mkv files does not autoload external subtitles

[nomercy]

mkv files does not autoload external subtitles...

does anyone know something to make it happen?

version is 1.0 btw...

thanx

[ziggybo]

*bump*

EDIT: I should point out that I'm using Mac OS X - I thought this thread was in the OS X troubleshooting section when I first posted this.

I'm having issues with subtitles in .mkv files too. I downloaded an .mkv file, and the only other files that came with it are an .md5 file and an .nfo file. When I play the .mkv file in VLC 1.0.1 (and 1.0 as well), the Subtitles Track window shows an English track. However, no subtitles show up when I select it.

I downloaded an English .srt file for the video from Open Subtitles, renamed the file to match the .mkv video title, and after loading the file from Subtitles Track, the new subtitle file shows up as Track 2, but doesn't specify the language. No subtitles show up when this is selected.

I've asked for help from one other forum, but no help has come up. I've seen people suggesting to use video conversion software in order to merge the new .srt file to the .mkv file, but those look like Windows-only solutions.

Can anyone help me with this? I've tried subtitles with the "Enable OSD" option selected and de-selected from the Preferences window, but that doesn't make a difference. Seemed like a long shot, but I'm trying anything to make this work. Any help is appreciated.

[nomercy]

well, I was having a very similar problem (maybe the same)

so I discovered that currently there is no way of prioritize an external subtitle over mkv's internal subtitle so I had to manually remove pre-existed subtitles from god knows how many mkv files so it loads the external subtitle files as default action...

PS: I'm also currently using Mac OS X right now and it loads ext. subtitle along with the mkv files as it should (as long as there is not any internal subtitle track in the mkv). so in your case there would be an empty subtitle track in your mkv file maybe?

[ziggybo]

Thanks for your feedback. I would suspect my .mkv file has an empty subtitle track inside. However, the .srt file that I downloaded from Open Subtitles has content - I opened the file with TextEdit and I can read all the subtitles in English, with timeframes that show when the text should appear in the file. Not sure why that wouldn't work in VLC...

How did you remove the pre-existing subtitles from the .mkv files? How did you get the external subtitles to work?

[nomercy]

Thanks for your feedback. I would suspect my .mkv file has an empty subtitle track inside. However, the .srt file that I downloaded from Open Subtitles has content - I opened the file with TextEdit and I can read all the subtitles in English, with timeframes that show when the text should appear in the file. Not sure why that wouldn't work in VLC...

How did you remove the pre-existing subtitles from the .mkv files? How did you get the external subtitles to work?

First of all I should say that my ext. subtitles were working fine as long as I manually select them. my problem was that it just wasn't auto loading the same named external subtitle file...
so since I don't know your exp. level on this subject I'm gonna assume that you don't have any exp. and start with very basics;
there is an "open file" command in the video->subtitles menu and that is the way of showing ext. subtitles manually..
did you try and success that way?
if you still can not see the subtitles you choose then it is most certainly your ext. subtitle file is the problem (even it looks right there might still be errors in the file that prevents vlc to interpret the file structure)
and if your problem is actually that you cannot autoload the ext. subtitle file as default action (just like me), then you should follow my steps and try removing internal subtitle tracks of mkv file(s) you have. in order to do this you will need some tools such as "avi mux gui" or "TS muxer" which I used in windows but I don't know if there is any equivalent for mac environment. and the process does not involve any encoding so its fairly easy and quick...
Although I don't seem to need to remove int. subtitle tracks any more ever since I switched to mac environment. the default action is to load ext. subtitle file here...

[ziggybo]

I did try the "open file" command to access my downloaded - or external - subtitle file. After I do that, the file will show up as "Track 2," with no mention of what language it's in. After selecting that track, the subtitles still won't show up.

So, if it's a bad subtitle file, do you have any recommendations for sites that I can download correct (and working) subtitles? I tried Open Subtitle because the database seemed huge, but I don't know if that's the best place to go. I'm open for suggestions.

[nomercy]

you can not see the lang. of ext. subtitle files, there is no way of determining the lang. of loaded file with the most popular subtitle formats of the (as far as know)

and about the subtitle sites, there are plenty of them I personally use a site mostly based on my local lang.(TR) so probably its no good for you...
just dont forget to check if the rel. and the fps of movie/subtitle you download matches...

[ziggybo]

Just tried downloading several other subtitle files for this video and renaming them - none work. Not sure what else to do besides download another video file that shows subtitle files with the torrent.