How do I convert an .mkv video to iPad format with subtitles?
I know relatively easy and free way that I will share
- Subtitles have to be converted to SRT format. You may do that with Jubler.
Then I'm using Handbrake to convert to h.264 with soft subtitles. Here is the guide.
Alternatively you may use MKVTools to convert video without reencoding (in case it's already in h.264) to save time and after that add subtitles with Subler. You may try to import SSA subtitles (I don't have such on hand now to check if SSA will work with Subler so please report back if it will)
Subler is a utility designed specifically for what you want to do. It will not only rewrap, and not transcode, the video to a friendly format, it will transcode the audio from ACC to AAC if necessary, and it will optimize the location of the mpeg-4 atom in the resulting file for iTunes friendly use. It uses a friendly drag and drop paradigm. Download Subler, unzip into your Applications folder and launch Subler. Type command-n to begin, and drag your mkv file into the window, and choose from the simple available options to accomplish precisely what you are asking to do.
Alternatively, this bash script apparently uses ffmpeg, SublerCLI and HandbrakeCLI to batch rewrap, transcode or otherwise convert video files of various codecies and iTunes/iOS incompatible wrappers to iTunes/iOS friendly formats, automatically choosing a method that retains the best possible quality resultant file. It, however, doesn't, do subtitles, takes bit of reading and understanding the script to get it to install its dependencies, and will take a lot of time to complete processing if set upon a lot of HandBrake transcodes, and while doing so eventually eat up all your free memory in the process, but it is covenient once it is working and set in your $PATH, and nondestructively will place original files in your ~/.Trash so you can preview the resultant files before eliminating the originals.