Subtitles always come out black- with either DVD Decrypter & Handbrake

[ConfusedMan]

I am trying to rip some DVD's, so I can watch them on my iPad, with subtitles hard-coded in. At the end of the whole process, the subtitles on the iPad are always black or dark blue, nearly impossible to read. Bottom line- either DVD Decrypter or Handbrake is changing the original color of the subtitle on the DVD, which is white. I am not sure which application is changing the DVD's original subtitle color.

First step, I use DVD Decrypter (FILE MODE) to rip the DVD. If there is more than one subtitle stream, I 'enable stream processing' and select the English track only. If English is the only subtitle stream listed, I just do a basic rip, without 'enabling stream processing'. Then, I open HANDBRAKE and select the VOB that I just ripped. Immediately, in the subtitle menu when I press ADD, it shows "unknown VOBSUB". There is no language listed. I select "unknown VOBSUB" and choose to burn it into the movie.

When the process is complete, the video quality is excellent but the resulting mp4's subtitles are dark and not readable.

I have googled and found about a dozen ways of supposedly editing subtitle color (IFOedit, DVDsubEdit, AutoGK, SubtitleCreator, etc). But do I edit the VOB or the IFO file? Why isn't Handbrake or DVD Decrypter keeping the original subtitle color on the DVD? What's the easiest way to make sure the final end product retains the original subtitle color on the DVD?

**One interesting find: as an experiment, I tried using Handbrake to rip and encode the DVD itself, bypassing a prior decryption like DVD Decrypter. While the video quality was nearly completely distorted, I DID make out that the subtitles matched the original white color of the DVD). That leads me to believe the problem lies with DVD Decrypter and not Handbrake.**

Any help would be greatly appreciated....this is pretty frustrating.

[johns0]

It's not a problerm with dvd decryptor,it's the method you are using,rip the dvd with dvdfab and with handbrake load the dvd folder,not vobs,that's where you lose your sub colors.

[ConfusedMan]

Thanks. But when loading Handbrake after using DVD Decrypter, I tried two ways to encode....first, loading just the VOB. That gave bad subtitle colors. Then, I next tried loading the VTS_ folder (containing the IFO file and the VOB) and encoded....same bad subtitle colors.

Not sure why DVDFAB will do any better than DVD Decrypter. Also, it's not free, right?

[ConfusedMan]

I've done some more experimenting and found out some things, which leads me to believe HANDBRAKE is the culprit.

I went into DVDSubEdit and loaded the VOB. The color of the subtitles was white, just like on the DVD. No editing necessary. I also loaded the VOB in VLC Media Player and played it. Again, subtitles are white. I then load the VOB in HANDBRAKE, enable the subtitles and do a video preview.

IT's ORANGE!

I have no idea why HANDBRAKE is distorting the subtitle color, but it seems to be the culprit.

Any way around this, or any other program to convert the VOB to mp4 the *right* way, while burning in subtitles, like HANDBRAKE does?

[Baldrick]

I would try rip with dvdfab decrypter first. The free version let you rip the entire dvd to your hdd. The old dvd decrypter might cause a problem on newer dvds.

Or else can try try xvid4psp 5. Choose to open a dvd. But I'm not sure if it can burn in directly from dvd subtitles....I have only used it for srt text subs.

Or try vidcoder, but it's based on handbrake so it still could cause same bug.

[ConfusedMan]

I would try rip with dvdfab decrypter first. The free version let you rip the entire dvd to your hdd. The old dvd decrypter might cause a problem on newer dvds.

Or else can try try xvid4psp 5. Choose to open a dvd. But I'm not sure if it can burn in directly from dvd subtitles....I have only used it for srt text subs.

Or try vidcoder, but it's based on handbrake so it still could cause same bug.

