Removing subtitle tracks from video files?

[Sephiroth666]

I'm looking for a quick way to strip subtitles from a bunch of video files without re-encoding or anything. I just want to remove the subtitles and toss them in a separate folder in case I ever need them. I'm using VLC on Xbox to watch my network share now and there's no option to turn the goddamn things off by default. Also, I need to do this on linux.

[netmask56]

You don't indicate what type of files they are - makes a big difference in the approach taken. By far MKV are the easiest to deal with

[Sephiroth666]

Yeah, MKV. Don't know why I forgot about this topic. Found another batch of files I need to rip subtitles from though.

[davexnet]

Open the source in MKVToolnix GUI, deselect the subtitles, and write out your new file sans the subtitles

[johns0]

Also use mkvcleaver to extract the sub you want to save.

[videobruger]

To quickly strip off the subtitles you could use MKVBatch or use mkvmerge in a batch job like

for %%h in (*.mkv) do (
 mkvmerge -o "Merged\%%~nh_MERGED.mkv" --audio-tracks 1 --no-subtitles --language 0:eng "%%h" --track-order 0:0,0:1)

Similar use mkvextract in a batch job to extract the subtitles.

[netmask56]

First extract the subtitles you want to keep in a new folder with MKVCleaver - it has a batch function. Then after you have checked the subs to be the ones you want, then next open the source in MKVToolnix GUI, deselec the subtitles, and remux to a new file minus the subtitles.

[Sephiroth666]

First extract the subtitles you want to keep in a new folder with MKVCleaver - it has a batch function. Then after you have checked the subs to be the ones you want, then next open the source in MKVToolnix GUI, deselec the subtitles, and remux to a new file minus the subtitles.

No linux version of MKVCleaver

[Sephiroth666]

To quickly strip off the subtitles you could use MKVBatch or use mkvmerge in a batch job like

for %%h in (*.mkv) do (
 mkvmerge -o "Merged\%%~nh_MERGED.mkv" --audio-tracks 1 --no-subtitles --language 0:eng "%%h" --track-order 0:0,0:1)

Similar use mkvextract in a batch job to extract the subtitles.

ugh. Trying to set that up in Bash with mkvextract and mkvmerge isn't working so well. Can't stand this scripting shit anymore.

[netmask56]

It's your call of course but why do you want to remove the subs? It won't reduce the file size significantly unless there are dozens of subs? The workaround is to search for srt subs from the many subtitle sites and once satisfied they are correct then remove the subs from within the MKV file as earlier discussed.

[johns0]

Op want to remove the subs cause on the xbox one he cant turn them off by default.

[jagabo]

ffmpeg is available for linux. It could do both the demuxing and removal of the subs. Maybe you can figure out the Linux syntax from a Windows batch file:

md Subs
md NoSubs

for %%F in (*.mkv *.mp4) do (
    ffmpeg -y -i "%%~dpnxF" -vn -an "Subs\%%~NF.srt"
    ffmpeg -y -i "%%~dpnxF" -c copy -map 0 -map -0:s "NoSubs\%%~nxF"
)

pause

That creates sub folders called Subs and NoSubs, then subs from mkv and mp4 files are saved in the Subs folder as SRT (VTT subs are converted to SRT, other sub types are ignored), and videos without subs are created in the NoSubs folder. If a video has multiple srt/vtt subs only one is saved (first?).

In case you're not aware the %%~dpnx format encodes the parts of the filename:

%%~dpnx = "C:\path\to\my video file.ext":

d = drive letter and colon, C:
p = path (not including the filename or extension, \path\to\
n = filename without path or extension, my video file
x = period and extension, .mp4

[netmask56]

According to the Xbox manual

Press the Xbox button on your controller to return to the dashboard.
Press the Menu button and select Settings.
Select Closed Captioning in the Console settings column.
Select closed captions off
Maybe that's for an older model...

[Sephiroth666]

According to the Xbox manual

Press the Xbox button on your controller to return to the dashboard.
Press the Menu button and select Settings.
Select Closed Captioning in the Console settings column.
Select closed captions off
Maybe that's for an older model...

Doesn't apply to VLC.

[davexnet]

Perhaps try Avidemux to write out the new file.
I have it working in my linux system via an appimage

[johns0]

You can turn off the subtitles in xbox one vlc but only for one video at a time,if you select another video to play the subtitles will show again.

[Sephiroth666]

You can turn off the subtitles in xbox one vlc but only for one video at a time,if you select another video to play the subtitles will show again.

That's where the problem is. When you select the next video, you can't turn them off the same way. It's a bug in the shitty player. So it's either strip all the subs or close the ******* player and reopen after every video.

[johns0]

I did some testing on the vlc subtitle options,you can turn off the subs in other videos without restarting vlc,when you start another video the subs will show,what you have to do is go back into the subtitle option and click on it and it will say no subtitles,just go back to the video and the sub will be turned off.

[Sephiroth666]

I did some testing on the vlc subtitle options,you can turn off the subs in other videos without restarting vlc,when you start another video the subs will show,what you have to do is go back into the subtitle option and click on it and it will say no subtitles,just go back to the video and the sub will be turned off.

They never turned off properly for me.

[netmask56]

I abandoned VLC sometime ago for MPC-HC https://www.videohelp.com/software/Media-Player-Classic-Home-Cinema as it handles large 4K files better. You can turn off subs permanently if you wish.

[johns0]

The op is talking about vlc on the xbox one where you can't turn off subs permanently.