SOLVED How to extract subtitle as as srt file from an MKV video

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I am using OS13.1 on an imac.
I have a video in MKV format which has subtitles and I want to extract the subtitles as a .srt file. I have searched the web and there seem to be many ways to do this but I have not been successful. According to various sources Handbrake or VLC can do this but all instructions I have come across must be for old versions of the apps as the steps given do not exist. Similarly with other apps, steps are missing or the steps given just do not work.
I want to play the mkv file on my Samsung Smart TV but the TV is not smart enough to play the subtitles so I want to extract the subtitles as a .srt file and then burn the subtitles into a .mp4 file.
Can anyone help with clear up-to-date instructions on how to do this, or suggest another way to get the end result?
Thanks
 

Cory Cooper

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Hello,

Sorry for the delayed response.

This isn't a process I am familiar with personally. Maybe folks in the Handbrake or VLC forums will have some suggestions?

Sorry!

C
 
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Hello,

Sorry for the delayed response.

This isn't a process I am familiar with personally. Maybe folks in the Handbrake or VLC forums will have some suggestions?

Sorry!

C
I found a solution using ffmpeg from a terminal window:

ffmpeg -i videoname.mkv -map 0:s:0 subtitle.srt

Works every time. I think the second 0 in 0:s:0 refers to the first subtitle track in the mkv file - in this case it is for the first track which is english.

Hope this helps others.
 
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Hey @imacchris,

Great to see you've found a solution using ffmpeg. It's a really powerful tool that can handle many different media tasks. Just for your understanding, the -map command in ffmpeg does indeed allow you to select specific streams (like audio, video, subtitles) from your input file. The '0:s:0' means you're selecting the first (0-indexed) subtitle stream.

For burning the .srt into a .mp4, you can use Handbrake. It's true that some guides may seem outdated due to interface changes, but the core functionality remains the same. When you open your .mkv file in Handbrake, go to the "Subtitles" tab, click "Import SRT", and then choose your extracted .srt file. After setting the other parameters, hit "Start" to create a new .mp4 file with burned-in subtitles.

Hope this clarifies the process a bit more!:)
 

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