their position in the video. For that you need only adjust the Y Coordinate below the red box. 30 or 40 usually work well to lower them a bit. Then check either in the Preview or in VDubMod to make sure they are positioned to your liking. I'll also adjust the Fade In/Out both to zero, and usually uncheck Smooth Image. Up to you, though. I'll check the Custom Colors box and then give them a color more to my liking (usually a pale yellow). And whatever you do, do not change the checks under the colors. You can really mess things up by doing that. Usually there's an unchecked black color, which is the background, and should be left alone. And there's another unchecked colored box which is often the one I change. All this assumes that you want to "burn" the subs into the video. Many people serious about the subs will convert them to text files (using OCR, and I prefer the SSA Format) and keep them separate (that is, not burned into the video), and then use DirectVobSub to display them when playing the movie.

Come back if you have more questions and I/we will confuse you some more. :)

[ukb007]

Hi

You wrote that you are "lazy". Well, you shouldn't tell lies in these fora! You are "expert". [And "wonderful".] I am indeed beginning to gain a lot of insights (understandings) - only that I feel the stumbling block is my lack of programming knowledge. Programmers are gods. [You know that God is a great programmer! Look around you.] (I'm not religious.)

Your explanation of VobSub window helped immensely. [Can you point me to any guides that you have written - on anything?] And how about increasing your VobSub explanation by another 9 lines (full-screen, 17 inch)?

Everyone needs to KNOW. [But probably everybody except one does.]

Thanks.

[hakko504]

Originally posted by ukb007
You wrote that you are "lazy". ... You are "expert". One doesn't exclude the other. :D :rolleyes: :devil:

[manono]

Hi-

Can you point me to any guides that you have written?

Doom9 was kind enough to host the DVD2AVI/IVTC/Deinterlacing guide that hakko504, jggimi, and I wrote:

http://www.doom9.org/ivtc-tut.htm

That one should keep you busy for awhile. And it needs updating (again), but as I said, I'm lazy.

And I never knew that fora was a plural of forum. In fact, I didn't believe it. But I looked it up, and both forums and fora are acceptable. Good one. :)

[ukb007]

I have downloaded your IVTC guide and currently I'm workin' on it. If it needs updating, then probably I am the last person to spot it. But I'll keep an eye - and grab a version later that 18 April 2003.

And yes, Mr hakko504 is right. Experts are often lazy - that I can live with. But when they are impatient - that I cannot. I believe the Doom9 Forum Team Members are ALL experts - but the good thing about the Doom9 Forums is that they are not impatient. That is one of my main attraction for the Doom9 Forums.

Lastly, forgive me for observing that guys who can write a guide like the IVTC one can be described by some term other than 'lazy'.

Thanks.

[bigmunki]

Just got back from holiday - i tried previewing the subtitles in gknot but still doesn't work??? What am i doing wrong!!

[fumantsu]

I found a solution. When to rip subtitles with r4r in the .idx file the correct language is not set.
Example:

# Language index in use
langidx: 0 <---This is the wrong value

# Greek
id: el, index: 5 <--- This is the right value that must be set on "langidx"
# Decomment next line to activate alternative name in DirectVobSub / Windows Media Player 6.x
# alt: Greek
# Vob/Cell ID: 1, 1 (PTS: 0)


As you see its time you rip subtitles with you must edit the .idx file and change the value of langidx with the index value of the language you want.