How to Add Subtitles to DVD to Improve Viewing Experience

Adding subtitles to a DVD can make a huge difference in understanding the content, especially for foreign films or movies with hard-to-understand audio. Subtitles can also help those with hearing impairments enjoy movies fully. In this article, we will guide you on how to add subtitles to DVDs in different ways: before burning the DVD, while it is playing, or after digitizing it. Let us proceed further!

Part 1. How to Add Subtitles to DVD Before Burning DVD

Subtitle formats like SRT, ASS, and SSA are commonly used for adding subtitles to DVDs. Did you know that Tipard DVD Creator supports all of these formats? That makes adding subtitles to your DVD easy and hassle-free. This DVD creator works with various video formats, such as MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, WMV, and more. It also supports DVD formats like DVD-5, DVD-9 and various disc types like DVD-R, DVD+R, and DVD-RW.

In addition, it offers options to add a template, change background music, add an opening film, and edit text buttons. On top of that, you will get excellent DVD quality, making it easy to enjoy them at home or share with friends or family. Learn how to add subtitles to a DVD before burning using it below!

Step 1 First, download and install Tipard DVD Creator on your computer. Once installed, run the program and insert a blank DVD into your computer's drive.

Step 2 Click the Add Media File(s) button and select the video file you like to burn with subtitles.

Step 3 Click the No Subtitle drop-down menu in the right corner of your imported video file. Then, select the Add & Edit Subtitle option.

Step 4 A new display will appear on your screen. Click the + Add Subtitle button to add your subtitle file. You can import UTF, SRT, SMI, RT, TXT, SSA, etc., subtitle-supported files.

Also, you can customize your subtitle's position, transparency, and delay by dragging their corresponding pointers to the line bar. Once settled, click the Apply button to save the changes.

Step 5 Hit the Next button. In the newly opened window, you can personalize your DVD by adding a template, background music, etc, before burning your DVD with subtitles. Once done, click the Burn button to finish the process.

Part 2. 2 Ways to Add Subtitles to DVD When You Play It

1. Tipard Blu-ray Player

A simple yet powerful program that allows you to add subtitles to DVDs while watching them is Tipard Blu-ray Player. It supports adding subtitle files like SRT, ASS, or SSA, which you can easily load as your content plays.

This player supports various DVD formats, including DVDs, folders, and ISO files. It ensures smooth playback with high-quality visuals and lets you enjoy your favorite content easily. Another thing is that you can use playback controls like pause, play, rewind, and fast-forward to enjoy every scene at your own pace.

Step 1 Download and Install Tipard Blu-ray Player from the official website. Once it is installed, proceed to open it.

Step 2 Insert your DVD into the disc drive. Once the disc loads, click Open Disc to start playing the content.

Step 3 While your content plays, click the Video option on the upper left corner of the screen. From the drop-down, select Subtitle Track, and then Add Subtitle. It will open your local file; you can add subtitle files in SRT, SUP, and SSA formats.

Step 4 Once added, the subtitles will appear on the screen as the movie plays. You can pause and fine-tune settings if needed.

2. VLC

VLC Media Player is a popular program known for its ability to play various media formats on different operating systems. The question is, is it possible to add subtitles to DVD with VLC? Yes! VLC also enables you to incorporate external subtitles while watching movies. It supports a broad range of subtitle formats, such as SRT and ASS. However, it has limitations when playing DVDs with copy protection. It may only sometimes work with certain discs.

Step 1 Open VLC Media Player.

Step 2 Click Media in the top menu, then choose Open Disc… or press Ctrl + D on your keyboard. A new display will appear on your screen; choose your DVD content and the subtitles.

Step 3 Once ready, click Play, and VLC will start playing your content.

Step 4 To incorporate a subtitle, click Subtitle at the top menu. Then, select Add Subtitle File and look for the subtitle file you want to use. Once loaded, the subtitles will appear while your content plays.

Part 3. 2 Ways to Add Subtitles to a DVD After You Digitalize It

1. Tipard DVD Ripper

Once you digitize a DVD, it commonly turns into a video file like an MP4 or an ISO file. If you like to add subtitles to your DVD ISO or digitized DVD, Tipard DVD Ripper is an excellent program to help with that. It supports many subtitle formats, including SRT, ASS, CDG, and IDX, and even lets you edit these subtitles for a more personalized experience. With its fast ripping speed, up to 30 times faster, you can enjoy your digitized DVD with subtitles in no time.

Step 1 Feel free to download and install Tipard DVD Ripper on your Mac or Windows computer.

Step 2 Open Tipard DVD Ripper. Head to the Load DVD drop-down menu and select Load DVD ISO.

Step 3 Put a bullet beside the Main Title to show only the primary video or Full Title List if you want to list all the video tracks available. Once decided, click the OK button.

Step 4 To do your task, click the option that says Subtitle Disabled. Click the drop-down menu and select the + Add Subtitle option. You can add subtitle files, such as SRT, SSA, ASS, CDG, etc. Once added, a display will appear, allowing you to edit the subtitle now or later.

Step 5 For the final step, hit the Rip All button. After that, check it in the destination folder and watch your content with subtitles.

2. HandBrake

HandBrake is a well-known free and open-source video transcoder. It enables you to incorporate external subtitle files into your digitized DVD files. It allows you to add soft-coded and hard-coded subtitles and open captions. You can use formats like SRT, ASS, and others. Plus, it is easy to use and supports many video formats like MP4, MKV, and more.

Step 1 Start HandBrake and select the video file to which you want to add subtitles.

Step 2 Click the Subtitles tab. You can choose an existing subtitle track or add an external file. To add a subtitle, click Import Subtitle and select your subtitle file in .srt, .ass, or .ssa format.

Step 3 Hit Browse to choose where to save the file and give it a name.

Step 4 Finally, click Start Encode to begin. HandBrake will add the subtitles to the video. Once done, you will have a new video file with the subtitles added, either as soft subtitles or hardcoded subtitles.