www.makemkv.com

I am ripping a DVD and when I play the file after using MakeMKV subtitles are on. Investigating the headers of the files I've noticed that the "Default track" flag is set to 'Yes' for every file. I've tried digging through all the settings in MakeMKV and can not find how to make sure that this flag is set to off. How do I make sure that this doesn't happen in the future?

bluedanes wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 20, 2023 9:04 pm

I am ripping a DVD and when I play the file after using MakeMKV subtitles are on. Investigating the headers of the files I've noticed that the "Default track" flag is set to 'Yes' for every file. I've tried digging through all the settings in MakeMKV and can not find how to make sure that this flag is set to off. How do I make sure that this doesn't happen in the future?

Whether, or not, to display subs is typically a player config setting, independent of flags. What are you using for playback?

If the MKV flag is set to default then the player is doing the correct thing in displaying that track automatically, you can't blame the player settings!

@bluedanes: You have three options: 1) you can either remove the default flag manually within MakeMKV each and every time you rip a file; or 2) you can modify the MKV flag after ripping the file using MKVToolNix; or 3) you can change your MakeMKV "profile" to not default the first track... err... by default.

For option 1), when you open the disc in MakeMKV (either from an optical drive or from a backup folder), expand the tree of the title in question and highlight (single-click) the appropriate track in the left pane, then in the right pane, choose "MKV Flags" from the drop-down box. In the text field next to the drop-down box you have the option to flag the track as "d" (default), and/or "f" (forced), or removing all flags (blank line) will turn both off.

It should only ever be the first track by order weight that was set as default automatically.

Option 2) involves opening the file (after ripping it) in a program called "MKVToolNix" and changing the flag there.

Or if you get tired of doing that for every single title there's always option 3), which is modifying MakeMKV's user profile to turn off this behaviour:

On your PC (sorry, I have no idea how this is done on mac), go to C:\Program Files\MakeMKV and you need to open an archive called "appdata.tar" (I use 7zip to open this archive) then copy the file "default.mmcp.xml" to a working folder; and

Rename this file to "custom.mmcp.xml"

Open it with Notepad++ (or your .xml editor of choice)

Change <name lang="mogz">:5086</name> to <name lang="mogz">custom</name>

Change setFirstSubtitleTrackAsDefault="true" to "false"

Change setFirstForcedSubtitleTrackAsDefault="true" to "false"

Save and exit from Notepad++

Copy the new file back into C:\Program Files\MakeMKV (not into the appdata.tar archive), close the window and open MakeMKV.

Go to settings > advanced and make sure profile is set to "custom"

Please note that I think I must be doing something wrong in that last step, it does work but I have to do this every time MakeMKV updates, which is a PITA. Maybe someone can let me know where I should be saving this "custom" file so it won't get wiped-out every update?

Radiocomms237 wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 20, 2023 10:59 pm

... Go to settings > advanced and make sure profile is set to "custom"

Please note that I think I must be doing something wrong in that last step, it does work but I have to do this every time MakeMKV updates, which is a PITA. Maybe someone can let me know where I should be saving this "custom" file so it won't get wiped-out every update?

All changes you wish to survive an update should be placed in:

%UserProfile%\.MakeMKV (MakeMKV data directory default location)

unless you've modified MakeMKV Preferences > General tab > MakeMKV data directory location.

Cheers, I'll give that a try and see what happens.

Thank you @Radiocomms237 fixed my issue.

FYI if you are a Mac user you can find this in the MakeMKV app bundle. `/Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/Resources` has the .tar and then is also where you save your custom profile.

bluedanes wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 22, 2023 5:48 pm

Thank you @Radiocomms237 fixed my issue.

FYI if you are a Mac user you can find this in the MakeMKV app bundle. `/Applications/MakeMKV.app/Contents/Resources` has the .tar and then is also where you save your custom profile.

I think if you store your custom profile inside /Applications/MakeMKV.app, it will be lost when you next update MakeMKV (the update will replace the .app bundle with a new one). I think d00zah is right about putting the profile in whatever your MakeMKV data directory is.

hi...
regarding turning 'off' the subtitles that sometimes come up by default...
i extracted and updated this file and copied it back to both the location of the MakeMKV and the folder i have set as the MakeMKV data directory.
however... the instructions above say to update the 'settings/advanced' to 'custom'... where is this 'settings/advanced'?
all my MakeMKV.exe has is a File/Preferences and nothing called settings or advanced.
thanks...
i'm using v1.17.4

ericK wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 21, 2023 1:02 am

hi...
regarding turning 'off' the subtitles that sometimes come up by default...
i extracted and updated this file and copied it back to both the location of the MakeMKV and the folder i have set as the MakeMKV data directory.
however... the instructions above say to update the 'settings/advanced' to 'custom'... where is this 'settings/advanced'?
all my MakeMKV.exe has is a File/Preferences and nothing called settings or advanced.
thanks...
i'm using v1.17.4

- open MakeMKV Preferences
- check General tab > Expert mode
- Apply
- restart MakeMKV

My apologies for missing that step, I keep forgetting that someone may not be in Expert mode already.

As soon as you check the "Expert mode" checkbox, the "Advanced" tab will appear on the right-hand side of the settings popup window.

You aren't the only one that makes the "Expert mode ON" assumption...

ok... thanks for how to get the Advanced tab...
so.. did that... i get the Advanced tab now...
in the Default profile however, i don't have an option for 'Custom'...
and it seems to be just a dropdown... can't add a row that says 'Custom'...
it looks like this: (as attachment).

thanks... ericK

ok... discovered i mistyped the word 'custom' in the custom.mmcp.xml file...
fixed that and now it works as advertised...

thanks very much for the help.

i wish though i had asked this before ripping all 2000 of my DVDs to a Plex server

..... ericK

You're welcome.

I don't think it has to be the exact word "custom" (although I've never tried anything else), I *think* you can call the profile anything you like (within the boundaries of Unicode) and you would simply have to choose that same name from the drop-down box in Settings > Advanced.

P.S. You can setup different profiles to do different things and select them on a per-disc basis (IF IN EXPERT MODE) from the right-hand side of the main MakeMKV window, just below the big green "Save selected titles" button.

You can name it anything you want, e.g. mine is called 'chet.mmcp.xml' with

<!-- profile name - Default -->
<name lang="eng">Chet</name>

and called as 'chet' under Advanced > Options > Profile.