Controlling subtitles within MP (srt/sub/idx)

[mad82]

Originally Posted by capitalf

I was getting annoyed with having an issue playing .srt subtitles with a .mkv file but I did the following to resolve the issue.

Prerequisite:

• VobSub installed with default settings. Shame on you if you do not just install everything using K-Lite Mega Codec Pack.

1. In MediaPortal Configuration, go to Movies.
2. Click the Subtitles tab then click Show subtitles.
3. Expand the Movies tree.
4. Click Movie Post Processing.
5. Under the Available filters section, double-click DirectVobSub (auto-loading version).

I think Show subtitles could be for something else (e.g., DVD subtitles) so I went on and enabled it. You do not need to make VobSub always load via the filter properties. I think this is what causes it to show up twice in the Activated filters section.

I also created a 'subtitles' folder within my movies folder so I can keep it tidy. VobSub searches this folder for subtitles by default. By default, you can also use your "L" key to turn subtitles on/off. I am looking on how to map "L" to a key on my ATI Remote Wonder II.

Thanks a lot. I used MediaPortal a while ago and couldn't get it to display subtitles so I used an external smplayer which was configured how I wanted and I was happy. Recently I formated and went to Ubuntu, then to Windows Server 2008 configured like Vista, but at the end of the day, XP just works how I want it (although I do like Ubuntu if I could get my tv to work with it properly).

Anyway I decided that on this install I'd get everything working in MediaPortal properly. First was getting my MCE remote working. Before I used autoit and some 3rd party dll or something to get it working. It was annoying. Next mp wouldn't play my movies. Stupid me didn't install a codec pack. Hey everything played in smplayer! Next the subtitles wouldn't show no matter what. Was getting mad and then I saw this post. I do believe I have everything setup exactly how I want it now.



edit: so I found a few files that wouldn't play but all the rest would. Long story short I undid what I did her, went to the Haali filter, options, compatibility, autoload vsfilter and switched it from no to yes. Now everything plays like it should.

[globaldonkey]

Originally Posted by capitalf

I was getting annoyed with having an issue playing .srt subtitles with a .mkv file but I did the following to resolve the issue.

If you're using mkv's, why not use mkvmerge to embed the subtitles in the mkv file? Then all you need to do is make sure Haali autoloads vsfilter (per Goose' codec guide), and you don't need to mess around with separate files, or any post processing configuration in MP

mkvmerge will also take an avi file and external subs and merge them into a single mkv as well. It only takes a couple of minutes to merge the streams with mkvmerge.

You can also use it join avi's that have been split to fit on CD's, and it will merge and append the external subs as well.

Apart from the little glitch with RC1 and mkv's with subs, I have found that this is the most reliable way to play movies with subs.