Adding subtitle to SVCD

[Matthias01]

Hi!

I am trying to add a subtitle to a ready SVCD and reburn it.

Steps done: created XML and MPG with VCDEasy
added the SUB with WinSubMux to MPG, and verified this with VCDEasy.

Recreated a BIN/CUE with the new MPG and the old XML

Subs do not show up.

I think ther is something missing in the XML so that the DVD-player does not know there is a subtitle.

Any Idea?

Thanks!
Matthias

[mats.hogberg]

The problem is that not many players support SVCD subs. I can't say that it's so in your case, but applying occams razor does

/Mats

[Matthias01]

What is ocamrazor?

[Matthias01]

My player (Scott 838) does support SVCD with Subtitle. Thats Why I think there migth be something missing in the SVCD-structure because I used the old XML that was ctreated with the unsubbed MPG.

CU!

[mats.hogberg]

What is ocamrazor?

In short:

• "when you have two competing trading theories which make exactly the same predictions, the one that is simpler is the better & more profitable one."

The prediction is that subs don't display. The simplest theory to explain that is that the player doesn't support it.
The interested reader may continue here.

because I used the old XML that was ctreated with the unsubbed MPG.

That might be a clue. Why not take the mpeg with the subtitles muxed in, and reauthor with VCDEasy?

/Mats

[Matthias01]

Quote:

because I used the old XML that was ctreated with the unsubbed MPG.

That might be a clue. Why not take the mpeg with the subtitles muxed in, and reauthor with VCDEasy?

Because I was not able to add the nice animated menues that Nero produced to the newly authored SVCD: Nero places those files in SEGMENTS and VCDEasy gives me no clue how to do that. Also I was not able to use the existing chapters.

Is there a way to reauthor using an existing XML?

???
Matthias

[mats.hogberg]

Again, author your subs equipped mpeg with VCDEasy just producing the XML. Then compare the old with the new, and try to spot some differences that can be caused by the added subs. Add these differences to the old XML and author. Maybe worth a try?

/Mats

[Matthias01]

Yep, thats what I am going to do, same idea came up when driving home, just could not try yet.

Any idea where to find a document that describes the XML?

Reg.

[Matthias01]

No, the XML does not show any hint about subtitles. I also found the source for the format of the XML (in the XML there is a URL).

Anyone else with a good idea?

[mats.hogberg]

Well, now I'd forget about the nice Nero menues for a while, and give a full reauthor a try (without menus/chapters) to make sure that the problem is in fact at the authoring stage, and not in the muxing of the subs... (...or your players capability when it comes to SVCD subtitles... )

/Mats

[Matthias01]

I created a test-SVCD from test_svcd_pal.zip and it plays great!

That means: My DVD-player SCOTT 838 is capable of playing subtitles (at least from CVD-format)! AND it plays that also from CD-RW without glitches, drops or other failures (what a nice player!)

IF the MPG has been muxed correctly, it should be possible to create simple svcd as proposed.

Anyone here who could verify my creation process?

CU!

[deadpac]

Matthias01,

added the SUB with WinSubMux to MPG, and verified this with VCDEasy

Did you generate the bmps that go along with the sub file before muxing?

If you did everything properly then the image that contains subs should be slightly larger than the image without subs.

Here is a great guide that works for producing either CVD or SVCD subs.

http://www.wma-decoder.com/ask_us/a7042003.htm

[Matthias01]

Did you generate the bmps that go along with the sub file before muxing?

If you did everything properly then the image that contains subs should be slightly larger than the image without subs.

Yes, the bitmaps were created using MeastroSBT and the size grew by 900k. Everything was done using the same guide. But maybe the author of the guide had some defaults set that he did not mention. Thats why i keep asking for a comple set of raw mpg and ssa and finished BIN/CUE.

The TEST-SVCD-PAL would be great to have im MPG and SSA. the subs work with it!

I am going to author a short test MPG the next days that fits on a RW-CD. Maybe there is something wrong with the BMPs (I can view them with irfanview) that they display, but off the displayed area (position, size, color or else). I am still mixed up with the setting of PlayResY in the SSA-script, the fontsize and the position.

How can I interprete the SUB-file?

CU!
Matthias

[kalayaan]

matthias,

when you authored your svcd with vcdeasy, did you set PBC active and put chapters?

if yes, that maybe the reason that subs do not show when you play your svcd.

i've been having the same problem and thought that it was my player but i tried a search for VCDEASY and SVCD SUBTITLES and found that many people are having problems with subtitles when authoring SVCDs with PBC and chapters with VCDEASY.

some think that the bug is in VCDIMAGER.

[Matthias01]

I found the problem!!

It was the size, and position of the subtitles. The created BMPs were fine but they were placed somewhat off the screen.

I still have not understood why this happens but with a MPG in 720x576 PAL, MaestroSBT must be advised to place the subs inside the displayed guide frames. SubStationAlpha, MaestroSBT and WinSubMUX do somehow not really work together and it would be nice to have ONE tool. Videosize, fontsize and settings in the SSA-script do not have to be set very carefully! changing one value can mess up everything!

The promoted software is difficult: SSA is discontinued, Maestro is somewhat frozen and WinSubMux should at least be integrated to VCDEasy.

VCDEasy should be able to load a XML and allow editing of it.

Everything not very smooth!

BUT it works now!

Matthias

[HDSN]

I found the problem!!

It was the size, and position of the subtitles. The created BMPs were fine but they were placed somewhat off the screen.

Matthias

I think I'm having the same problem.
Could you explain how did you fix it ??

Thanks in advance.

[Matthias01]

Unfortunately it is not only that. VCDeasy or VCDimager has a problem creating the CD. I am trying to get hold of the authors to discuss that, but until now noone replied.

Fact is that the same MPG plays WITH subtitles when authored with NERO (not Nero Vison Express) but not when using VCDEASY (and using menues).

It is also a fact that the TEST-VCD-PAL has been created with VCDImager, has both menues and subtitles and plays wonderful.

A final Fact is that I have a SVCD authored with VCDEASY, but I happen not to be able to recreate it either.

I opened a thread in the VCDEasy-Forum because the solution is somewhere in that software.

Sorry, no final solution.