Converting Blu-Ray PGS Captions (MKV) to Normal Subtitles/Captions for MP4 Players on MacOS

Title: Converting Blu-Ray PGSCaptions (MKV) to Normal Subtitles/Captions for MP4 Players on MacOS

Introduction: In this article, we will guide you through the process of converting Blu-Ray PGSCaptions from MKV files to normal subtitles/captions for MP4 players on MacOS. This process is essential for storing media on Plex Media Server (running on Synology DS418play NAS). We will also transcode the MP4 files for better playback.

Prerequisites:

• MacOS
• HandBrake (a free and open-source transcoding tool)
• MKVToolNix (a collection of tools for Matroska)

Step 1: Extract Subtitles from MKV Files

1. Open Terminal.
2. Navigate to the directory containing your MKV files using the cd command.
3. Install MKVToolNix using Homebrew:

   brew install mkvtoolnix
   

4. Extract subtitles from the MKV files using the following command:

   mkvmerge -o subtitle.srt --track-force 100 --lang en --write-psubtitle --write-embedded-subs --no-language-mapping --no-default-track --no-chapters --no-menu --no-metadata --no-info --no-title your_movie.mkv
   

   Replace your_movie.mkv with the name of your MKV file.

Step 2: Convert MKV to MP4

1. Open HandBrake.
2. Click "File" > "Open Source" and select your MKV file.
3. Click "Output Settings" > "Format" and select "MP4 File" from the Video tab.
4. Click "Subtitles" and check the box for "Embedded Subtitles".
5. Click "Save As" and choose a location to save the converted MP4 file.
6. Click "Start" to begin the conversion process.

Step 3: Play the Converted MP4 File

1. Open your preferred MP4 player (e.g., VLC, QuickTime).
2. Open the converted MP4 file.
3. Verify that the subtitles are correctly displayed.

Conclusion: By following the steps outlined in this article, you can convert Blu-Ray PGSCaptions from MKV files to normal subtitles/captions for MP4 players on MacOS. This process is crucial for storing media on Plex Media Server running on Synology DS418play NAS.

References:

• HandBrake: https://handbrake.fr/
• MKVToolNix: https://www.bunkus.org/videotools/mkvtoolnix/
• Plex Media Server: https://www.plex.tv/
• Synology DS418play: https://www.synology.com/en-us/products/DS418play