VobSub extracts subs but don't display

[den207sco]

I hope someone here can help me. I am trying to extract subs in idx/sub format from DVDs and it usually works but not always.

Basically the DVDs have been run through DVD Shrink to extract just a few minutes of the main video file and its relevant subtitle and audio stream. I then test the ifo/vob files to make sure it all works including subtitles. Works ok everytime up until this step.

I then use VobSub Configure (v2.23) to rip the subtitles. Usually all is fine but for some DVDs the resulting sub file doesn't work. When I inspect the .sub with SubResync all the entries for subtitles are there but they display as just a small black box with grey dots in a grid layout. This occurs even though every media player I have tried displays the subtitles just fine.

I first encountered this problem running the ifo/vob through AutoGK. The subtitle streams were detected but didn't appear in preview or output. I also tried other VOB to idx/sub rippers but they also failed on the same problem DVDs. The rippers that OCR to text works fine but that isn't what I want.

Any ideas on how to make this work is appreciated.

[manono]

Check the timestamps in the IDX. If you extract a piece of a VOB an hour into the video and the timestamps still begin at the hour mark, they'll never show up when reencoding the video using AutoGK without first adjusting the delay.

An alternative would be to get the full IDX/SUB before running the DVD through DVD Shrink, and adjusting the delay. Doing this correctly will depend on you knowing where you made the cut. Delays can be made directly to the IDX file, or using something like SubtitleCreator.

[den207sco]

Thanks for the tip. It half worked. I was able to fix some of my files by adjusting the timing in the idx as they were not synced to the croped video segment.

But on others the timing in the idx coming out of VobSub was already correct but still not displayed on the clip when played. Any more ideas?

[manono]

Was there more than one language of subtitles? Did you cut any of them out during the DVD Shrink step? Did you try the different languages in the Preview of AutoGK, or by testing them out by playing them along with the AVI? Another way to check the languages is to open the IDX/SUB in SubResynch (included in the VobSub package) and checking for timestamps, if the timings are correct, and then clicking on them to check the dialog. With more than one language there's a drop-down box for choosing the others.

But if all you see is the black dots you mentioned, then I go back to my alternate suggestion of getting the subs before ever sending the DVD through DVD Shrink. Then you can (if you like) first, use the Sub File Cutter utility included with VobSub to cut out only the subs you want, followed by setting the correct delay (if necessary)

[den207sco]

I ran the DVD through DVD Shrink a long time ago and no longer have the original so if the only option is to go extract the subs prior to DVD Shrink then I guess I just can't make the clips work with subtitles as an avi.

You did make a good point though, it's very likely that the original had more than one subtitle stream and I had cut out all but one. Is there something in the idx that I could edit to address this?

When I look at it in SubResynch only the first subtitle is named (ie English), times look right but dialog is just a black box with gray dots, but the VOB plays just fine with working subtitle that I can switch on and off.

BTW for the files that work after I edit the times in SubResync the dialog also appears as just a black box in SubResync but appears fine when playing in a media player. All a bit strange to me.

Thanks manono for your help so far.

[manono]

I'm not out of ideas yet. Before this is through you'll be familiar with more subtitle programs than you were to begin with. Open the VOB in DVDSubEdit and if you see subs, then go File->Save Selected Subpics As SUP file. Open that SUP file in SubtitleCreator and if you still see dialog, save it as VobSubs (File->Save VobSub). While in there, check the timestamps and if you need to, fix the delay in the Synchronize Tab.

If you used DVD Shrink on it, then you were reauthoring in DVD Shrink? And you made a DVD with IFO and BUP, as well as with VOB? If so, try extracting the subs using PGCDemux (which requires IFO input). If it works you'll get a sub in SUP format which can quickly be changed to IDX/SUB using SubtitleCreator.

Have you tried to extract the IDX/SUB using VSRip? But if VobSub Configure can't get them then I don't guess VSRip will either. But you never know 'till you try.

When I look at it in SubResynch only the first subtitle is named (ie English), times look right but dialog is just a black box with gray dots, but the VOB plays just fine with working subtitle that I can switch on and off.

Have you tried loading the next 2 or 3 subtitle tracks, even though they say 'not detected'? If that doesn't work, and I don't suppose it will, and if nothing else I've suggested works, then I don't see anything for it except to do the OCR which I know you said you didn't want to do. But if, as you say, you can play the VOB with subs with no problem, I'm fairly sure that DVDSubEdit will also see them, and you'll be able to save them, although you may need to change the colors in DVDSubEdit or in VobSub Configure later on.

Now I'm out of ideas.

[den207sco]

DVDSubEdit + SubtitleCreator worked!! Finally.

I was trying these before but didn't use them the way you sugested.
And the resulting idx/sub is even viewable in the SubResync preview.

Thanks for the help.
I knew if the media players could see the subs in the VOB then there must be a solution somehow.