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Subtitle Export: PGS vs PGS (forced only)

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2024 2:11 pm
by first_name
Hello,

I have a question regarding the subtitle export.
In MakeMKV I can select the "main" PGS or the "sub" forced only.

If I select both, and afterwards I analyze the MKV, I just see one PGS track the "full" subtitle.
I would have expected to see two PGS files per language. One track with the full subtitle and another track with the forced once.

Do I misunderstand this toggle? Is not like with the audio tracks where when selecting the main DTS-HD MA and the sub DTS, that in the end I have both tracks?

Thx

Re: Subtitle Export: PGS vs PGS (forced only)

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2024 2:28 pm
by Woodstock
When using the "Forced only" track, MakeMKV reads the associated track, and only copies out of it those subtitles that have the forced flag. The other track is "all subtitles".

On some movies (Like Avatar), this will give you two tracks. Most, it will give you one full track (unforced) and an empty (deleted) track forced-only. This is because most films have two separate subtitle tracks, rather than mixed-into-one.

Leaving it checked all the time really doesn't cost you anything - I do it all the time, and just live with half the tracks being deleted as empty. Where it gets weird is things like Star Track movies, where what you would think would be forced (Klingon dialog) is burned into the video, when it is relavent, and ignored otherwise. The subtitle tracks themselves contain all dialog (except what isn't important).