Thanks for the response. When ripping, DVD Decrypter seems to be getting the vobsub subtitle color of the VOB rip perfectly white to match the DVD's original subtitle color (as I analyze the vobsub in VLC and in programs like DVDSubEdit). Unfortunately, it's Handbrake that is not processing the vobsub color correctly during the encoding process. Even on the Preview Video window on Handbrake, I can see the subs are coming out orange, instead of white. And yes, tonight I did also try using Vidcoder to burn the subs in from the VOB and they also come out orange, instead of white! Like you said, it's based on the same software. The only good thing about Vidcoder over Handbrake is that it seems to encode much quicker.

Unfortunately, even when opening the related IFO file accompanying the VOB file, Handbrake's having the same color issue.

On some DVD's I have, Handbrake encodes the burned vobsub as orange, yellow, sometimes as dark blue (making it unreadable). Bottom line: it's never white. Again, I don't think the issue is with how the VOB is being ripped from the DVD. It's in the conversion to mp4 stage where things get screwy.

Do you know if there's another program out there that will do correct color hard-coded burning of vobsubs, while encoding from VOB to mp4? I tried VLC but got all kinds of errors.

I guess on some DVD's, I can live with Handbrake turning everything yellow or orange but it's not optimal.

[manono]

Or, after decrypting the DVD to the hard drive extract the VobSubs using VobSub Configure or similar and then load those into Handbrake or whatever program you use that accepts VobSub input. They'll have the DVD colors.

[ConfusedMan]

Or, after decrypting the DVD to the hard drive extract the VobSubs using VobSub Configure or similar and then load those into Handbrake or whatever program you use that accepts VobSub input. They'll have the DVD colors.

Thanks. Again, the subtitle colors are correct when ripping. I go into DVDSubEdit and even preview the clip in VLC. All subtitles, a perfect white color. It's only in the final Handbrake encoding that they change to orange, yellow, or dark blue.

As for adding vobsub to Handbrake, I only see ADD SRT as a way to add external subs to Handbrake, and the program can't burn those in when encoding....only vobsub files. So, I am not sure how I would use Vobsub to load it successfully into Handbrake or Vidcoder. Also just extracting the same vobsub and somehow getting it back to Handrake seems to me would yield same results as previous one.

Incidentally, when I go to Handbrake and add the vobsub that was ripped, it always says "unknown vobsub." The language is never identified. Not sure if this is indicative of an issue.

It's a shame, because Handbrake does an amazing job of getting great looking mp4 video....just with wrong color vobsubs.

Seeking other free alternatives to get VOB to MP4, with correct color subs burned in. Again, Vidcoder has the exact same problem. No surprise, since it's based on Handbrake.

[ConfusedMan]

Incidentally, I just looked at the "activity log" for my Handbrake encode....it says "input color palette is empty!" Very odd, since the rip via DVD Decrypter shows vobsub that is just fine in color on DVDSubEdit and it previews great in VLC also.

No idea how to fix the Handbrake colors. There's no option in the program that I can see that deals with sub colors.

[johns0]

I never get bad colors when importing the dvd folder into handbrake and then selecting the subtitle to import,i never just select vobs as files since i already told you that the subs won't come out in the right color since it's missing the ifo file.

Did you select folder as your input in handbrake and then load the dvd folder?This method lets handbrake analyze the contents and gives you the video and audio and subs to encode and in episode discs it lets you select individual episodes to encode.

[manono]

As for adding vobsub to Handbrake, I only see ADD SRT as a way to add external subs to Handbrake,

According to here:

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

HandBrake can use subtitles tracks as INPUT from the following sources:

From DVD’s – Either embedded VOBSUB or CC tracks.
From Bluray - PGS Subtitles.
User supplied SRT files.
From Files (such as mkv or mp4) - Embedded subtitle tracks. .

So, you're right and I was wrong, and I apologize. But other programs do accept VobSub input. And for any program that accepts AviSynth input (most, but not Handbrake/Vidcoder) you can add the VobSubs into the script very easily. And johns0 says he gets the right colors when opening the VIDEO_TS folder in Handbrake so you must be doing something wrong.

