How to stream and play 3D subtitles with a 3D movie

[carlmart]

I have been trying to find a solution to a situation I didn't foresee.

The usual way I look at movies & series with is streaming them to my computer using my bluray LG BD390 player as media center, with DLNA.

But in 3D you need to have two similar subs showing, side to side or up and below.

The srt subs I get to convert with 3D Subtitler, but I can't seem to play that.

Any suggestions on what can I do or what should I do?

[Cornucopia]

There is very little one can do:
1. Use original BD3Ds (with their accompanying 3D subs), or 1:1 ISO rips from them. And if the BD390 doesn't support ISO, you'd have to re-burn to DL BD-R/W. Or re-author your other material BACK into 3DBD.
2. Use a Sbs/T-B 3D file that is supported by your BDplayer or TV, using SRT (or similarly text-based) subs that have been MANUALLY re-typed & reformatted to show in each half-screen.
3. Use a PC with 3d-aware software (such as Stereoscopic Player) as your media player, and connect the PC direct via HDMI to the TV.

As I have said in numerous posts (please look them up...) to fits79, 3DSubtitler is SPECIFICALLY for use only for the last option. It's most helpful with VLC (as SP already has some built-in features for subtitling based upon ffdshow).

I am assuming you mis-typed when you said you streamed TO your computer. The normal flow for media would be PC -> via DLNA -> BDplayer -> via HDMI -> TV.

Scott

<edit> Also #4, Burn-in your subtitles & re-encode. Then it will show subs correctly for every device that shows the video correctly (because the subs are now just part of the video pixels).

[carlmart]

Scott,

Yes, of course I mistyped: I stream from computer to TV, following the path you show.

My TV has its own streaming input, but I don't plan to use it. AFAIK I think it wouldn't work for 3D.

I don't have a way to author BD, and I'm not really interested in that. My guess was also that 3DSubtitler was for direct connection, which I'm not interested in either. Perhaps when I have a portable pc with HDMI output.

I'm not so clear about option 4.

My question really is really about finding a way to create or burn an MKV 3D file, with subtitles on whatever way it might be, that could play on this or any other MKV player, not necessarily through streaming.

[aedipuss]

well like corny said 3d subs are pretty much a nightmare in mkv. he gave you the 2 choices 1) re-encode and burn subs permanently into the video, or 2) create your own .srt text based subs.

i've never bothered with #1 as re-encoding would reduce the video quality, so i've always gone with #2. my experience with 2 hasn't been nice, but at least i found a way to get them to work. i take a normal 2d .srt sub file and open it in notepad. i then move the subs line by line over 40 spaces. this creates a sub that only displays for one eye but at least it's centered. trying to get 2 copies of the text to line up perfectly for both eyes is not going to happen in a .srt.

[carlmart]

Some new info for this question.

It happens that there are several media players that do play 3D subtitles with 3D MKV files. The ones I know are the WD TV Live, the Oppo BD105 and the Pioneer BDP150. There should be others.

It does seem to be a question of firmware, as it was not provided until recently on the first two.

You only need to put the 3D sub file on the same place as the 3D mkv file.

Is there a way to merge a 3D sub file into a 3D MKV file? I've read that you can mux them, but I don't know how or what with.

[aedipuss]

what format are you calling a "3d sub"?

mkvmerge. open it, add the movie, add the sub, give it a new name and click start muxing.

[carlmart]

I'm callling that those srt files processed with 3DSubtitler.

Maybe now I understand something I was guessing lately that might be happening, which is that later MKVmerge versions would accept what older ones didn't.

This time I tried merging again a file I couldn't merge before, using version 5.3.0. This time it opened a file called "mk3D" which I hadn't seen before.

Now I wonder if my streaming player will play them.

[aedipuss]

if it doesn't like files named .mk3d (mine won't recognize them) just rename them .mkv and they'll play as usual.

[aedipuss]

what version of 3dsubtitler do you have? the only output formats i see are idx/sub or sup. no 3d .srt?

[carlmart]

According to Mediainfo, the outputted subtitle is Vobsub.

In any case, I did merge with MKVMerge 5.3.0 and I did end up with a 3D file with 3D subs inside it.

VLC played it alright, showing the subs on both screens. But my LG player did not see the subs, either streaming or through usb.

Now that I know other media players do play them, either as streaming or direct through USB, I'm sure it's a firmware problem.

My Panasonic plasma TV does "see" the subs either, playing straight into it through usb.

I have been reading some threads here on the forum on ways to permanently burn the subs into the file. But I will try other ways before going that path.

[aedipuss]

idx/subs are computer only. doubtful they'll be supported for tv/video players. all covered in previous threads.

[aedipuss]

if you have a media player that supports playing blu-ray iso there is another possibility for 3d subs.

- create a bluray subtitle, .sup
- with txMuxer, mux the MKV + the generated .sup file to a bluray folder (check bluray folder in txMuxer)
- with Imgburn, create an .iso file from the generated folders BDMV and CERTIFICATE

play .iso

[carlmart]

If I can avoid them, and I will do everything I can to, I don't want to deal with bluray recording media or BD recorders.

