[MEncoder-users] How to add subtitles to a video?

[James Hastings-Trew]

Peter wrote:
> Kasper Bonne wrote:
>
>> If you have the .srt file just add -sub subname.srt to your mencoder
>> command line. You can adjust the font with -subfont-text-scale and the
>> position with -subpos.
>>
>
> I can see three different kinds of subtitles:
>
> Type 1: found on the Internet, a file with ascii text and timestamps, 
> contained in an additional file with a .srt extension
>
> Type 2: found on DVD's: streams of text shapes in raster graphics, 
> interleaved with the video, so that the player can select the stream 
> (language) of choice and have it overlaid over the video
>
> Type 3: the subtitles are hard coded on top of the video, producing 
> one simple file with just one video stream, so that the subtitle 
> cannot be turned off - the subtitles become part of the video permanently
>
> The thing is, the OP wants to turn Type 1 into Type 2, but I have a 
> feeling that mencoder turns Type 1 into Type 3. Am I right, or not? If 
> I'm wrong, where is the option to create multiple language streams 
> from multiple .srt files?
>
Mencoder can turn Type 1 and Type 2 into Type 3. That's about it. If you 
want to bundle multiple subtitles of "type 1" then use a container 
format like MKV and use the MKV tools to include the .srt or .sub files 
with the audio and video streams. If you want to turn Type 2 into Type 
1, then you need a program like SupRip ( http://exar.ch/suprip/ ). If 
you want to turn Type 1 into Type 2 (to make your own DVD out of files 
you found on the internet) then you need a decent DVD authoring tool, 
like DVD Lab Pro.