Also, apparently, based on that quotation above Handbrake can hardcode subs embedded in MKVs, something MakeMKV can create for you. You might try that if all else fails.

[ConfusedMan]

I never get bad colors when importing the dvd folder into handbrake and then selecting the subtitle to import,i never just select vobs as files since i already told you that the subs won't come out in the right color since it's missing the ifo file.

Did you select folder as your input in handbrake and then load the dvd folder?This method lets handbrake analyze the contents and gives you the video and audio and subs to encode and in episode discs it lets you select individual episodes to encode.

Yes, I believe I am doing exactly what you are (including trying to load the folder containing the IFO's). I've tried it both ways, one by loading just the VOB file....and then in your way, loading the entire folder that was ripped by DVD Decrypter. The subtitle colors fail in both instances. Here is exactly what I did, starting with VOB only and then proceeding to trying the entire folder:

1. I open DVD Decrypter and let it analyze the DVD in my PC's drive. The PGC's come up. The program is in IFO mode. I select a PGC (usually 40 min-60 min in length). I head to the "stream processing" tab before ripping and see the AC audio, subtitles and video parts are all checked. I then rip the PGC track, which creates a resulting folder containing the VOB file, a text file and an IFO file.

2. I then open Handbrake and have tried both ways which fail w/ regard to colors: A) I open the VOB file in Handbrake and it loads it. I go into the subtitle heading and click ADD. There are usually 2 tracks available, "foreign language scan" and "unknown vobsub". I select "unknown vobsub" and select to BURN it into the resulting mp4. The resulting subtitle colors NEVER match the white of the DVD. It's always orange, yellow, or dark blue.

B) I also tried your method, as I said. I try loading the entire ripped folder into Handbrake (containing the VOB and IFO file). Same procedure as above....I select the "unknown vobsub", which is really my only decent option. Note: I have to click ADD to get this. When I go into subtitle, there is nothing there off the bat. With this folder procedure, same deal.....wrong subtitle colors.

I don't know what else to do at this point. Again, after ripping the DVD, I have loaded DVDSubEdit and loaded the IFO and VOB in question and the subtitle color on the preview screen is ALWAYS white. When I load up the subtitle and the video files in VLC, always white. Just never in Handbrake. Even when loading Handbrake's preview clip screen after loading the files or folder, before encoding, the preview clip shows orange or yellow subtitles, etc. Never white.

****Don't know if I mentioned this before, but I did an "activity log" in Handbrake after ripping and it said "input color palette is empty!". The same warning comes up in Vidcoder also. I take this to mean that, somewhere along the line, Handbrake is assigning its OWN color to the subtitles, because it can't find an equivalent. Strange though, that those changes are never the same....sometimes yellow, sometimes orange, sometimes dark blue. I would normally blame my ripping program but if DVD Decrypter was screwed up, why are the subtitles coming out white in DVDSubEdit and VLC??? Is there some option I can change in Handbrake to get it to transfer the colors correctly?****

Manono, thanks for the tip on MAKEMKV. I tried it but it splits the track into several files and it takes forever.

[videobruger]

Use DVD Decrypter in File mode.

(When you use it in IFO mode to rip a single PGC no VIDEO_TS.IFO is created. It holds the palette and since it's not there you get input color palette is empty!. Before that you should have a warning about not be able to open VIDEO_TS.IFO and that this is not a proper DVD)

[ConfusedMan]

Use DVD Decrypter in File mode.

(When you use it in IFO mode to rip a single PGC no VIDEO_TS.IFO is created. It holds the palette and since it's not there you get input color palette is empty!. Before that you should have a warning about not be able to open VIDEO_TS.IFO and that this is not a proper DVD)

Thanks for the info, but in IFO mode in DVD Decrypter, it IS creating one IFO file, in addition to the stream text file and the VOB file, all in one folder. However, I just noticed that the last digit of the files do do match. For example, it creates a VTS_06_0 (IFO file) but the VOB file is called VTS_06_1. I am not sure if they are both supposed to have the same last digit. If the IFO file is called VTS_04_0, the VOB file is called VTS_04_1.

