Forced Subtitle Only Selection Rule

[dancjodanc]

I would use handbreak...but I"m dealing with 4k movies...and Atmos, and DTS:X. So, I guess I just have to select the subtitle track when needed....? I have MKVToolNix...but your saying that won't do this...hard encode the subtitle track?

[Grauhaar]

Some players respects the "Forced" flag in the MKV header and selects the tracks automaticlay. You can check with MKVToolNIX if this flag is set or set it if not set.

Hardcode (Brun-in) Subtitles can only be done with Handbrake, MKVToolNIX does not change the tracks, it can only add/remove/reorder tracks in the MKV file.

I don't like Burn-In, because it is a ultimate irreversible solution. If you what to see other subtitles, the "Burn-in" sub are always there, the other sub track overlays it and this can result in bad reading.

[lixee]

I'm still confused on the sub-title subject. What I want is for any movie where there is a foreign language spoken AND the movie contains an English sub title track, to display that track. I have been ONLY checking the box I indicate in the attached but not the one above it that says SubTitles PGS English. Is that the correct method or do I need to check both boxes.

Just to be sure: If I select "Subtitles PGS English" AND "Subtitles PGS English (forced only)" then I will get all English subtitles which are available on the disk (only regular or only forced or both)? In case both types are available I should be able to choose between two subtitle tracks when playing the mkv, one which is regular and one which is forced only?

[Woodstock]

If you select both, you will almost certainly end up with ONE track, as the "forced only" track will be deleted as empty. This is because use of forced subtitle flags are rare.

I know of one movie (Avatar) that does it; I've heard of a couple of others. The usual scheme is that there are two tracks for each language on a dubbed disk. One contains all dialog, and is intended for use with the original language sound track. The other contains only "signs and foreign audio", the so-called "forced" subtitles, intended for use with the dubbed language sound track.

[lixee]

If you select both, you will almost certainly end up with ONE track, as the "forced only" track will be deleted as empty. This is because use of forced subtitle flags are rare.

I know of one movie (Avatar) that does it; I've heard of a couple of others. The usual scheme is that there are two tracks for each language on a dubbed disk. One contains all dialog, and is intended for use with the original language sound track. The other contains only "signs and foreign audio", the so-called "forced" subtitles, intended for use with the dubbed language sound track.

So at least I should always get the regular one? Is there any reason to only select the first entry and not the forced one as well?

[Woodstock]

It is fine to leave both checked - I do it all the time. My selection rule is "all tracks", no language filter (sometimes tracks are mislabeled).

The worst thing that will happen is seeing messages about the empty subtitle track being removed. And, if you happen to find a movie that uses forced flags, you will get them.

[phileeny]

I've been reading all the above with interest as the forced subtitles issue has bugged me for a long time.
My setting is the following [-sel:all,+sel:all,-sel:mvcvideo,=100:all,-10:favlang] I don't know what it all means I just wanted makemkv to just select everything and I would find the right subs later, if anyone has a better option I would love to see it.
What gets me is if I put a Blu-ray 4K or not in my Blu-ray player, my default language is set to English, I go in to the menu look at the audio options (mostly the default is right) them sit back and watch, the film plays in my default language and the forced subs show in my default language.
So my Blu-ray player talks to the disc so it knows what language to play and any forced subs when needed, what is the player asking that most ripping software isn't, surly ripping software should know to select the default language and the correct forced subs.
Or am I missing something.

[Woodstock]

In an ideal world, you could add "eng" to the selection rules, and get only the English audio/subtitle tracks. But, this is not a perfect world.

I have encountered disks where you can select English in the menu, but there are no tracks tagged as "English". The menu just selects a track number and has its own label assigned to it.

So I use a similar selection rule to yours, and have MakeMKV pull EVERYTHING. It's less frustration, in my opinion.

[Chetwood]

-sel:all,+sel:(deu|eng|nolang),-sel:(core),-10:(forced*(eng)),-15:(deu),-20:(forced*(deu))

pretty reliably gets me only English and German audio and subs.

[Kurmo]

Hello.

-sel:all,+sel:(deu|eng|nolang),-sel:(core),-10:(forced*(eng)),-15:(deu),-20:(forced*(deu))

Works fine, could someone please tell me how i disable the subs though?

[Woodstock]

"Disable" as in not selecting any, or as in telling the player to not display them by default?

In the profiles that come with MakeMKV, no flags are set for subtitles, so the player is free to do whatever it wants. You can use modified profiles to set certain flags, but... the player is STILL free to do whatever it wants.

[Kurmo]

Disable as in selecting none.

[Chetwood]

-sel:subtitle&(all)

or something?

[Kurmo]

Thanks a lot!

For everyone wanting just german and english with no subs:

-sel:all,+sel:(deu|eng|nolang),-sel:(core),-10:(forced*(eng)),-15:(deu),-20:(forced*(deu)),-sel:subtitle&(all)