Just bought a new Sony flatscreen, which I'm loving, but I've found that when I load foreign-language films (in various formats--avi, mp4, mkv) directly from my hard drive the TV won't read .srt subtitle files. What I get instead is either nothing or an assortment of small squares filled with question marks where the subtitles would be. I've tried changing the encoding from UTF-16 to UTF-8 and had no luck. From Googling this problem I have the impression that it's a flaw in Sony's software. On various forums people suggest one of two fixes: 1) either connect my Mac to the TV via HDMI and mirror the film and its subtitles, or 2) hardcode the subtitles using one of various different programs (Handbrake and Vidcoder are the ones people mention most). Are these in fact my only two options? If so, which program would you recommend using on a Mac? Will re-encoding the movie result in a loss of picture quality?
One other question: In certain instances (usually with DivX files, it appears) the TV gives me a "format not supported" message and won't play the film at all. What's the best way around this issue?
One other question: In certain instances (usually with DivX files, it appears) the TV gives me a "format not supported" message and won't play the film at all. What's the best way around this issue?