[MPlayer-users] Mencoder splitting subtitle file (and chapter chaching before encoding)

[Dimitrios Stasinopoulos]

Hello_mplayer_developers()

You've done a great job with mplayer and mencoder. I specifically
like the fact that mplayer and mencoder can handle files that
have broken headers and are generally problematic. This is sign
of good quality, error checking code. Well done again.

Anyway, enough with the complements :o)
I have a smal request to make. I use mencoder to encode vob's to
.avi's. It works great, but here's the problem: To view subtitles
, I download subtitle files for any given movie from sites such as
DivxStation. 99% percent of the time, these are 1-file subtitles.
By encoding with mencoder, I usually end up with 4-8 avi's, which
I then burn on CD's. This has the disadvantage that the subtitle
file is now only useful for the the first of the avi's; I have to
manually find all avi boundaries (frames or seconds, depending on
the subtitle format), and then create multiple subtitle files, one
for every avi. This is tiresome, at least since it could be done
automagically (hint hint). What I'm asking here is for mencoder to
have extra parameters such as:
--auto-subs : Automagically create the part subtitle file that
		works with the given output avi.
--with-subfile : Use the given subtitle file (full movie subtitles)
--subfile-name : Create part subtitle file

For example:
mencoder -v -ovc divx4 -divx4opts br=1800 -oac mp3lame -lameopts br=128
:cbr -o /v2.avi /vts2.vob --auto-subs --with-subfile /allsubs.sub
--subfile-name /subpart2.sub

will encode the given vob (vts2.vob) to v2.avi, and at the same time
take all the subtitles necessary just for vts2.vob, and place them
in subpart2.sub.

So, when I want to watch the v2.avi with subtitles, I can use:
mplayer -sub /subpart2.sub /v2.avi

And, behold the magic, I'm now seeing v2.avi with the corresponding
subtitles :o) Now this, would be really useful!

(In the future, it would be nice if mencoder could grab the subtitles
from the DVD and place them in a subtitle file)

By the way, any chance of mencoder temporarily copying the decrypted
chapter to disk before encoding, so that the DVD player won't have
to keep spinning while encoding a chapter? This will avoid a LOT of wear
and tear on the DVD mechanism.... (I am refering to this: mencoder -dvd 1
-chapter 1-1 [...])

That's all folks! (Thanks for listening)

Jim