New to MakeMKV, how do I get subtitles?

[indpndntece]

Hi guys,

I have used MakeMKV to back up my DVD collection and I notice if I selected a subtitle file when making the copy, the subtitles were integrated into the MKV playback via my Raspberry Pi 2. However, this does not seem to work with bluray movies. Or does it?

I recently acquired an bluray optical drive for my laptop allowing me to finally back up the blurays. So here are my questions:

1) how do I get the subtitles for Alien speech in my star wars copies?
2) Do I need to use MKV, then Handbrake, and then MKVMerge to get subtitle?
3) what does handbrake do? Is there video and audio loss?
4) When making these copies, will it retain the DTS 5.1 i have selected?

I never used handbrake with my regular Dvds. but I read it is useful for bluray to save storage space. Is there a benefit to not using it and retaining complete bluray data? Or does it not affect the final product and save space?

I don't care for movie menus or extras, but I would like to have the subtitles for certain movies like Star Wars, or any movie where another language is used in various frames and forced subtitles would normally be when watching the actual disk.

Thanks for your time guys. I have been reading through pages of discussions but I am running out of time for today. I hope you will be able to provide me the needed info. Thanks again.

[indpndntece]

Note: I am backing all my movies up to a networked HD, not making Disk copies as some threads I have read discuss.

If I don't care about the amount of disk space used, is there any need to use handbrake after MKV other than possibly adding subtitles?

Can I use MKVmerge and merge two MKV files to get subtitles w/o the use of Handbrake?

edit: i am reading through this thread right now: http://www.makemkv.com/forum2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=14362

[indpndntece]

no tips? I am doing research on this site and others but I was hoping to get some feed back as well.

[Woodstock]

Let's see... 5 hours after posting a question, you're impatient because there are no responses? Did you consider entering "subtitle" in the Search box, and see the dozens of topics on subtitles that already exist?

By default, MakeMKV will rip subtitles. Whether or not your player can handle them is another matter. Bluray subtitles are graphic images in a format called "PGS", which has limited (but improving) player support. DVD uses a graphic image format called "VOBSUB", which is supported by more players, but not universally (Chromecast can't handle either one, for example, and many Android player do not display VOBSUB or PGS).

"Forced only" is a nearly worthless setting, because few DVDs and BDs make use of the "Forced" flag. I have encountered it ONCE, in the original BD release of Avatar. Everything else uses a separate track for forced subtitles, or ignore the issue entirely and only have an "everything" track.

There is a long thread of subtitles on the handbrake forum that covers a lot of the variations.

[indpndntece]

Thank you for the reply Woodstock. Yes I was being impatient, my fault.

I figured it out after read many threads. By changing the subtitles to default forced, they play correctly via my raspberry pi 2. I also noticed if I play them on my laptop via VLC, i just need to enable the subtitle option at the top of the player, since the subtitles were copied into the MKV file as I had selected in the software.

Just a note for Raspberry Pi users running KOdi, it will play forced subtitles.

[Chetwood]

As will VLC.

[angelgraves13]

Star Wars contains all the alien speech on its own subtitle track near the bottom of the all the subtitles.

[indpndntece]

Star Wars contains all the alien speech on its own subtitle track near the bottom of the all the subtitles.

I did figure it out when referencing a google doc from this forum that listed movies and subtitles. Very helpful.

Yes VLC does show subtitles. Thanks