Adding hard subtitles (.srt) to .mp4 file

[djc314]

I've been at this for hours and I'm just about ready to pull my hair out. Here's my problem.

- I've got an .mp4 file.
- I've got an .srt file.
- I want to put the .srt in the .mp4 as hard subtitles.

- I've got Mac OS X 10.6.8.
- Throughout the course of trying to figure this thing out, I've downloaded VLC, Handbrake, Subler, ffmpegX, Perian (I already had Quicktime) and God knows what else.

- I ultimately want to burn this to a DVD.

Thanks!

[aedipuss]

handbrake has a subtitle tab where you can import your srt. then you could re-encode with burned in subs.

making into a dvd is different and you need other tools. i could tell you what to us on a pc but someone else will have to come up with something for a mac. imovie maybe?

[djc314]

I tried that, but the problem is that the "burned in" check box on Handbrake was disabled. Do you have any idea why?

There's a program on Macs called iDVD which can burn DVDs pretty easily.

[videobruger]

Handbrake can't hardcode .srt

https://trac.handbrake.fr/wiki/Subtitles

For text based subtitles you need to use .ass´and mux it into your source mp4 ind order to hardcode.

[djc314]

You see, it's mumbojumbo like that that's been frustrating me the last 24 hours.

Explain that to me like I'm an idiot?

[videobruger]

I'm on windows and I'm afraid I won't be very helpful with Mac.

But you should be able to use Aegisub to convert your .srt to .ass and then use Subler to mux it into your MP4. Then "burn in" check box becomes available in Handbrake.

[djc314]

What is muxing? (I'm an idiot, remember?)

[videobruger]

Muxing is merely adding the subtitles to your MP4 file so it beside a video and an audio track also contains a subtitle track.

You don't specify what kind of DVD you want as end goal. It could be a data DVD with your MP4 on it or it could be a video DVD that's playable on a stand alone player. For the latter perhaps (without being a Mac user) imovie as pointed to by aedipuss and possible eliminating the need for Aeggisub+Handbrake altogether? A Mac user might give you better advice.

[manono]

This should have been in the Mac forum to begin with. Hardcoding subs is trivial on a Windows machine.

And if making a DVD is the ultimate goal, it's lunacy to either hard code the subs when they can be made selectable, or to make another MP4 before making the DVD. If the goal is to make a DVD for playing on ordinary DVD players, go straight to DVD. As I'm not a Mac user I have no idea how to do that on a Mac, but there are people that visit the Mac forum here that do know.

[djc314]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping to burn a DVD that could be played with a DVD player. And I was going to go the hardcoding route because iDVD doesn't support soft subtitles, and because I have no occasion to turn off the subtitles. But I'll post this in the Mac forum too and see if they have a better answer.

[Baldrick]

I moved you to our mac section.

Can't ffmpegx hardcode?

Or else is isubtitler easy but no free.

[Case]

- I've got an .mp4 file.
- I've got an .srt file.
- I want to put the .srt in [...] as hard subtitles.
- I ultimately want to burn this to a DVD.

Can't ffmpegx hardcode?

ffmpegX may be able to do it (if the source file can be decoded by its binaries):
1. Drop source file.
2. Select preset "DVD mpeg2enc".
3. In the Video tab, select "DVD 16:9" for widescreen aspect ratio, or "DVD" for 4:3 aspect ratio.
4. In the Options tab, select "Decode with mplayer" to allow hardcoded subtitles with this app.
5. In the Options tab, if the output framerate is 23.976 fps, select "Set 3:2". Don't select it for 29.97 or 25 fps.
6. In the Filters tab, click to Load subs button to select your .srt file.
7. In the Filters tab, set the text encoding to match that of your .srt file.
8. Encode.

9. Test-view the VIDEO_TS folder in Apple DVD Player or VLC before burning.

[Herve]

- I want to put the .srt in the .mp4 as hard subtitles.
[…]- I ultimately want to burn this to a DVD.

just a notice:
if "DVD" means DVD-VIDEO (and not a storage support as DVD-R)
so, your mp4 will not be compatible with a "DVD-VIDEO target" (whatever external or burned subitles)

PS: DVD-VIDEO handles "external subtitles" (=not burned-in)
bye

[djc314]

Well, I have a slightly embarrassing problem with ffmpegX...I've forgotten my system password, which is necessary to install it...this is my work computer so it's not a problem to recover it, but I need to wait till tomorrow...and I need this DVD on Monday...

Any workarounds here?