DVD WORKSHOP 2 problem playing subtitles

[Bella]

Hi,

I just started using DVDWS2 and I created 2 different subtitles directly in the program and also exported the subtitle files as .txt files for future use. I navigate 2 different subtitles through the menu options depending on the language.

When I preview everything in Finish tab everything looks fine, but when I burn it to disc and play it on dvd player subtitles are not displayed. I tried pressing the subtitle button on the remote and that gives me both options but subtitles are not there. If I play the dvd on my computer with Nero player, the subtitles are displayed and eveything works fine.

Also when I look at _Ts folders on the disc I have in Video foldr only vob, ifo and bub files (don't see any subtitle files) and audio folder is empty?!? However Audio is there when I play it, but subtitles are shown only on the computer, not the actual dvd player. How do I fix this problem?

Thanks.

[guns1inger]

The audio-Ts folder is not used by DVD video, so it should be empty. Everything else is in the VOB files - video, audio, menus etc. The IFO file contains basic format information, chapter stops and track details, and the BUP files are backups (copies) of the IFO files. So it sounds like you have everything you should have, except knowledge and DVD Video structure.

There are a couple of things you can do to check what is happening.

1. Open the DVD in DVD Shrink and see if it shows any subtitle tracks. I am guessing it will, as Nero displays them

2. Open the DVD i Showtimeor VLC or MPC or the KM Player (all will display DVD subtitles correctly, and look at the position of the subtitles. It may be that they are incorrectly positioned and are displaying in the overscan area of your TV.

[Bella]

Idisoverd that if I change the tv ratio from 4:3 to 16:9 I can see subtitles but the picture is squashed. How can I burn the dvd in 4:3 format but get the black part on the side to play it properly? I wanna be able to play it in any format, adding the black bits to fill in the rest of the screen.

[guns1inger]

I know that DVD Workshop 2 cannot author 16:9 menus correctly - perhaps it cannot author 16:9 sub-pictures correctly. If this is the case then you have very few choices. You can author in 4:3, which means re-encoding your video, or author without subs and put the subs in afterwards, which is a lot of work, or use an authoring tool that has been updated more regularly and correctly handles all DVD configurations. A final option would be to PM our resident DVD Workshop 2 expert, LordSmurf, and ask him if there is a trick to authoring 16:9 subtitles correctly.

[Bella]

The problem is also that picture is distorted on 16:9 and when I play it on 4:3 part of the picure is missing. I have picture slide show and the movie on that dvd. So on the half of the slideshow our heads are cut (worse if I have a picture in vertical orientation)and obviosly video is cut as well as I don't see subtitles. I really don't want to burn it properly for one format only. As it is at the moment looks like it would play ok on 4:3 format tv. What I don't understand why my tv whe I change the ratio to 4:3 (it's 16:9 tv) doesn't convert that properly.

I will try with a PM. Thanks.

Which SW is good in your opinion to do what I described?

[guns1inger]

What aspect ratio did you create the movie and slideshow with ? They are either 16:9 or 4:3 - it's pretty simple.

Also, even on a widescreen TV you will lose some image to overscan.

I also suspect that you possibly do not have your TV and DVD player correctly configured, or something has gone terribly wrong at5 most stages of this project.

[DB83]

You could also ask the question on the dedicated Ulead forum.

However, if your copy of DVDWS is not fully patched (are you using the trial version ?) to incorporate patch no 5 you may well have sub-title issues.

[lordsmurf]

Responding to your PM. I don't see anything here that I can say that hasn't already been said by others.

- Must use most updated legal version (not the messed up cracked trials).
- Must have television./DVD player set up correctly.
- Must have decent DVD player (some cheap ones do whatever they want, as some areas of the DVD-Video specs are not always obeyed by every player manufactuer).
- Must author as 4:3 with 4:3 subtitles. DVDWS2 does not do 16:9 (as 16:9 is not a typical consumer authoring size until the last year or so).

You can always try TDA 3.

[p_l]

DVDWS2 certainly does do 16:9. I do it all the time. With subtitles, too. Only the menus are limited to 4:3.

Try adjusting not only your TV's, but your DVD player's aspect ratio settings, especially if your DVD plays fine on your computer.