Can't turn off DVD subtitles (1 Viewer)

[2.0]

MediaPortal Version: 1.2.2
MediaPortal Skin: Black Glass HD
Windows Version: Windows 7 32-Bit Home Premium SP1
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750
HDD: Intel 320 SSD 80GB System, WD 1TB Caviar Black Storage
Memory: 4GB DDR3
Motherboard: MSI G41M-P23
Video Card: EVGA Geforce GT 430
Video Card Driver: 8.17.12.8562
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Haupauge Win-TV HVR 2250
1. TV Card Type:
1. TV Card Driver:
2. TV Card: DVICO FusionHDTV7 RT Gold
2. TV Card Type:
2. TV Card Driver:
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: LAV 0.44
MPEG2 Audio Codec: LAV 0.44
h.264 Video Codec: LAV 0.44 with CUDA
Satelite/CableTV Provider:
HTPC Case: Foxconn DH-153C
Cooling: A very cold apartment
Power Supply: 300W
Remote: Hauppauge MCE Remote
TV:
TV - HTPC Connection: HDMI 1.4

I see a lot of threads about subtitles not displaying, but I have the exact opposite problem. When watching a DVD I can't turn the subtitles off. This only happens with DVDs; When I watch a video with subtitles, like a mkv, the subs work fine and I can turn them on and off anytime.

I tried turning off the subtitles in the DVD main menu but they still appear. I disabled the subs in the DVD navigator menu while the DVD was playing but they still won't go away. I've tried setting MP to use different codecs for playing DVDs but that didn't work. In MP Config, under DVD Discs/Images, I unchecked "Show Subtitles" and "Show CC" and the subtitles still won't go away. I even disabled the subtitles engine in MP Config and the subs still show up when I play a DVD. I have gone through every setting in MP to turn off these subtitles and nothing is working.

While playing the DVD, I pressed SHift+1 to view the DirectShow info. It showed the following filters: Default Directsound device, Enhanced Video Renderer, Line 21 Decoder 2, MPC - MPA Decoder Filter, MainConcept (HCW) MPEG-2 Video Decoder, DVD Navigator. Line 21 decoder has something to do with closed captions, so I tried disabling that codec, but the subtitles still show up. I then disabled every third-party codec on my system that might be getting in the way but that didn't work either. Where in the world are these subtitles coming from?

I can play the DVD in Media Player Classic and it does not give me this problem. I also ripped the DVD to a vob file and played that in MP, and I was able to turn the subitles off with that. The problem only happens when playing a DVD in Mediaportal.

I put a log file below if that helps. This is driving me nuts. These subtitles just won't go away!

EDIT: I switched the video renderer from EVR to VMR9 and now I get no subtitles at all on DVDs.

 

[2.0]

Well, once again it seems I have solved my own problem.

It turns out those pesky subtitles were being caused by the Mainconcept MPEG2 Decoder. It would automatically insert the subs and there was no way to change it. Though I switched to the LAV decoders for DVD playback in MP Configuration, that didn't change anything; It turns out that DVD video playback is the one thing that LAV can't handle. MP would therefore fall back to the Mainconcept MPEG2 decoder (without telling me) and the subtitles would still be there.

I switched to the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder for DVD playback and it works fine. The picture looks good and I can turn the subtitles on and off at will. But there's a reason I did not use the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder in the first place. It was causing me problems with playing certain internet videos so I had to disable it. I re-enabled the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder and DVDs play fine, but I once again had trouble with internet videos.

The problem is that DirectShow is set to prefer using the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder for certain video codecs. It doesn't matter what decoders you choose to use in MP Configuration, DirectShow will do what it wants in some cases. But the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder is flawed and it cannot handle certain video streams. In this case, instead of passing it over to a different decoder, the Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder just freezes and outputs a blank screen. It just can't handle the job it was meant to do. It's like an incompetent worker who keeps interfering and ruining things even though you tell him not to.

There is a part of the registry that defines which decoders DirectShow will use to handle certain codecs. However, this part of the registry is protected from modification by a user. Yes, Microsoft wants to make absolute certain that your videos won't play. But I did find a solution: There is a free software called Win7DSFilterTweaker 4.7 which can change this part of the registry and let you define which decoders DirectShow will use for certain video streams. I set it to use the LAV decoders for h264 and VC-1 video and that fixed the problem. The Microsoft DTV-DVD decoder does not interfere any more and I can play online videos again.