How to Burn-In DVB Subtitles?

[Bytee]

Hi!

I record TV DVB-C .mpg files with a TV Tuner.

I want to hard encode the DVB Subtitles.

I managed to get the subtitles hard encoded with VLC, but I cannot mange to correctly encode with VLC (Video -H.264 + MP3 (MP4) with 12,000 kb/s bitrate). At this bitrate the processed file is larger than the original.
I get artifact/pixelated frames sometimes.

If I encode with Handbrake the video is fine, no pixelation frames.
Handbrake does a very nice job in terms of video quality and file size, but I cannot burn in DVB Subtitles with Handbrake.

Is there a solution to this?

Here is the original file (254 MB).

The normal/original image:

[Attachment 55574 - Click to enlarge]

The pixelated VLC processed image:

[Attachment 55575 - Click to enlarge]

[Bonnevue]

1 dowloaded your video, run it through ffmpeg, it choked on your subtitle stream.
2 muxed it with mkv toolnix in order to get an mkv file, ran that through ffmpeg, managed to burn in subtitles and though the quality of video and audio are good, zooming an panning does not go smoothly which is related to the problems on my first point (1)
3 picture based subtitles are very complex especialy when you convert dvb sub to dvd sub, that being the format that Handbrake can handle as long as it is embedded in the videostream. And all tv streams comes with dvb sub

In order to solve your problem I need to know does the mpg format comes straight from your provider or does your capture card convert it to mpg, most broadcasting services deliver ts format.

p.s. I can show you my conversion if you're interested.

[Bytee]

Thanks a lot for taking the time to analyse my issue.

Yes, I would like to see your conversion.

I tried to follow your step no 2. I muxed it with MKVToolNix to get the mkv format, but couldn't burn in subtitles using ffmpeg.
I used a FFmpeg GUI (FFmpeg Batch AV Converter) since using ffmpeg command lines are way over my head.

Is there a way to use only one software to get the job done?
Like using MKVToolNix (or mkvmerge) to re-encode in order to get the burnt-in subtitles?

As regards the mpg format, I assume the capture card does no conversion. (this is the TV tuner I use.)

[netmask56]

You can't 'burn-in' by that I mean make the subtitles part of the actual image, but you can mark them in MKVToolNix both Default and Forced. Depending on your media player, VLC for instance, will obey the setting and always show the subs. Standalone players like Popcorn series or Dune will also obey the setting. If you really want to burn in the subs into the video so they cannot be turned off then you need to re-encode, on the rare occasions I have to do this I use Vidcoder

[Bonnevue]

1 The tuner is : DVB T2, in your original post you said DVB-C.
2 At the risk of repeating my self: Handbrake can only see DVD subtitles (Vobsub) , remuxing the stream with mkv toolnix does not alter / convert the DVB sub stream. I remuxed in mkv toolnix so that FFMPPEG could be used for further processing.
3 In ffmpeg I burned in the DVB stream directly using a filter complex, that what i ment with complex and complicated issues about dealing with picture based subtitles.
I've written and use my own programs with ffmpeg in the core, being doing that for almost 8 years now.
4 Still need an answer what comes out of your tv stick, ts or mpg, is it DVC or DVB T2.
5 What you want to do is not that unusual I do it every day with recordings of bbc and history channel.
6 My best guess is that your substream is somewhat corrupted.
7 As for netmask56, I agree with him, why not leave things as the are, Kodi, VLC can handle your recordings untouched. You could convert the video in order to schrink the filesize, you can do the same with audio but leave the subtitle untouched.
8 I will check my google drive to see how much free space I've left then I will opload the link.

[Bonnevue]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V4jAeACDc3aZiUnZS3BZylPFhFFhUQnY/view?usp=sharing

hope this works , haven't use this for years

[Bonnevue]

tried vidcoder, it does not see the dvb subtitle, no joy.

[Bonnevue]

come to think of it, you may need another prgramm for capture, check out Argus TV

[Bytee]

Problem solved !!!

Thank you a lot Bonnevue!
And also thank you netmask56 for tackling my question.

The key info I got from you was that first I have to mux the DVB Subtitles into an mkv file!
Then I can use a video tool to hard-encode the DVB Subtiles.

So, I used MKVToolNix to mux the subtitles and then re-encode the video with the built-in subtiles using VideoProc v.3.4.

Now, referring to your comments:
1 Although the tuner is named DVBT2, it also decodes DVB-C signal. It currently decodes the digital TV cable signal (DVB-C).
2 I suspected that Handbrake cannot handle DVB Subtitles, but now you made it clear for me.
3 Luckily, I don't need to get accustomed with FFmpeg technicalities thanks to VideoProc. VLC can always see DVB Subtitles but it does a faulty video econding sometimes. VideoProc does not always see DVB Subtitles from the original file, but can always see them in the muxed mkv file.
4 The original file I get from the TV Tuner recording is mpg, the one I shared. The tuner is set to DVB-C signal.
5 I prefer to have the subtitles hard-encoded because I upload the videos either to Youtube or Google Photos.
6 I agreee that some streams my be corrupted, since VideoProc cannot always see the DVB-Subtitles.
7 I cannot leave things as they are since I use Youtube and Google Photos for their unlimited video storage capability. And having subtitles as tracks in mkv style, gets lost when uploaded and processed by Youtube and Google Photos.
8 In the two files you shared the subtitles were tracks in mkv, not hardeoncoded (burnt in) into the video. Or did I miss something?
9 I will give a try to ArgusTV. I couldn't manage to use third party software with my TV Tuner although I installed the correct driver. Indeed the software provided with the TV Tuner is not reliable, sometimes it freezes on channel swtiching.

Thank you again for your help!

[Bonnevue]

One is never to old to learn something, so thank you, I will check out videoproc, I've also used your file in qtmovie, works like a charm, just a few keypresses and the conversion starts, quality is great allbeit in sd, dvd format. Anyway glad that your problem is solved.