MakeMKV and Handbrake Subtitles only during foreign languages?

[rayward]

My understanding is that handbrake using foreign audio search will fail if the subtitle is in a separate track, and NOT marked as forced.

I think this is right. HB looks for a subtitle track that is significantly smaller than the others. Maybe I have an older nightly build than you and mic j, which is why it failed to pick up the correct track for The Avengers, but mic j is also correct that it's worth having a fallback if it fails.

 

[tdtran1025]

Assuming you mean from Blurays, PGS subtitle support was recently added to Handbrake and is available in the nightly build (download link in the Handbrake forums -- http://forum.handbrake.fr). You can use MakeMKV to extract the subtitle streams, and then have Handbrake identify and burn in only the foreign audio portions (as it has done with DVDs in the past).

Since when did Handbrake add support for PGS subtitles? I would love to get my hands on the mentioned version.
Up to this point, I still have to extract PGS, convert it, remux it(using different programs), and then use Handbrake for the final trancode.
Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[mic j]

Since when did Handbrake add support for PGS subtitles? I would love to get my hands on the mentioned version.
Up to this point, I still have to extract PGS, convert it, remux it(using different programs), and then use Handbrake for the final trancode.
Correct me if I am wrong.

Handbrake has PGS subtitle support built in to the Nightly Builds, not it's stable version. But the nightly's are very stable as well. Here is a link: https://build.handbrake.fr/view/Nightlies/

They download and install same as the regular version.

 

[mic j]

My understanding is that handbrake using foreign audio search will fail if the subtitle is in a separate track, and NOT marked as forced.

Not necessarily, it uses an algorithm that scans for subtitles that appear less than 10% of the time, as well as, force flags.

Not saying it is perfect at detecting forced subs, nor do they claim to be, but it has worked pretty well on the whole. Also, I usually consult the cited spreadsheet to no if there are forced subs, where they are, and what type they are (separate track, embedded, etc). If HB misses it, I do like you and look at my mkv, using VLC, and determine the track that needs to be included.

 

[jrm27]

hi all,

Just found this topic because I'm having the exact same question! The movie I'm having trouble with is Kill Bill vol 1. After looking at the previously linked spreadsheet, I see that the foreign language subs are on a separate track. How do I get these to show up in my encodes? Thanks!

-jon

 

[mic j]

hi all,

Just found this topic because I'm having the exact same question! The movie I'm having trouble with is Kill Bill vol 1. After looking at the previously linked spreadsheet, I see that the foreign language subs are on a separate track. How do I get these to show up in my encodes? Thanks!

-jon

BR or SD dvd?

 

[jrm27]

It's a BR. Sorry, I forgot to mention that!

 

[mic j]

It's a BR. Sorry, I forgot to mention that!

You need to download the Nightly version of HB. Then go to the subtitles tab and select Foreign Audio Search in the track window. It will scan your file for forced subtitles and if it finds one, burn it in to the video image.

 

[jrm27]

Hi mic j,

I've actually already tried that. I'm operating with a nightly right now, and have selected those options. No dice for Kill Bill Vol 1, at least. I can post an activity log if that would be at all helpful.

 

[mic j]

Hi mic j,

I've actually already tried that. I'm operating with a nightly right now, and have selected those options. No dice for Kill Bill Vol 1, at least. I can post an activity log if that would be at all helpful.

Are you working from an mkv file or directly from the disc?

 

[jrm27]

from an mkv. It's my understanding that handbrake doesn't recognize BR discs as a valid source. Has that changed with the nightly builds?

 

[mic j]

from an mkv. It's my understanding that handbrake doesn't recognize BR discs as a valid source. Has that changed with the nightly builds?

Not sure, as I never use it direct from disc. First, when you ripped to mkv (I assume using MakeMKV) you told it to included forced subs, right? If you did, open the mkv using VLC media player. FF till you get to a subtitle part (I like the one where she is in the sushi bar in Japan ). When you see the subtitles appear, check the subtitles menu (under video pull down, I think) and see which subtitle track is check. Make a note of it, then go to HB and open the mkv in HB. Go to the subtitle tab and select the track that you noted from VLC. If you want, just encode the chapter that your subtitle scene occurs in to make sure it is working. If you are getting it to appear, then go back and do the whole thing. It's a little quicker for these tricky things where you are testing various approaches.

Also, doing it this way, make sure "forced subtitles only" is NOT checked. It will discard it because the track is not flagged as forced.

 

[jason.siegel]

Is there a consensus on how to properly add foreign language subtitles for the original Avatar Blu-ray?

 

[mic j]

Is there a consensus on how to properly add foreign language subtitles for the original Avatar Blu-ray?

I just used the HB nightly, set the subtitle tab to "foreign audio search" and burn them in.

 

[jason.siegel]

What would be the difference between doing that and selecting PGS 2 forced?

 

[mic j]

What would be the difference between doing that and selecting PGS 2 forced?

Not sure what you mean by PGS 2 forced?

 

[jason.siegel]

The second PGS (bitmap) track. Forced titles checkbox.

 

[mic j]

The second PGS (bitmap) track. Forced titles checkbox.

Sure, it can be done that way if you know the track that contains the forced subs and it is flagged as forced.

 

[jason.siegel]

How exactly does the foreign auto search work? What subtitles track does it pull from, and how does it know when there is foreign audio?

 

[mic j]

How exactly does the foreign auto search work? What subtitles track does it pull from, and how does it know when there is foreign audio?

It looks for a forced flag but it also runs an algorithm that enumerates the amount of dialog in a subtitle track. If it has less than a certain number of "hits" it treats that track as a forced subtitle. It is not 100% accurate, but if you are unsure your title has forced subtitles or you are unsure as to what track it is and you don't want to go through the effort to load it into a media viewer (like VLC), it is a reasonable way to go. Some people routinely do the foreign audio search as part of their transcoding, so that they don't find out later that the title had a forced sub they missed and have to re-encode.

 

[jason.siegel]

Cool, thanks. So it sounds like I just manually did what foreign audio search also would have done.

 

[mic j]

Cool, thanks. So it sounds like I just manually did what foreign audio search also would have done.

Yup.

 

[mteagle18]

I'm trying to do the German/French parts of X-Men First class but the Foreign Audio Search does nothing for me

 

[mteagle18]

and HB nightly doesn't seem to work with doing it

 

[mic j]

I'm trying to do the German/French parts of X-Men First class but the Foreign Audio Search does nothing for me

Open the original movie file in VLC. FF to a place where there are forced subtitles. When they appear, look under the Video pull-down and select subtitles. The track containing forced subtitles should be checked. Make a note of which track it is. Then when you do your transcode in HB, manually select the track instead of using the Foreign Audio Search. Of course, select burned-in.

Usually, Foreign Audio Search works pretty good. I used it all the time. But occasionally it's algorithm for finding forced subs gets fooled. Also, not sure why you are using the nightly build. The stable release has everything you need in it.