The thing I don't like about file mode, is that the movie/episode is not in one file....it's split up. However, it's worth testing, to see if the subtitles come out the correct color.

By the way, an interesting experiment I did....I let Handbrake rip and encode the DVD, all by itself. Since Handbrake is not a good decrypter, the resulting video came out almost entirely distorted, but HOWEVER, I could barely make out that the subtitles WERE the correct color! So, that leads me to believe something is going on not quite right with Decrypter, as you suggested.

[videobruger]

Yes it create an IFO file. However that's for the VTS it's assign to not the whole DVD which is VIDEO_TS.IFO.

You split up in Handbrake by selecting title/chapter.

[ConfusedMan]

Yes it create an IFO file. However that's for the VTS it's assign to not the whole DVD which is VIDEO_TS.IFO.

You split up in Handbrake by selecting title/chapter.

Aaaah ok, interesting....did not know that.

Do you know if there's a way to unite the files that Decrypter creates in File Mode? I really like the IFO mode because it creates one, easy file and in IFO mode, it's very easy to identify which are the video episodes (particularly on a tv series DVD, where there are many different files).

Also, in File Mode, do I need to make sure the VIDEO_TS.IFO file is always in the particular folder I need to convert with Handbrake? What needs to be in the folder?

Thanks for your help....!

[videobruger]

What needs to be in the folder?

In File Mode you'll get a decrypted copy of the whole DVD.

What files are in your VIDEO_TS folder depends on how the DVD is authored. For TV episodes there are typically two ways of authoring.

20-04-2005  12:11            12.288 VIDEO_TS.BUP
20-04-2005  12:11            12.288 VIDEO_TS.IFO
20-04-2005  12:11           253.952 VTS_01_0.BUP
20-04-2005  12:11           253.952 VTS_01_0.IFO
20-04-2005  11:58       286.001.152 VTS_01_0.VOB
20-04-2005  12:01     1.073.739.776 VTS_01_1.VOB
20-04-2005  12:01        10.752.000 VTS_01_2.VOB
20-04-2005  12:11            45.056 VTS_02_0.BUP
20-04-2005  12:11            45.056 VTS_02_0.IFO
20-04-2005  11:58        11.651.072 VTS_02_0.VOB
20-04-2005  12:05     1.073.739.776 VTS_02_1.VOB
20-04-2005  12:05        14.682.112 VTS_02_2.VOB
20-04-2005  12:11            43.008 VTS_03_0.BUP
20-04-2005  12:11            43.008 VTS_03_0.IFO
20-04-2005  11:58           157.696 VTS_03_0.VOB
20-04-2005  12:08     1.073.739.776 VTS_03_1.VOB
20-04-2005  12:08        10.534.912 VTS_03_2.VOB
20-04-2005  12:11            43.008 VTS_04_0.BUP
20-04-2005  12:11            43.008 VTS_04_0.IFO
20-04-2005  11:58           157.696 VTS_04_0.VOB
20-04-2005  12:11     1.073.739.776 VTS_04_1.VOB
20-04-2005  12:11        11.765.760 VTS_04_2.VOB

Above is an examle of the content of VIDEO_TS for 4 TV episodes. Each episode is a title in it's own Video Titleset, VTS 1-4.

