How to embed subtitles into mkv STEP BY STEP using MKVMERGE and MKVEXTRACT

[lelouch283]

I just bought a Cowon v5 2 days ago and I was really looking forward to watching my MKV videos. Unfortunately I found out that ALL my MKV files have external subs. So I looked on the internet for about 5 hours and I was lead to a dead end with mkvmerge. Can anyone please tell me how to do this hardcoding/embedding!!!!!!! I already know how to extract the subtitles in ass format, but I just keep on getting lost with the whole system of the mkvmerge program. I NEED CLEAR, SPECIFIC, AND SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THIS (and if possible, with some pictures too).

[Baldrick]

Run mkvmergegui / mmg.
Add mkv.
Append subtitle file.
Start muxing to make new mkv with switchable subtitles.

But this does not hardcode any subs. If you want that you must use another software like xvid4psp,avidemux, format factory.

[lelouch283]

Could you give me more specific instructions, like should I change anything in the "General track options" and "Format specific options?" I'd also want to know the difference between embedding and hardcoding? I don't want to try this unless it can really display subtitles on my Cowon v5. If you are unsure or unfamiliar with this device here's all the specs of the Cowon v5.

* Video Format - AVI, WMV, ASF, MP4, MKV, MPG/MPEG, DAT, TS, TP, TRP, M2TS, 3GP
* Video Codec - DivX 3/4/5, XviD, H.264(MPEG4-AVC), WMV9/8/7, MPEG1
* Video resolution - up to 1280x720, 30fps
* Audio Codec - MPEG1 Layer 1/2/3, AC3, WMA, OGG Vorbis, PCM, FLAC
* Audio resolution – up to 48KHz, 320Kbps
* Subtitle - SMI, SRT

Thanks for the help, it's much appreciated

[Grayfox313]

I tried appending the .ass subtitle into the .mkv and muxing it, and it says "Error: The file no. 1 ('blahblah.ass') does not contain a track with the ID 0, or the track cannot be copied." How can I add the .ass to the .mkv?

[lelouch283]

That's exactly what happened to me too. I not only tried ass but srt too. Srt had the same outcome as ass.

[Grayfox313]

It seems everyone on these forums is having the same EXACT problem. How do all these encoders add them, and it seems no one can answer the question? Lelouch283 (lol, I like the Geass reference), did you get the same error message in mkvmerge?

[guns1inger]

Wow - you guys are so impatient. If you don't get you question answered in the first 15 minutes after asking no-one cares ? Honestly.

How about you start by providing some useful information. Like what version of mkvtoolnix you are using. Have you tried a previous version ?

[Grayfox313]

Well, it's not just this thread. All over the internet. Sorry for seeming like an impatient fool.. My fault. The version I am using is 4.2.0, on Mac OS X. Where can I get an older version?

[guns1inger]

Older Windows versions are available from the tools page for mkvtoolnix (just click on a red version of the name in any post to go there). The official mkvtoolnix download page only cites 3.2.0 as the current version. You could try there as a starting point for finding older Mac versions.

Version 4 seems to have introduced a number of changes that are creating issues - compressed headers etc. - so quite a few people are reverting backwards to version 3 for the moment

[lelouch283]

Where can I get an older version of mkvmerge (specific site please). I use windows 7 64bit and have the same version as Guns1inger.

I usually use mkvextractgui to extract the subtitles in ass format and then convert it to srt with subtitle workshop.

@Guns1inger, thanks for the comment I'm guessing your user name if referring to the anime "gunslinger girl"

[lelouch283]

Ooops, sorry guns1inger. I got confused between you and Greyfox313.

@Greyfox313, thanks for the comment

[lelouch283]

MKVExtraxctGUI2 always has this error that says "Can't save my settings ini-file, sorry." NOTE: this only happens after I finish extracting the subtitles.

[guns1inger]

Note : mkvmerge is just a gui to mkvtoolnix, which does all the actual work (same goes for mkvextract etc). It is the version of mkvtoolnix that is important, not so much the version of mkvmerge.

