DVB to DVD with subtitles and chapters

[havema-1]

How can I get subtitles _and_ chapters to a video-DVD from a DVB device (Topfield TF5100PVR Masterpiece PVR/DVR)?

My current workflow can burn DVB to video-DVD with subtitles from the text-TV (.srt) _or_ with chapters.

But I still can't figure out how to author the DVD with chapters _and_ subtitles.

My current workflow with subtitles:

1. Download .rec with MPEG Streamclip 1.9b3 from the Topfield via USB2.

2. Edit and demux to .m2v, .mpa and .srt (from the text-TV subtitles; DVB subtitles would be another option) with ProjectX 0.82.1.0.

3. Mux .m2v and .mpa to .mpg with ffmpegX 0.0.9x.

4. Author .mpg and .srt (Text encoding: MacRoman) as VIDEO_TS with ffmpegX 0.0.9x.

Is it possible to add chapters here? Chapters at 5-10 minute intervals would be nice but chapters at the desired spots would be even nicer.

Or, could I do the authoring with chapters and subtitles via CLI? Which app(s) does ffmpegX use in its author-subtab? Which switches should I use?

My current workflow takes advantage of the text-TV subtitles. But what about the optional DVB subtitles that I otherwise use whan watching the DVB? Can ffmpegX support DVB subtitles (I've seen .sub, .sup and .son mentioned in this context)?

(I can do the chapters in Sizzle 0.5, but I haven't been able to add .srt or any kind of subtitles with it).

[I asked a similar question a few days ago in the Mac forum -- sorry if you've already seen this]

[havema-1]

It looks like the Tools/author subtab uses spumux and dvdauthor here. So I might try to see what their CLI options offer.

[tomlee59]

I figured that the one most qualified to answer your original question would be you yourself. You and Case are in a class unto yourselves.

[havema-1]

Thanks for the kind words, tomlee59!

I'm not comfortable with CLI at all, but I managed to author a simple DVD with subtitles and chapters by trial and error... Comments and tips are welcome!

Unless you have them properly installed, you can copy mplex, spumux and dvdauthor from ffmpegX/Contents/Resources/ and just put them to the Desktop. Also put the other input files (video.m2v, audio.mpa, subtitles.srt from the ProjectX output) to the Desktop as well as the subtitles.xml and dvd.xml files mentioned below (I made them with BBEdit and saved with Unix line endings. The forum's auto-edit seems to mangle the extra spaces in .xml so check them, if necessary). The following commands work only if the input files are named as described.

Then open the Terminal and type as follows (you can omit ./ if you have the Unix tools properly installed elsewhere):

cd Desktop [return]

Mux video and audio together:

./mplex -V -f 8 -O 0 -o video.mpg video.m2v audio.mpa

Then create the following file subtitles.xml file to the Desktop:

<subpictures>
<stream>
<textsub filename="subtitles.srt" characterset="MacRoman"
fontsize="28.0" font="arial.ttf" horizontal-alignment="center"
vertical-alignment="bottom" left-margin="60" right-margin="60"
top-margin="20" bottom-margin="30" subtitle-fps="25"
movie-fps="25" movie-width="720" movie-height="576"
/>
</stream>
</subpictures>

Add the subtitles to the mpg:

./spumux subtitles.xml < video.mpg > video_subtitles.mpg

See also:

http://dvdauthor.sourceforge.net/doc/spumux.html

Create the following file dvd.xml file to the Desktop (substitute "user" with YOUR username!):

<dvdauthor dest="/Users/user/Desktop/DVD">
<vmgm />
<titleset>
<titles>
<pgc>
<vob file="video_subtitles.mpg" chapters="0,5:00,10:00" />
</pgc>
</titles>
</titleset>
</dvdauthor>

Then author the VIDEO_TS folder:

./dvdauthor -x dvd.xml

See also:

http://www.tappin.me.uk/Linux/dvd.html

That spits out a DVD folder with the VIDEO_TS folder inside. You can test that with the DVD Player.app and then burn with Toast as a video-DVD.

That makes a menu-less DVD with chapters at 0, 5, and 10 minute spots. Fine-tune and add other chapter points as desired.

I have to next figure out how to make a simple menu and how to pipe all those commands together. Or find a GUI for all this.

[havema-1]

It is best to properly install the CLI tools if you use them constantly. I just did it in a few minutes via Fink with:

fink install dvdauthor

...which installed dvdauthor and spumux. Now they are more easily available when I need them. Updates are then also easily done.

The easiest way to install Fink is to download and install the latest binary installer (Fink *** Installer.dmg, for example).

http://fink.sourceforge.net/

http://fink.sourceforge.net/doc/index.php