Subtitles Made Easy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Subtitles to Your DVD

Can you get subtitles on DVDs or add subtitles to video? It is common to see a DVD movie without subtitles. For example, If you are watching a DVD, say John Huston’s 1056 Moby Dick, you will sometimes find no subtitles available. But why? See the potential reasons below and try to fix the problem with the methods introduced.

Part 1: Why Don' t Most American Movies Have Subtitles?

After surfing on Quora, I get the most comprehensive reasons to explain why most American movies don’t have subtitles and why Hollywood’s animated movies are not dubbed in Hindi? 

Possible reasons for movies without subtitles:

• Save money for filmmakers
• To present the film with the best video effect
• Think it not necessary to show the subtitles as local people can understand it
• Subtitles call for ease-to-read and people’ reading speed varies from one to another
• Make a film easily released in different countries and each one can add subtitles of their mother tongue to a movie

Do you agree with the analysis above? No matter what the exact reason is, the key point is to find a solution. How to deal with a situation like this? Just add subtitles to your DVD video and make it easy to watch a DVD movie for those who cannot catch up with the meaning of the words.

Part 2: Methods to Add Subtitles to DVD Videos with Ease

Add Subtitles to a DVD While Ripping DVD 

The easiest way to add subtitles to DVD while ripping it is DVDFab DVD Ripper. Now, follow me to learn how to add subtitles to MP4 or other formats of DVD videos with this DVD Ripper.

DVDFab DVD Ripper

DVDFab DVD Ripper allows you to rip and convert any DVD / ISO file / Folder to any video & audio format playable on any device, media player, or home theatre. It allows you to select a subtitle track from the original DVD or even add external subtitles to the ripped DVD. You can also customize the subtitle font, size, and color to your preference.

Step 1: Get DVDFab DVD Ripper launched on your computer

Step 2: Select ‘Ripper’ and add your DVD

You can add subtitles to a DVD disc, folder, or ISO file. Make sure there is an optical drive on your computer. If not, purchase one ahead. A Blu-ray optical drive can read both DVD and Blu-ray but is expensive. So, if you only want to add subtitles to DVD movie, a DVD optical drive is enough.

Step 3: Rip DVD to digital formats

Click the button of ‘Choose Other Profile’ to conver your DVD to MP4 or other digital formats. If you only want the subtitles output, click ‘Choose Other Porofile’ > ‘Subtitle’ > ‘SRT’. Then DVDFab will help you extract subtitles from DVD to SRT.

Step 4: Add external SRT subtitles to DVD video

Under the option of ‘Subtitle’, there is access ‘Add External Subtitle’ for you to add subtitles to the output file. If you want to get rid of subtitles, just hit the option of ‘None’.

After clicking ‘Add External Subtitle’, you will be asked to find your subtitle on your computer and upload it. Then the video editing window will pop up. There are also options for you to set the font, character sets, size, color, and style of the subtitles.

Step 5: Customize your video (optional)

There are two video editing tools available for you to customize the output video, including ‘Advanced Settings’ and ‘Video Edit’.

The functions of Advanced Settings:

• Video: Codec, Resolution, Encoding method, Video Quality, Bit Rate, Bits/Pixel, Frame Rate, Split, Deinterlacing, Preserve Chapters, Output Size
• Audio: Copy Audio, Codec, Channels, Volume, Sample Rate, Bit Rate
• Subtitle: Direct render to video, Remux into file, Extract to idx/sub file, Extract to srt file; VobSub Subtitle, SRT Subtitle

The functions of Video Edit:

• Adjust brightness, contrast, saturation
• Rotate, crop, trim, speed up/down, zoom in/out
• Preview video: Source vs Output

Step 6: Set the output destination and click the button of 'Start'

You can save the output videos with subtitles on Mobile Device, Folder, YouTube/Facebook/Vimeo based on your needs. Finally, click the 'Start' button and you will get what you want.

Add Subtitles to a DVD While Burning DVD

Burn videos to DVD and add subtitles with DVDFab DVD Creator. Creator is another module in DVDFab 12. Now, let’s learn how it works and how to use it.

DVDFab DVD Creator

DVDFab DVD Creator enables you to create a DVD disc, ISO image, or Folder from any video format, and create your own DVD menu using stylish templates and customizable options. You can import your video files and select the subtitle track that you want to use. You can also customize the subtitle font, size, and color to your preference.

Step 1: Get DVDFab DVD Creator download

You can use it directly if you have downloaded DVDFab DVD Ripper. If not, install this DVD burner now.

Step 2: Click ‘Creator’ module and choose ‘DVD Creator’ mode

As you see, you can add subtitles to video of DVD, Blu-ray and UHD with this freeware on both Windows and Mac. Then load your source video.

Step 3: Click the option of ‘Add External Subtitle’ to add the subtitles you download

Step 4: Click the option of ‘Menu Settings’ and apply a menu template to your DVD video

Step 5: Set the output equipment (DVD 5/9, Folder, ISO File) and start to burn videos to DVD with subtitles

Conclusion

How to add subtitles to a video facing a DVD without subtitles available? Download an external subtitle first and then add subtitles to DVD. In order to that, you can ask a free DVD ripping software for help. DVDFab DVD Ripper can add external subtitles and extract subtitles from DVD to SRT. In addition, you can DIY your own DVD videos and add subtitles to them with DVDFab DVD Creator.