The VideoLAN Forums

I cannot find the solution to a built-in or embedded DVD subtitle problem.

Many DVDs by default, have selective subtitles which are displayed on the screen when the main subtitle tracks are disabled. VLC will not display these selective subtitles whereas a DVD player or Power DVD or WMP will.

For example, an English language DVD with occasional non-English parts when played through Power DVD by default will display subtitles for the non English parts ONLY. The same DVD when played with VLC will not display these subtitles at all so you must enable the entire English subtitle track through the whole movie just to view the non English only parts.

Does anyone know how this works? How can I configure VLC to selectively display non-English subtitles only?

SECOND!

I have joined the forum just now, just to support this query.
This same issue has bothered me as well, except I personally encounter it when viewing .avi files with VLC.
(I use a different prog for viewing dvds, so I was unaware it was an issue with dvds as well.)

Downloading an English-language .srt file clearly is not a solution, as then the entire movie displays subs.

Selective Subtitles? BRILLIANT! Elementary, even!
So... We can has?

I (we?) eagerly await some expert responses!

Normally, DVDnav will automatically select the correct subtitle track. But since the DVD virtual machine is confidential and was reverse engineered, there are sometimes errors. You just need to select the right subtitle track manually from the VLC video menu. In that case, there are typically two tracks in the same language, one with full subtitles for use with the original audio track, and one with minimal substitles for use with the dubbed audio track.

I have selected each subtitle track manually but every single subtitle track displays complete subtitles, not just the selective ones.

I have experienced this quite often with English films that are set in foreign countries but the DVD that made me post is District 9
I just want to be able to understand the aliens without having to read subs for the humans.

...Power DVD has poor keyboard control and out of principle I refuse to use Windows Media Player lol

Hi,

Did anyone ever figure this out? I just watched Salt and didn't have a clue what was said in Russian.