02-03-2006  08:36            20.480 VIDEO_TS.IFO
02-03-2006  08:33        49.747.968 VIDEO_TS.VOB
02-03-2006  08:36            20.480 VIDEO_TS.BUP
02-03-2006  08:33           139.264 VTS_01_0.IFO
02-03-2006  08:26        13.342.720 VTS_01_0.VOB
02-03-2006  08:27     1.073.739.776 VTS_01_1.VOB
02-03-2006  08:32     1.073.739.776 VTS_01_2.VOB
02-03-2006  08:32     1.073.739.776 VTS_01_3.VOB
02-03-2006  08:32     1.073.739.776 VTS_01_4.VOB
02-03-2006  08:32       320.878.592 VTS_01_5.VOB
02-03-2006  08:33           139.264 VTS_01_0.BUP
02-03-2006  08:33            18.432 VTS_02_0.IFO
02-03-2006  08:33            40.960 VTS_02_0.VOB
02-03-2006  08:33            61.440 VTS_02_1.VOB
02-03-2006  08:33            18.432 VTS_02_0.BUP
02-03-2006  08:33            18.432 VTS_03_0.IFO
02-03-2006  08:33            40.960 VTS_03_0.VOB
02-03-2006  08:33            40.960 VTS_03_1.VOB
02-03-2006  08:33            18.432 VTS_03_0.BUP

Above again 4 episodes but this time as 4 titles in the same titleset, VTS 1.

However when you open the latter in HandBrake it'll identify the individual titles for you and you'll get a picture like this where you can choose between the titles.



Also note for testing you can select to encode , say 3-5 min in the above.

[ConfusedMan]

Videobruger, thanks so much for that response and the instructions. In the next few days, I will test again and see what happens.

Unfortunately, while downloading various video decoders and conversion software, my PC was hit with some nasty malware (sites like Softonic are terrible). Stuff like Xvid4PSP gave me a bad virus/trojan called "Trovi"....which hijacked my browser. I am still in the process of trying to get rid of it, which is very hard to do.

When I get my PC back to normal, I will try what you suggested....thanks!

[manono]

Stuff like Xvid4PSP gave me a bad virus/trojan called "Trovi"....which hijacked my browser.

From a direct link on this site?

[Baldrick]

Xvid4psp has never contained any adware/malware. Download from https://www.videohelp.com/download/XviD4PSP_5.10.330.0_(2013-03-21)_rc33.1.exe . It contains several addons like avisynth, etc.

[ConfusedMan]

I honestly don't remember. I highly doubt it was a direct link from this site....I think I found the file on Softonic via Google. I was getting all kinds of browser hijacking stuff happening, from something called "Trovi".. It may be where I downloaded it from, website wise. I did a scan using Malwarebytes and it flagged XVID4PSP folder as one of many containing the PUP....I cleaned all the files it found (it found a lot and XVID was hardly the only one). That Softonic website is lethal....

[ConfusedMan]

What needs to be in the folder?

In File Mode you'll get a decrypted copy of the whole DVD.

What files are in your VIDEO_TS folder depends on how the DVD is authored. For TV episodes there are typically two ways of authoring.

Videobruger, when I am converting each individual VOB, do I need to make sure the main VIDEO_TS folder is in the same folder as the VOB? I like to split up into folders with episode #'s after ripping, to make it easier for me to keep the order correct.

[manono]

Videobruger, when I am converting each individual VOB, do I need to make sure the main VIDEO_TS folder is in the same folder as the VOB? I like to split up into folders with episode #'s after ripping, to make it easier for me to keep the order correct.

I'm not videobruger, but you may have just given a clue as to why nothing is working for you.

Keep everything together. How can the IFO's reference VTS's you've moved somewhere else?

...do I need to make sure the main VIDEO_TS folder is in the same folder as the VOB?

Surely you meant to say, "do I need to make sure all the VOBs are in the VIDEO_TS folder?"

And the answer is 'yes'. Move nothing.

[johns0]

Also you are doing the wrong thing by choosing to select vob files,you have been told that doing this will present problems,just load the folder and choose the title that gets loaded.

[ConfusedMan]

Videobruger, when I am converting each individual VOB, do I need to make sure the main VIDEO_TS folder is in the same folder as the VOB? I like to split up into folders with episode #'s after ripping, to make it easier for me to keep the order correct.

I'm not videobruger, but you may have just given a clue as to why nothing is working for you.

Keep everything together. How can the IFO's reference VTS's you've moved somewhere else?

...do I need to make sure the main VIDEO_TS folder is in the same folder as the VOB?

