Can't Get SRT subtitles to Work!

[LanceG]

I've been using DVD Creator for a couple of months, and have been happy with its features when doing English movies without subtitles. I have however NEVER gotten a foreign language movie to display subtitles on a disc I've burned. I have added SRT files, and they show properly in the Video Edit window, but on the disk they don't show. I have also noticed that the Preview function does not show them, even though the Video Edit window does! Is there a setting that I'm missing? I know the SRT file is OK because the Video Edit window shows them correctly. I've had this problem with more than one movie. I'm using the 64-bit version and have installed the latest version, so don't know where to turn.

[Ashley]

I've been using DVD Creator for a couple of months, and have been happy with its features when doing English movies without subtitles. I have however NEVER gotten a foreign language movie to display subtitles on a disc I've burned. I have added SRT files, and they show properly in the Video Edit window, but on the disk they don't show. I have also noticed that the Preview function does not show them, even though the Video Edit window does! Is there a setting that I'm missing? I know the SRT file is OK because the Video Edit window shows them correctly. I've had this problem with more than one movie. I'm using the 64-bit version and have installed the latest version, so don't know where to turn.

Hi, we cannot reproduce the problem on DVDFab 11.0.2.2. We can add the english subtitle and it is displayed correctly.

Please make sure you set the Country in "Language" area for the subtitle file correctly. See my attached screenshot.

If you use a software player like VLC to play the source video file and add the SRT subtitle file, will the SRT subtitle be played correctly in the correct timestampe?

[LanceG]

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately I still can't get it to work. I had already checked the 'Language' setting and ensured that it was set to 'English (United States)' The subtitles look perfect in the Video Edit screen. Just to be sure, I actually clicked on the list box and reset it to English before clicking OK, but the subtitles still don't show up with the Preview function! I also am running Version 11.0.2.2, though it is the x64 version. Yes, I have tested the srt file with VLC and it works fine. There must be something else I have not set. Does the Character list box matter? I have always simply left it set to ASCII, and the subtitles look perfect in the Video Edit screen. The Preview screen still shows no subtitles. What am I missing?

[Ashley]

Thank you for your response. Unfortunately I still can't get it to work. I had already checked the 'Language' setting and ensured that it was set to 'English (United States)' The subtitles look perfect in the Video Edit screen. Just to be sure, I actually clicked on the list box and reset it to English before clicking OK, but the subtitles still don't show up with the Preview function! I also am running Version 11.0.2.2, though it is the x64 version. Yes, I have tested the srt file with VLC and it works fine. There must be something else I have not set. Does the Character list box matter? I have always simply left it set to ASCII, and the subtitles look perfect in the Video Edit screen. The Preview screen still shows no subtitles. What am I missing?

Preview does not support viewing SRT subtitle. It is not a bug.

We will turn back to the problem that the burnt DVD disc does not show subtitle in VLC. Please load the original file and Srt subtitle into Creator again and set "Save to" as your computer drive, then convert the file to a DVD folder on your PC. Please then play the converted DVD folder with VLC to see if it has subtitle. If not, please send us the SRT subtitle, so we will test it out. Thanks.

[LanceG]

I just burned a DVD with the SRT file attached. It plays perfectly using VLC, with the subtitles, but you do have to turn them on manually. The SRT info is clearly there, so the disk plays just fine with my computer using VLC.

VLC is what I would call a "smart" DVD player -- it has a built-in software "switch" to turn subtitles on and off. I have another "smart" player that can also see the subtitles if I turn them on. The problem that remains for me is that this same DVD does NOT show subtitles on a "dumb" (stand-alone) player. "Dumb" players do not have the capability of turning subtitles on, even if the subtitles (as in this disk) are actually on the disk. If you can't see them, they are effectively not there.

Is there -- or will there ever be -- the capability of adding such a switch in DVD Creator? I would really like to be able to make a DVD that can play on ANY player. So far, I can't do this.

[Ashley]

I just burned a DVD with the SRT file attached. It plays perfectly using VLC, with the subtitles, but you do have to turn them on manually. The SRT info is clearly there, so the disk plays just fine with my computer using VLC.

VLC is what I would call a "smart" DVD player -- it has a built-in software "switch" to turn subtitles on and off. I have another "smart" player that can also see the subtitles if I turn them on. The problem that remains for me is that this same DVD does NOT show subtitles on a "dumb" (stand-alone) player. "Dumb" players do not have the capability of turning subtitles on, even if the subtitles (as in this disk) are actually on the disk. If you can't see them, they are effectively not there.

Is there -- or will there ever be -- the capability of adding such a switch in DVD Creator? I would really like to be able to make a DVD that can play on ANY player. So far, I can't do this.

It is your "dumb" (stand-alone) player problem.

If you do want to try, you can load the original file into Converter option to convert it and set Subtitle mode as "Direct Render to video". SO the output file will have the subtitle built-in.
Then load the converted file into Creator to produce a DVD disc and play on your "dumb" (stand-alone) player to see the result.

[LanceG]

Thank you, Ashley! I think that Video Converter should do exactly what I need. I have not yet downloaded the trial version, and have a pretty simple question -- Can I give the Converter an MKV file without subtitles, and then add to it my English SRT file? Will this successfully integrate the two files into another file with English subtitles?

[LanceG]

i downloaded Video Converter, and it works exactly as I'd hoped. Case closed, and thanks to DVDFab!