Not being able to save the ini file sounds like a permissions issue. Make sure you have permission to write to the folder you put mkvtoolnix in.

[lelouch283]

1) Used MKVExtractGUI1 to extract the subtitles.

2) Used Subtitle Workshop to convert the ass subtitles into srt format.

3) Opened MKVmerge 3.0.0
- clicked "add" and selected my mkv video
- clicked "append" and selected the srt subtitles.
- clicked start muxing and this is what showed up

Warning: 'C:\Users\Lenovo\Videos\Darker Than Black\Season 2-Gemini of the Meteor\ [BSS]_Darker_Than_Black_-_Gemini_of_the_Meteor_-_01_[D8FD1FE5]_track3.srt' track 0: Warning in line 10: The start timecode is smaller than that of the previous entry. All entries from this file will be sorted by their start time.

Errors:_Darker_Than_Black_-_Gemini_of_the_Meteor_-_01_[D8FD1FE5]_track3.srt' cannot be appended to the track number 1 from the file 'C:\Users\Lenovo\Videos\Darker Than Black\Season 2-Gemini of the Meteor\[BSS]_Darker_Than_Black_-_Gemini_of_the_Meteor_-_01_[D8FD1FE5].mkv'. The formats do not match.

[poisondeathray]

push add instead of append for the subs

[lelouch283]

What's the difference?

[guns1inger]

srt subtitles are simple text only subs that are basically timecode, then text. The timecodes must be sequential, and non-overlapping. Your problem may be in the translation that subtitle workshop is doing.

[guns1inger]

Add will Add the srt subtitle as a new subtitle track. Append attempts to append the srt subtitles to the end of the ass subtitles.

[poisondeathray]

append is for joining files e.g. video1.avi+video2.avi . It's all in the documentation and instructions

ooops guns beat me

[lelouch283]

When I transfer it onto my device the subtitles still don't show. I use the Cowon v5. It says the only subtitle formats it supports are srt and smi. There is even an option to change subtitles if there are more than one on my Cowon.

[poisondeathray]

Did you use srt subs?

Does it play on the PC ? If yes, then it's a Cowon problem

You usually have to disable header compression for devices if using mkvtoolnix > v4.0.0

[lelouch283]

Yes, I did use srt subtitles, and yes, in does work on my com. I played it on vlc media. I looked at the codec information and it said that the codec of the subtitle was subt though. Do I have to change that?? And what is header compression. Plus I am using MKVtoolnix 3.0.0

[poisondeathray]

You don't have to change the subs, it should work as is

Since it plays ok on the computer, your device probably doesn't work as advertised or doesn't work with srt softsubs in mkv

You could try .mp4 container instead, maybe it will work with that (try yamb)

If you can't get that to work , you could hardsub it (permenantly add the subs by re-encoding it) - this is last resort, because it lowers quality and takes time to re-encode; but the upshot is you can use ssa subs with fancy styles etc.. There are dozens of post illustrating how to do this, so don't ask before you use [search]

Header compression was added after 4.0 , so you don't have to worry about it if you are using 4.0 or older

[guns1inger]

Are you sure the cowan will play soft subs that are embedded ? Try adding the srt file as a separate file with the mkv file and see if the player picks it up. Subs also might not be enabled by default.

[lelouch283]

Thanks everyone.

[poisondeathray]

^when you test guns1ingers suggestion, make sure the files have the same name in the same directory on the cowan e.g.

video1.mkv
video1.srt

[lelouch283]

Tried that theory already, didn't work.

[guns1inger]

Just out of curiosity, what does the manual have to say on the matter ?

[Grayfox313]

Used version 3.2.0. Worked perfectly! Thanks!

[hackarowny]

i was able to MUX the .mkv and .ass files using MKVmerge GUI. the output is still .mkv and when i burned it on DVD, the subtitle isnt there. what do i need to do in order for the subtitle to embed on the video after burning it to DVD? ( hardsub will also do )