Unable to disable subtitles in Windows Media Player

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

Hi folks,

I rented Shutter Island last night and was unable to disable the subtitles in Windows Media Player. Is this something to do with regional playback protection? Does anybody have a workaround to fix this issue?

Thanks in advance.

hat · Aug 9, 2010

Try reinstalling your codec.

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

hat said:
Try reinstalling your codec.

I have no additional codecs installed: I only use WMP for DVD's and KMPlayer for everything else, and up to this point I have experienced no problems. I assume that I could tell KMPlayer to used the Windows DVD codecs, but if there is a way to fix this issue within WMP, I would prefer that and I would prefer not to install any third-party codecs.

I should add that when I watch the film in Spanish, no subtitles are displayed, it is only when I change the language to English that I am unable to deactivate subtitles.

twilyth · Aug 9, 2010

I don't know what the laws are where you are, but a dvd ripper (like AnyDVD by Slysoft) should remove any region restrictions. That would technically be illegal in the US so I'm not advising you do this, it's just FYI.

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

twilyth said:
I don't know what the laws are where you are, but a dvd ripper (like AnyDVD by Slysoft) should remove any region restrictions. That would technically be illegal in the US so I'm not advising you do this, it's just FYI.

I'm in Spain, so there is no problem there. However, I'm trying to avoid installing any additional third-party software or codecs and I'm hoping that there is a way to configure Windows Media Player. It is ridiculous that I am unable to play an original DVD without subtitles in the latest version of Microsoft's Media Player.

naoan · Aug 9, 2010

sorry if this sound stupid but have you disabled subtitle inside the dvd menu?

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

naoan said:
sorry if this sound stupid but have you disabled subtitle inside the dvd menu?

No offence taken: yes I have tried to disable, the subtitles simply remain.

W1zzard · Aug 9, 2010

maybe the subtitles are part of the movie ? are they rendered at desktop resolution or at movie resolution?

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

W1zzard said:
maybe the subtitles are part of the movie ? are they rendered at desktop resolution or at movie resolution?

Are you saying that on the DVD released for the Spanish market they are forcing users to display subtitles when English is chosen as the language? I hope that is not the case.

The subtitles are poorly rendered, it looks like the font is oversized.

Tatty_Two · Aug 9, 2010

Is there not an icon on the taskbar that you can right click to disable subtitles? I assume you have also tried "Ctrl > Shift > C"

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

Tatty_One said:
Is there not an icon on the taskbar that you can right click to disable subtitles? I assume you have also tried "Ctrl > Shift > C"

I'll try the icon later on, yes, I tried Ctrl + Shift + C.

WhiteLotus · Aug 9, 2010

Yea sounds like the subs are part of the movie. Shame, good film.

slyfox2151 · Aug 9, 2010

if u want to be certain if the subtitles can be disabled...

download and install VLC, run the dvd and start the movie. then click "Video", Subtitles and then hit disable... if there still there then they are HARD CODED into the movie and cannot easily be removed. (removing them is difficalt and will resualt in blurry patches where they used to be in the movie.)

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

W1zzard said:
maybe the subtitles are part of the movie ? are they rendered at desktop resolution or at movie resolution?

WhiteLotus said:
Yea sounds like the subs are part of the movie. Shame, good film.

slyfox2151 said:
if u want to be certain if the subtitles can be disabled...

download and install VLC, run the dvd and start the movie. then click "Video", Subtitles and then hit disable... if there still there then they are HARD CODED into the movie and cannot easily be removed. (removing them is difficalt and will resualt in blurry patches where they used to be in the movie.)

I downloaded VLC and the issue repeats: no subtitles in Spanish, but some genius has embedded the subtitles when the original English version is selected.

It was a very good film WhiteLotus, and undoubtedly better without those damn subtitles, but the entire plot seems to be taken directly from The Ninth Configuration.

Thanks for helping me get to the bottom of this.

twilyth · Aug 9, 2010

Mr McC said:
I downloaded VLC and the issue repeats: no subtitles in Spanish, but some genius has embedded the subtitles when the original English version is selected.

It was a very good film WhiteLotus, and undoubtedly better without those damn subtitles, but the entire plot seems to be taken directly from The Ninth Configuration.

Thanks for helping me get to the bottom of this.

I don't understand. How can they be hardcoded if they don't always show up? I thought hard-coded in this context meant that the subtitles are actually a part of each frame of the movie as opposed to merely being overlaid during playback.

Mr McC · Aug 9, 2010

twilyth said:
I don't understand. How can they be hardcoded if they don't always show up? I thought hard-coded in this context meant that the subtitles are actually a part of each frame of the movie as opposed to merely being overlaid during playback.

I have no idea either: in Spanish, no subtitles appear, change to English and the subtitles are always on and given that I have tried to deactivate them in 3 different media players, the logical conclusion is that a certain Einstein decided that Spanish audiences simply shouldn't be given the choice of viewing in English without subtitles.

TechPowerDown · Aug 10, 2010

Mr McC said:
I have no idea either: in Spanish, no subtitles appear, change to English and the subtitles are always on and given that I have tried to deactivate them in 3 different media players, the logical conclusion is that a certain Einstein decided that Spanish audiences simply shouldn't be given the choice of viewing in English without subtitles.

It sounds like the moron who did that is racist :banghead:

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Unable to disable subtitles in Windows Media Player

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