Need Help Embedding Text Layers / Subs into video Download from Crunchyroll

[AverageGermanDude]

Hello

The following is concerning Crunchyroll's FREE TIER.

I am currently experimenting with downloading videos from Crunchyroll. For the purpose of explaining my issue, I'll use the following video as an example: https://www.crunchyroll.com/de/watch/GYWMGGJ8R/unqualified-heroes (has German subs, no account needed to view or download given video)

It seems to me that Crunchyroll's player does not use any DRM protection, despite the fact that when I enable the the neared info feature (right clicking on the player), it says DRM: Widevine. Anyways, I can download any video from CR using yt-dlp and can view it without needing to decrypt it. I don't even need to use --allow-u.

Now, regarding my concern: As seen in given video at time stamp 9:20, Crunchyroll adds text layers to their regional releases, or at least in Germany they do, cuz most German's can't read Japanese. These text layers are not embedded in the video and from what I can tell they are also separate from the Subtitle file. I would like to embed these text layers into my downloaded file, preferably automatically when downloading the video. I have tried using [yt-dlp --allow-u --write-subs --embed-subs URL] even though my hope this included the text layer instead of the subs was low. Weirdly enough I got a video when using [--write-subs --embed-subs] that had exactly the same number of bites as when I didn't use [--write-subs --embed-subs] (so when normally downloading it). Even weirder was that I couldn't play the video that I downloaded with [--write-subs --embed-subs]. I also couldn't use my regularly downloaded video (not using [--write-subs --embed-subs]) and add the separately downloaded .ass file as a subtitle file in VLC (it would not play). This confuses me in a number of ways as (just like I previously mentioned) the video file should not be DRM protected.

So, I guess now I have two questions:
Question 1: How do I download and embed Crunchyroll's text layers which are separate from the subs.
Question 2: Why can't I play the video files that I downloaded with [--write-subs --embed-subs].

I would be thankful for any help or hints.
regards

[LZAA]

https://mega.nz/file/oepQQKwK#dmOSjswqWKo0JqEXvlsp2SfdI_kXIgEHBhYyDbTxxH8

[AverageGermanDude]

https://mega.nz/file/oepQQKwK#dmOSjswqWKo0JqEXvlsp2SfdI_kXIgEHBhYyDbTxxH8

I am really thankful for the link; however, rather than finding a one time solution I would like to learn how to do the deed myself as there are still a tone of episodes I would like to archive (with the layers).
Also, I have tried using the subtitle file you provided but it doesn't work, at least not for me. Are the subs perhaps DRM protected? Seems unlikely but at the same time what else could it be.

Thanks for any help or hints.

[Subtitles]

This has nothing to do with regional releases. The viewer has a choice of 6 audio languages and subtitles in English or not to display subtitles (Untertitels). Check the settings wheel.
I am attaching here the subtitles. You can use MKVToolNiX Gui to add it to the video. There is nothing worse than hard coded subtitles.

[AverageGermanDude]

This has nothing to do with regional releases. The viewer has a choice of 6 audio languages and subtitles in English or not to display subtitles (Untertitels). Check the settings wheel.
I am attaching here the subtitles. You can use MKVToolNiX Gui to add it to the video. There is nothing worse than hard coded subtitles.

Thanks, for the reply and the effort. The subs work but weren't what I was looking for (remember I was looking for the text layers, which are separate from the subs). However, I have found my own solutions to my problems so I'll share these solution here in case someone needs them in the future.

Regarding my first question which involved downloading the text layers that Crunchyroll (and probable everyone else) calls hardsubs: They are (as previously determined) separate from the softsubs and are therefore not included in the subs that the users LZAA and Subtitles provided and that are downloaded when using [--write-subs --embed-subs]. These hardsubs are always on regardless of watching something dubbed or subbed on CR and include things like subs during openings and endings and translated visual text. Luckily, there is a code on YT-DLP's GitHub specifically for getting CRs hardsubs. It's an extractor argument called crunchyrollbeta:hardsub=[language code]-[REGION CODE], so I'd add --extractor-args crunchyrollbeta:hardsub=de-DE to my code to get the hardsubs. You can't turn them off, but considering they are just subs that translate unspoken text, I would anyways keep them always on.

As for my second question: Turns out having FFMPEG, FFPLAY, and FFPROBE installed fixed the issue (there are apparently container issues when downloading from CR that get fixed automatically when heaving FFMPEG installed).

So I guess that's it. Once again great thanks to LZAA and Subtitles for trying to help.

[Subtitles]

Oh well I learn something new every day.
I think a screenshot would have helped me to understand better what you were looking for.
It turns out these these text layers are different depending on the language selected. Quite clever actually.
It is wrong to call it hardsub because they are actually soft subs and they change according to the language selected.
Thanks a lot for the clarification and the solution.