Adding perm subtitles when converting from avi to dvd

[gnslinger]

I'm wanting to convert an xvid file that has seperate subtitle files into DVD video that has permanent subs. Currently I use this guide to convert from xvid to dvd: https://forum.videohelp.com/viewtopic.php?t=222898

The only other guide I could find that gave me permanent subs was to re-encode the xvid file to another xvid with subs. But this would really reduce the quality and I'd rather not do that. Any suggestions?

[redwudz]

If you are going to use permanent subs, then you need to re-encode because you are modifying the video file to add something to it. But with a DVD, I don't see any reason to use permanent subs as the format accepts selectable subs. But if you really want permanent subs burnt into the video, you will have to re-encode it.

[gnslinger]

But can I add the subs while re-encoding to DVD? The reason I'd rather have perm over selectable is because it's a foreign language movie and I'd never watch it without the subs to begin with.

[gnslinger]

Ok, one easy I think I may be able to do this is set up the dvd so it automatically displays the subtitles on start-up, even though they are selectable. I once had a movie that for some reason started (without going to the menu) with foreign subtitles, I had to manually switch them to English. So I'm sure there has to be a way to author the DVD to do this. I use DVD-Lab to do all of my authoring. Does anyone know their way around this software enough to tell me how to do this?

[manono]

Hi-

But can I add the subs while re-encoding to DVD?

Yes, using the Textsub or VSFilter filter (comes in the VobSub package), frameserving via either VDub or AviSynth.

The reason I'd rather have perm over selectable is because it's a foreign language movie and I'd never watch it without the subs to begin with.

Hardcoding the subs into the video degrades the quality of the video, and is almost always a bad idea. It's an easy matter to have selectable subs that start automatically, unless you go into the subs menu, or use the remote, to turn them off.

Edit: I don't use DVDLab, but as you suggest, there's probably an easy way to accomplish what you want. Someone can help, I'm sure. Even if you don't figure it out, it's easy to make them start automatically, using PGCEdit, after the DVD is completed.

[AlanHK]

Ok, one easy I think I may be able to do this is set up the dvd so it automatically displays the subtitles on start-up

Here's how to do it with PGCedit

This includes cases with complex submenus, (worrying about "break" commands) but if you're DIY with one menu, you can skip that part.

It even tells you how to make them impossible to turn off (on a normal player), but I don't know why you'd want to do that.