DVDs do not display subtitles

[lookover]

I have a Region 0 two-disc commercial DVD featuring an opera sung in French. The main and submenus are in English and offer a choice of six languages, including English, for the subtitles. I have now tried the disk on three players, including a multiregion model, and on a MacBook Pro, but cannot get English subtitles. I have not tried other languages but suspect they too will be unavailable. Any advice,particularly non-techie, on how I might transfer the contents of the commercial discs to blank DVD discs which enables access to the subbtitles would be much appreciated.

[aedipuss]

first you'd need to find out if the subs are even there. try using mediainfo(free click the link/name) set it in text mode and copy/paste the results here.

[jman98]

What aedipuss said, but I'll provide some instructions.

Install MediaInfo on your Mac. Put the DVD in the Mac. Go to the VIDEO_TS directory and open the largest file you can find that ends in .VOB under MediaInfo. I'm sorry but I don't know exactly how MediaInfo works on Macs as I only use it on Windows. Post the info here that MediaInfo reports about your largest .VOB file.

If you tried to access the subtitles not through the menu but through a remote control or a media player Subtitles option and couldn't find them, they probably don't exist. It is possible that the menus are broken if you only tried that way to get to the subtitles but it's also possible that they just aren't there. We can tell from MediaInfo's information.

[lookover]

Many thanks to those who replied. I sent an email to the DVD producer and received this reply: 'every DVD Player remote has a subtitle button. While the opera is playing press it and select your preferred language. It should work out that way.'

Well, it did and it didn't. Recalling top and sub menus, etc., produced no result. But what is weird, pressing the fast forward button did. I've never come cross this before. Really weird or GIGO?

I can't find any dedicated button on my Seiki BD660 and the manual doesn't pinpoint one, unless it's under some other name. If I ever have a problem like this again, I shall certainly press every button in turn. Who knows what might happen!

[jman98]

Translation from what they told you - We paid some cheap company to produce this DVD for us and they botched the menus.

However, at no point do you admit doing exactly what they told you to do which is to play the video and then push the subtitles button on the remote, so there's some chance that it's simply user error as the main problem here.

I've never seen or heard of a DVD player remote without a Subtitles button, so if yours truly lacks it, that's a first.

[usually_quiet]

As I recall, the Seiki BD660 is a budget Blu-Ray player from a couple of years back. I agree that if the Seiki BD660 doesn't have a dedicated subtitle button it is unusual, and you should check the manual again more carefully to find out what button is supposed to control DVD subtitles.

[aedipuss]

if there's no subtitle button you can usually get to the subs through the info button. how they are listed on a seiki idk, but scroll down to subs then right to the one you want.

[handyguy]

Yes, but it has been on 3 players same result. Lots of websites have free subs, subscene.com for one.

[jman98]

Yes, but it has been on 3 players same result. Lots of websites have free subs, subscene.com for one.

At no point in any of his posts did the OP admit to pushing the Subtitles button on a remote control AFTER playback started or doing the same in a software player on a computer. All we know for sure is that he can't access the subs through the MENU.

Yeah, good freakin' luck with finding subtitles to an opera DVD there. I mean it COULD happen, but I wouldn't bet my house on it.