Captions not showing: suported format?

[atc98092]

I have some recorded TV shows that contain closed captions. The default video file is .WTV (Windows Media Center). I used VideoReDo to edit the commercials out, and saved to .TS (MPEG2). The files play fine, but the captions don't appear. My Sony players will show in the info screen if captions are available, and these files don't show any. Here's the format within the file from MediaInfo:

  Code:

Text
ID                                       : 528 (0x210)-1
Menu ID                                  : 1 (0x1)
Format                                   : EIA-708
Muxing mode                              : A/53 / DTVCC Transport
Muxing mode, more info                   : Muxed in Video #1
Duration                                 : 1h 51mn
Bit rate mode                            : Constant
Stream size                              : 0.00 Byte (0%)


Is this text format not supported?

The other captions issue is with Blu-ray rips using MakeMKV. The text info is in the file, and my player shows a caption track available, but if I select captions, nothing shows. MediaInfo shows this:

  Code:

Text #1
ID                                       : 4
Format                                   : PGS
Codec ID                                 : S_HDMV/PGS
Codec ID/Info                            : The same subtitle format used on BDs/HD-DVDs
Language                                 : English
Default                                  : No
Forced                                   : No


But if I have a Blu-Ray that was ripped with different software into M2TS format (MakeMKV works better, as the other software doesn't allow selected specific audio and captions tracks), the captions can be selected and they appear. Why the difference?

[atc98092]

Well, since no one has offered anything here, how about a different approach: is it possible to "remux" the captions? In other words, convert the text track to something that Serviio recognizes, without altering the video or audio tracks?

[zip]

For embedded subs, Serviio normally serves then in the file as usual - then it's up to the player to recognize them and give you the options.

You could also enable extracting the embedded subs (in the console) - it only works for text based subtitles, changes them to srt and then serves as either external resource (where supported), or you could also enable burned in subs, which would then take that extracted srt and encode it into the video. I assume you don't want that though.

So I think option one is what you want, but you have to find the combination of container / sub format that will work.

[atc98092]

For embedded subs, Serviio normally serves then in the file as usual - then it's up to the player to recognize them and give you the options.

You could also enable extracting the embedded subs (in the console) - it only works for text based subtitles, changes them to srt and then serves as either external resource (where supported), or you could also enable burned in subs, which would then take that extracted srt and encode it into the video. I assume you don't want that though.

So I think option one is what you want, but you have to find the combination of container / sub format that will work.

Yeah, it seems that my players don't recognize the EIA-708 captions. I tried using CCExtractor to create an SRT, which works of course but now I don't have the options of turning the captions on and off. I typically only enable captions when watching late at night so I can keep the volume down.

I guess I need a way to take that SRT file and put it back into the video file. Looks like MKV is the best container for that, but I don't know what will merge them. Handbrake perhaps? I'll have to look at it. I start a 2 week vacation next week, so I'll have some time to experiment.

For embedded subs, Serviio normally serves then in the file as usual - then it's up to the player to recognize them and give you the options.

You could also enable extracting the embedded subs (in the console) - it only works for text based subtitles, changes them to srt and then serves as either external resource (where supported), or you could also enable burned in subs, which would then take that extracted srt and encode it into the video. I assume you don't want that though.

So I think option one is what you want, but you have to find the combination of container / sub format that will work.

I was trying to play files with separate subtitle .SRT files and they didn't show up. Enabling burned-in subs worked, thanks.

(PC to PS3)

I need a way to take that SRT file and put it back into the video file. Looks like MKV is the best container for that, but I don't know what will merge them.

MKVToolNix should be the right tool for that job. It's free and very straightforward to use.