Any way to use MCEBuddy to convert to h.264 .mp4 AND keep embedded subtitles?

Channels DVR Server TV Everywhere
#1

I'm just starting to use MCEBuddy. It does a nice job with automatically deleting most commercials and saving the file to a much smaller, yet very viewable h.264 .mp4 file. However, embedded subtitles (which were present in the .mpeg file) are gone after MCEBuddy conversion. I know that I can save subtitles separately, but I don't want that. Is there any setting I can use to save the subtitles in the .mp4 file? I know that subtitles save and remain embedded when I trim the .mpeg file in avidemux and save it as a .mp4 file, but it is 20 minutes or so of work to manually trim a 2 hour movie with avidemux.

Any suggestions are welcome.

#2

There is a setting to add Subtitles in mcebuddy. Look under expert setting in your task.

Screenshot 2020-11-17 194404

1 Like
#3

Thanks much.

#4

The subtitles are still not there in the recordings.

#5

Check your logs you should see this if it worked ... it is a good idea to always check the logs if something is not working. You can post a log and I can look at it.

Finished adding subtitles and chapters to file

You should also see this set to true ..

Embed Subtitles -> True
Embed Chapters -> True

#6

Where can I find those settings? I'm not seeing them.

#7

The picture I posted above make sure on your task that they are checked.

this is the way it looks in the log .

Embed Subtitles -> True
Embed Chapters -> True

2020-11-19
2020-11-19614×957 41.6 KB

#8

I think it depends upon which type of "subtitles" you are referring to. From the posted screenshots, it looks like MCEBuddy is referring to subtitles in a separate stream. Those are different from closed captions, which are the "subtitles" used in broadcast streams in North America.

Closed captions are actually embedded in the video stream, and are different from subtitles that you may be familiar with from DVDs or ripped movies in your personal collection.

1 Like
#9

MCEBUDDY extracts the Closed Captions as a SRT then inserts them .. maybe the poster does not have to extract subtitles checked.

2020-11-19 (1)
2020-11-19 (1)615×1020 49.4 KB
2020-11-19
2020-11-19614×957 41.6 KB

#10

I've amended my settings to add subtitles, add chapters and extract closed captions as SRT files. I'm running MCEBuddy right now and will report on the results. I checked my logs, and had Embed Chapters -> False. I had already enabled add subtitles and extract closed captions as SRT files.

1 Like
#11

Although my i5 8250 8 gb Windows 10 Channels computer has Intel UHD 620 graphics, I've not selected "use hardware acceleration" as I read that it wasn't advised per Closed Captions with Hardware Transcoding

If I can't access closed captions in the MCEBuddy conversion that is running now (no hardware acceleration) I will try it with hardware acceleration and see if there is a difference.

#12

Okay, with the following settings, I'm getting embedded subtitles:

add subtitles, add chapters and extract closed captions as SRT file

I also have hardware acceleration turned off. I've learned that using avidemux on an MCEBuddy created .mp4 files wrecks the embedded subtitles. Which is a shame, as MCEBuddy's implementation of comskip is good, but still misses a lot of those TV Ratings warnings screens. I made a few cuts of those screens I found in my MCEBuddy created .mp4 file using avidemux, resaved the file as .mp4, and lost embedded subtitles.

The strange thing is, for TCM movies for instance, where I don't use MCEBuddy, I can use avidemux to lop off the beginning and end of TCM Channels .mpeg recordings, save it to an .mp4 file, and the subtitles are still embedded in the .mp4 file. There is something in MCEBuddy's .mp4 remuxing that does not like being altered in avidemux.

#13

Why not just use the Channels Commercial built in edit to fix the commercials before processing through mcebuddy. Mcebuddy will use the EDL created by Channels DVR. Why Bring avidemux into the fray ?

MCEBUDDY also has "MCEBuddy Custom Cuts" app when you install mcebuddy so you can cut certain parts,

#14

Is there a specific reason you're using MP4 containers instead of Matroska (MKV)? MP4 containers can only contain a limited selection of codecs, and SRT subtitles is not one of them.

Matroska is a far superior container, and every codec that MP4 can hold, so can Matroska, plus many others (like SRT).

1 Like
#15

I do, but I haven't figured out how to get editing "fine grained" enough in Channels. In avidemux, I can go to an ad I need to cut, advance to right where the frame goes to black prior to the ad, mark it A, then advance to the next I-frame after the ad, and mark it as B. I can do that with all of the ratings warnings also. Channels editing seems to miss a lot of the ratings frames, and still misses some ads.

#16

I use .mp4 because I want the movies to play on everything. I use Playon, Plex, Jellyfin, Windows Movie & TV, FireTV tablets, iPads and iPhones to play movies. I know that .mp4 files (without an MKV container) play on all those devices without transcoding for the most part (I have mostly 720 HD files). My HD Movies folder contains only movies I have recorded (no usenet downloads). I also have about 4.5TB of SD movies I recorded from my Dish Hopper receiver using a Monsoon Vulkano, which records to .mp4. I've never not been able to play a file. Most of my SD movies are from TCM, and were recorded with subtitles. Those subtitles are part of the original recording and are images. I like subtitles, as my hearing stinks. I may try .mkv containers on a few movies to see how my devices work with them. I don't want to start recording movies to subfolders, though. All I want in my movies directory are movies and .nfo files.