Can I do all that on a DVD-DL disc? What's inside a blu-ray iso? If it's an mkv file then I might be interested.

I'm not sure my present player supports blu-ray iso.

[aedipuss]

you take your 3d mkv and a 3d .sup subtitle and make a iso file out of them. no disc required. you play the .iso file.

some players do and some don't. you need to check yours before wasting the time.

[carlmart]

If I am not wrong, the file I have is 3D sub, so how do I convert it to 3D sup?

About the disc, yes, I do require it. My intention still remains to make these files, iso or whatever, into something I can fit on a DVD-DL disc and keep it.

File size wouldn't be a problem, as the mkv files in question are would be converted to 8Gb.

But from what I get in the WD TV and Oppo BDP105 forums here, with updated firmware, you can simply use the 3D MKV file with the 3D sub file and it will work. Media players particularly are not restricted by film studios demands, as BD players are. If the Oppo does, it may not be for long.

[aedipuss]

blu-ray .sup subtitles can be made using 3dsubtitler. or could, as i can no longer get 3dsubtitler to run properly, every version crashes.

[carlmart]

OK, there's one way that I already tried and works fine, for playing 3D subs with 3D mkv files: using a WD TV Live Streaming media player.

You just have to convert the srt files to .sub types, same name and all, and they will play just fine.

Apparently there are other BD players that seem to do that too: the Oppo BDP105 and the Pioneer BDP 150. There might be others.

Several media players seem to play that too, besides the WD TV models, like some Dune HD types.

[mgotze]

just use this awesome site:
subto3d.com

[Cornucopia]

The site DOESN'T WORK in IE8! Somebody can't program on multiple browser platforms for a 3-step site!!??

Plus, when it does work (Firefox), it shows up with some garbage text that makes it incompatible with some Subs editors (like Subtitle Workshop!)!!

But WORST, it loads up the resulting converted file with a bunch of links and foreign language stuff that balloons the file to 470x (in comparison to S.W.'s standard SRT->SSA conversion which expands it ~2x)!!!!

NOT-READY-FOR-PRIME-TIME, IMO.

Scott

[mgotze]

hi, the site is now fixed for firefox and chrome...
this site is in beta phase yet,
conversion program is very complex, despite the simple website

if you have more problems let me know

[aedipuss]

Any chance of just releasing a freeware/shareware app?

[mgotze]

Any chance of just releasing a freeware/shareware app?

you already used subto3d.com?

[Cornucopia]

You still got problems!: Your use of UTF-8 is screwing up some editors/players' recognition, and something is still mal-formed because a simple SRT->SSA convert will open up beautifully in e.g. Sub-Station Alpha, Jubler,SubCreator or Subtitle Workshop but yours WON'T. Shows all the formatting as well as the subs, shows the duplicates on separate lines (when they should be occurring simultaneously, just separated by spacing).

Come back when you've actually done thorough testing first.

Scott

[aedipuss]

Any chance of just releasing a freeware/shareware app?

you already used subto3d.com?

i have no use for it. the only type of sub my mediaplayer will use is srt. if you did 2d srt to 3d srt then it would be useful.

[carlmart]

OK. New stage... or maybe still the same.

3D mkv + converted subs play alright with the WD TV. Problem is sometimes I want to do a DVD DL with some of these files.

First problem, which I'm working on, is finding a media player that will accept an external optical source to play the DVD. The WD TV does not, only HDD or mem sticks.

At first I thought more recent BD players that do streaming and play mkv files might be the answer, but Cinavia got in the middle to ruin things. Good BD players like the Oppo BDP 105 or Pioneer BDP140/150 use Cinavia, and even if for now they seem to use it for BD files, future firmware updates may include mkv files too.

Second problem, is how to merge all the files, mkv and 3D sub files (three of them), on one file. MKVmerge does not accept them.

[sihi77]

Hi! This is my first post here. I use also 3Dsubtitler (v. 2.7.1) converting srt files into sub/idx. Everything is OK, but playing them back on mediaplayer with 3D mkv or mp4 files the subtitles are in different colors. Totally randomly! Whatever color to set: white or yellow, the result is always the same - every subtitle has different colror. What is wrong?

[carlmart]

What media player are you using?

With WD TV and Mede8er, if I set it to yellow on 3DSubtitler it shows in yellow too.

[sihi77]

Thanks for quick feedback! Yes, I use also Mede8er (500X) plus Panasonic TX-P55VT65Y. As I told no different to set Yellow or White, the final result is the same: subs have random colors.

[sihi77]

3Dsubtitler works well, no problems any more. I reinstalled it again and now all subtitles are as I set them before convertation.

[Marty86]

Hi all,

I have a question regarding 3D subtitles. Is it possible to create and insert into mkv 3D movie subtitles that should look and depth as they have subtitles on bluray?

The program 3d subtitler I tried, but the result is not nearly such as the bluray disk. For any advice thanks in advance