Hiding hard-coded subtitles

[MikeBintouch]

A few years ago, I discovered a way in VLC to hide subtitles that have been hard-coded into the film. Unfortunately, after the discovery, I used it once, then forgot it. Does anyone know this trick? BTW, I'm using the Mac version of VLC.

[theewizard]

There is only one way
Don't see that part of the screen
That means either clipping or blocking part of the window

[MikeBintouch]

thanks for your reply, but in the meantime, I found the trick in VLC again. You simply go to the Subtitle menu item, select Background Opacity and put it on full. Then select black as the Background Color and you're done. The new subtitles will appear in a black box that completely covers the hard-coded subtitles. Although sometimes part of a letter will appear, it works incredibly well!

[theewizard]

Nice trick
To block them out
Thanks, I'm sure people will get some use out of that

[Baldrick]

Subtitle menu item with Background Opacity? Where is that?

edit: It's only for the MAC version of VLC Media Player. The Windows has only Add subtitles and select track....

[MikeBintouch]

Nice trick
To block them out
Thanks, I'm sure people will get some use out of that

That's very kind of you to say. I hope you're right other people will find it useful.

[MikeBintouch]

Subtitle menu item with Background Opacity? Where is that?

edit: It's only for the MAC version of VLC Media Player. The Windows has only Add subtitles and select track....

Yes, I'm on a Mac. But, I suspect you've got it on Windows as well, but not in the same place.

[Baldrick]

Subtitle menu item with Background Opacity? Where is that?

edit: It's only for the MAC version of VLC Media Player. The Windows has only Add subtitles and select track....

Yes, I'm on a Mac. But, I suspect you've got it on Windows as well, but not in the same place.

It doesn't look like that. I can change background opacity under advanced subtitle settings...but it only works if you have a text subtitle track.

[MikeBintouch]

Sorry, I don't have Windows, so I can't really check, but you might try just experimenting - that's how I found the Mac trick.

[DB83]

Maybe I am having a senior moment here.

But how would even VLC know where to, effectively, blank out the subs ? Are you sure they are burnt in and not text which can be dis-engaged.

Even so, a black box, where the text was, is, IMHO, as distracting, if not more, than the subs.

[MikeBintouch]

Maybe I am having a senior moment here.

But how would even VLC know where to, effectively, blank out the subs ? Are you sure they are burnt in and not text which can be dis-engaged.

Even so, a black box, where the text was, is, IMHO, as distracting, if not more, than the subs.

It's really quite easy. Just add your subtitles and play the video - don't change anything. The chances are pretty high that both the hard-coded and the subtitles you added will fall on top of each other. If that happens, use the trick to block the hard coded titles. If they don't match, you can adjust the position of the subtitles you added in the preferences. Just keep moving them up or down until they cover the hard-coded ones.

[Baldrick]

I see. You had external subtitles also...that explains everything. I thought the MAC VLC version just added a huge black box all the time.

[DB83]

No additional features then. The Mac version behaves just like the Win one.

And, personally, I would prefer the hard-subs since I can 'blank' them out in my head (point of eye focus) which is harder to do when you have a large black box which also hides some screen detail.

[MikeBintouch]

I see. You had external subtitles also...that explains everything. I thought the MAC VLC version just added a huge black box all the time.

The problem was that the hard-coded subtitles were in a language I cannot read. The film audio was in the same language. Since I don't speak the language, neither the audio nor the subtitles helped. Since I needed subtitles in a language I knew, external subtitles were the only solution. However, without hiding the hard-coded subs, neither sub was readable since they occupied the same area of the screen.

[MikeBintouch]

No additional features then. The Mac version behaves just like the Win one.

And, personally, I would prefer the hard-subs since I can 'blank' them out in my head (point of eye focus) which is harder to do when you have a large black box which also hides some screen detail.

Not really. As I wrote, the hard-coded subtitles as well as the film audio were in a language I do not speak. Secondly, much of the subtitles appear in the black border at the bottom and take up very little screen area.

[MikeBintouch]

Since there seems to be a bit of confusion, here are some screen grabs showing double subtitles, blocked hard-coded and single subtitles, with and without blocking.

[DB83]

No additional features then. The Mac version behaves just like the Win one.

And, personally, I would prefer the hard-subs since I can 'blank' them out in my head (point of eye focus) which is harder to do when you have a large black box which also hides some screen detail.

Not really. As I wrote, the hard-coded subtitles as well as the film audio were in a language I do not speak. Secondly, much of the subtitles appear in the black border at the bottom and take up very little screen area.

That is clear now. But you created a different impression in your OP inasmuch that you simply wanted to blank out the hard-subs.