Surely you meant to say, "do I need to make sure all the VOBs are in the VIDEO_TS folder?"

And the answer is 'yes'. Move nothing.

Yes....brain fart....sorry. That's what I meant to say.

Also, no, when ripping the DVD, I select the PGC episode I want and everything goes into one folder. I have tried loading the folder itself and the subtitles still turn out wrong. As videbruger said, I need to rip it in FILE mode, not IFO mode. I will test this in a couple of days, when I have some time set aside.

[ConfusedMan]

Also you are doing the wrong thing by choosing to select vob files,you have been told that doing this will present problems,just load the folder and choose the title that gets loaded.

Thanks. Like I've said, I've tried it both ways, with same results (ie, loading a VOB file and also, trying to load the folder with VOB and IFO file I just ripped from DVD). Same bad subtitle color. Apparently, IFO mode will yield probs with the subtitle- that is the reason, according to videobruger. Will try again this weekend in FILE MODE and hopefully will have better luck with the subtitles.

[manono]

Also, no, when ripping the DVD, I select the PGC episode I want and everything goes into one folder. I have tried loading the folder itself and the subtitles still turn out wrong. As videbruger said, I need to rip it in FILE mode, not IFO mode. I will test this in a couple of days, when I have some time set aside.

Right, sorry. I had assumed you were already doing it the right way (using File Mode).

[ConfusedMan]

No worries, manono.

Videobruger, I was too curious to wait till weekend, so started the FILE mode testing. I noticed that the VIDEO_TS.IFO was one of the first to be ripped from the DVD, in about a 40-min process. Since the entire disc is pretty time-consuming, logic dictates that I could stop the process after the VIDEO_TS.IFO file is ripped and simply copy it to the folders of specific VOB's/IFO's I want to encode, right? (ones I may have done in IFO mode previously w/ DVD Decrypter). Am I right in that assumption? That way, the subtitles match the correct color of the DVD. I have no idea how crucial copying the VIDEO_TS.BUP file is.

**UPDATE: I'll answer my own question....no, it didn't work just to copy and paste newly created VIDEO_TS.IFO file (ripped via FILE mode) into previous VOB folder that was ripped via IFO mode. Handbrake wouldn't even recognize the folder until I took the VIDEO_TS.IFO file out.**

On a positive note, FILE mode with Decrypter seems to be very stream-lined and helpful. I'm then trying to encode to mp4 with VIDCODER, because it seems much faster than Handbrake (why? I have no idea). It seems to encode to mp4 in a handful of minutes....Handbrake takes more than an hour. There must be a way to get Handbrake shorter.

As for subtitles, ugh....first DVD I tested tonight just happened to have yellow subtitles on the original...lol. Will test with new DVD and report back. But, very good suggestion, to try FILE mode instead of IFO. And in the long run, I think it's probably shorter than IFO (despite what I said before). In IFO mode, takes about 13 min to rip individual episode. In FILE mode, 30 minutes for the whole disc. Much better.

Thanks to all of you for your great help so far...

[ConfusedMan]

I haven't posted since my probs but just wanted to thank videobruger and everyone here....I tried the method suggested (File Mode w/ Decrypter) and the subtitles come out perfectly now. For some reason, in the video preview window, Vidcoder seems to have lip-sync issues but it doesn't seem to occur on the final encoded copy.

Thanks for the great help....

[Ale_Fr]

Hi,

In firts sorry for my message and faults because I'm french and my english is not verry good.

So, i met the same problem about subtitles : they were all black after severals tests of Hanbrake compressed jobs !

I was surprised because I use Handbrake since several months without any problem like that. Like Confusedman I had not solutions.

After readind this thread I realised the first differences of my last jobs was the Open Method and The subtitles was black using Open file to compresse one VOB file !

Quickly I 've tested the Open Folder Method, using Title listbox to choose the VOB to compress and Tata ! The subtitles are white !

So, now my question is : for what kind of job we can use the Open File method ?

Thanks
Antoine.