catch to getting subtitles working or CC?

[Andrewh]

I found the check box in misc settings and turned that on.
Made sure that cc1 was on for my tv, but still don't get cc.
Is there some other setting or file that needs to be tweaked.
Logs say CC enabled.

[sub]

There is no real support for north amercian CC.

That setting would allow Closed Captions to be shown in very limit set of configurations, VMR9 + Intervideo Decoder + Hauppauge PVR150/250/350. Other setups wouldnt work.

[Andrewh]

Ah, thanks. I will stop trying to figure out what I did wrong.

[TonyXL]

You can use mpg2srt or ccextractor to read the captions from the video file and write them to an srt text file. You can enable SRT captions in the config tool, and then use Ctrl-Y when viewing a recording to turn them on. Also look into srtmod if you have issues with the captions getting out of sync.

[Andrewh]

sorry. missed your reply.
Thanks for the info.
So the captions are still being recorded just not displayed?
I will look up the programs you mention.
Thanks again.

[mikiem]

If it helps, Andrewh, if you're using an analog capture device to record cable, sat etc., then depending on your device, you may or may not be able to view or record CC no matter what software you use. If you're viewing QAM (usually from cable) or OTA ATSC (from a digital ant), then there are 2 CC sources - 1 ATSC & 1 that's NTSC broadcast std. You may or may not be able to view either, again depending on your hardware & regardless software used, but if you record the stream without re-encoding it [basically just saving it to disk], you can strip out the CC from a recorded file. IOW, Files saved or recorded from these digital streams, from OTA ATSC & QAM, are the only ones that always have embedded CC - analog depends on if your hardware adds it to the (usually mpg2) file during encoding [embedding CC in formats other than mpg2 is iffy &/or not always possible].

That said, stripping the CC from a captured analog stream varies depending on hardware & software used for capture. Recorded (saved) digital streams should pretty much be all the same for cable using mpg2 - not so sure about sat or IPTV. You'll want to look at SCCTools, &/or ccextractor, & quite possibly graphedt or graphstudio. From there your path depends on your final format.

A couple of DVD authoring programs [DVD Lab Pro & Adobe Encore are 2] will let you re-embed your CC in the format DVDs use [there's no 100% std way to embed CC], for any stb player capable of passing CC thru, or any DVD player software capable of displaying CC. Your extracted CC file can be converted to show up as subs in DivX, WMV, Real formats and so on - overlaid on your video permanently (shows everywhere) - or be converted to a DVD sub format & included in a DVD structure (on hdd or DVD disc), but you have to use DVD authoring software that supports adding subs. I should also note that not every player will display subs with DivX, Wmv, Real etc...

Check out the software tools at Videohelp.com for a pretty fair selection, & good luck.

[rob11252]

http://gbpvr.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FAQ/General#toc14

[Andrewh]

Thanks for the links and info.
I am using 2 of the 2250 cards on a xp sp3 machine. Just recording analog tv.
I set it up based on the instructions, but still do not get cc.

[zehd]

There is a tweak for hauppauge cards (150/250/350/500) and more? that will open the card up to record the embeded CC data. THen later a filter that will display CC data.

the tweak is at Cask of Amontadillo (sp?) and I'm sorry I can't remember what codec/filter I used, but I know that GB-PVR can display NA CC data...

[mikiem]

Took a look at the wiki from the link posted, & wanted to post my experience in case it’s useful to anyone, so FWIW & all... [Don’t know if anyone would want to verify &/or mod the wiki or not.]

I found the wiki inaccurate saying: “MPEG-2 playback: ATI MPEG Video Decoder.” That does not appear always necessary. Also, RE: conversion to srt: “It is garbled on certain channels and/or timing might be off.”... That’s most likely the case of using the wrong software &/or settings for that particular recording to produce the srt (a common format for subtitle text files). Sadly there is no one fits all solution. Nor is an un-edited conversion ideal in many cases - most need at least a quick touch-up in Subtitle Workshop. Finally, if you decide to go the srt sub route, it applies equally to any recording containing CC - not just digital broadcasts but analog captures as well... if your hardware captures CC, you can make srt subs.

