Playing IDX + SUB subtitles on Philips 642 - The Easy Way!

[LisaB]

I have discovered that AviSub 1.6 will do the job.

Input your AVI and your subs (IDX and SUB), and the AviSub program will generate a *.divx file that will play just fine on the Philips 642.

Now there is no need to do all that tedious conversion to SRT using SubRip. By using the "divx" container, you get to keep high quality bitmap subs that look as good as DVD subs!

The Cons:
1. They say your AVI can't use MPEG quantization matrices.
2. There aren't many tools out there that let you work with the divx container, so options for editing and fixing audio synch may be limited.
3. AFAIK, the IDX and SUB are converted to xsubs, another form of bitmap subtitles, so it probably won't be possible to recover the original vobsubs from the divx file...it's probably best to make sure to keep your original IDX and SUB in case you need them later.

Anyway, I haven't done much testing on the 642 yet, but I'm hoping others will chime in with their experiences using the divx container on the 642.

[newnews]

I tried AviSub a couple of times and there is only 40% success rate. the function of DivMux.exe(AviSub use it internally for muxing) is very limited, and there is no hint to tell us why it cannot be processed. Hope there will be an update soon

[WaveGoodbye]

When I watch the successfully generated divx container files on a Philips DVP642/37 - firmware 0112, I'm seeing random and sporadic dropouts of the xsubs; occasionally some bitmaps disappear too quickly, and other subs are skipped completely. If I rewind and watch the scene again, different subs are affected. This happens whether I used VobSubs or .srt text subs.

If you have any subs that are on three lines, the third line won't be generated by AviSub and so it won't appear.

If you load VobSubs there's no way to select mapping for either WIDE or LB if both ID's are present; the offset controls in AviSub are disabled and the subs are placed in the black bar area of a letterboxed widescreen video; this is the wrong place for viewing on widescreen TV's. Hypothetically the .idx file could be edited by hand to force a different placement.

[ricardouk]

Anyway, I haven't done much testing on the 642 yet, but I'm hoping others will chime in with their experiences using the divx container on the 642.

Every single divx certified player will behave in the same way as the 642, wether its philips or samsung or toshiba, thats what certification ensures.

to modify the subtitle position the best tool i found so far was srt2bmp it willl let me tweak the position of srt subs(idx was not supported altough new beta version does)

Xsub creation tools

srt2bmp guide
avisub
divxmuxGui
Sub2divx

[Nelson37]

Have used AviSub on the 642 for several Divx videos from recorded documentaries. Subs were SRT files, with commercials edited. Did LOTS of checking on the original MPG for subtitle synch.

The AVI files played generally OK, though the font color does not seem to be controllable, and there were occassional timing glitches.