That said, before I get too involved here, I wanted to mention external tuners, like those available here in the US. Even if you need CC or subs like I do, they can still be a big PITA to work with. Many of these external tuners not only pass the old style CC data in the blanking intervals of the signal, but they decode the new style & show them overlaid on the video. Using these tuners, sending the signal to your PC, you not only view the captioning but you record it as part of the picture. Sure your recordings will always have Captions, but I can’t see that mattering a whole lot *if* you need them anyway.
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To start with, in the US DVB - OTA [Over The Air] & at least many QAM [basically the same or a similar stream delivered via cable] broadcasts are commonly mpg2 & have 2 CC streams embedded: 1 old style NTSC & 1 new style ATSC. To my knowledge the only decoders & commonly available software tools are for the old style NTSC, but this will change. Various hardware can also store CC data, again embedding it in the headers.

From CC to Subtitles:
Bear in mind that since CC is embedded in the mpg2 stream in header storage areas, anything that re-writes those headers - like re-encoding or some methods of altering/converting files - drops the CC data. For that reason, if you do any repair or mods to the recorded stream, you want to preserve the original files until you have your CC data, or have made sure it’s good in the new files. Also, there’s no one method or header location for CC storage - the software needed to access the CC data can & will vary.

SCCTools is often invaluable, & includes a program called General Parser, used to create a separate file with the CC. Based on SCCTools, CCExtractor now comes with a GUI - you’ll have to experiment with settings. You can also assemble a graph in Graphedt & the newer GraphStudio to dump the CC to a separate file - again often you’ll have to experiment with the filters you need / use. Which program you use, settings, &/or filters assembling a graph, all depends on how well they work with your source - sometimes individual captions might be garbled or missing, and/or you might find the overall timing faster or slower than the matching video... just have to try all 3 at different settings until you get good results, & of course do it that way the next time you have a file from the same source.

General Parser gives you 2 choices (programs) you can use on de-muxed mpg2 files, I’ve used it in XP or Vista, & often had different results. CCExtractor works differently in XP & Vista - I’ve had it work correctly in one & not the other, or vice versa - and with or without the GUI you have several different settings or configuration choices... it basically just writes out the command line, which can be copied & used for automation as in the wiki. Graphedit & GraphStudio are the hardest, simply because the components you can attempt to use are so many. You’ll need to Google and find a dump filter to create a file with your CC, which then will be converted using the CLI SCCTools. Graphstudio may give you a head start since you can ask it to render a file, then simply delete what you don’t need & dump the results. The hidden Gotcha to using a manual graph however is the timing... You may or may not have to add additional filters, & may even have display the CC on a playback window as the file plays... AFAIK it depends on the internal file structure.

Videohelp.com has a fair selection of software tools, including the very useful Subtitle Workshop [you might want to use the older version vs. the latest Betas], which helps transform your CC into well formed / timed subs.

Viewing CC:
I suspect you might get CC viewing working on analog captures if your hardware stores the CC data in the file, playing back the already captured or recorded video as outlined in the wiki... that would be the only reason I can think of that you might use the ATI MPEG Decoder. If capture hardware uses their own method of CC storage, then only their Direct Show filters will access it. For me at least the ATI decoder was unnecessary.

ATI graphics cards in general, using the latest drivers and Avivo [currently 8.10], can be a bit problematic with any video software, including GB-PVR. In a nutshell, you’ve got hardware acceleration (with a separate chip on low - mid range cards) that kicks in or not, at various levels, and interacts heavily with Cyberlink Video software. The variables depend on your set-up & hardware, including not just which card you’ve got, but maybe even the brand/model. And this is all largely undocumented territory, where you have to rely on forums at sites like AVS & the Green Button for info and, well, experiment.

Using my HIS 2600 Pro, the ATI decoder was disastrous, displaying CC, but playback was in a nice, smooth, *sloooow* motion, with GPU usage in the 20's [I’m on pain pills for an injury & watching it was a real blast]. Using the decoder for Power DVD 7, things were pretty much flawless, but GPU usage was all the way up to the high 90's... not something I’d recommend in an HTPC case if it didn’t have good airflow & cooling.

Again... In general, anything regarding CC &/or subs is going to be a PITA, but then so is needing CC &/or subs. ;?P