How to disable subtitles by default (but keep them available)?
When I play a video in VLC it always starts with subtitles! I don't want this! I want subtitles OFF until I choose to turn them ON.
I tried unchecking 'enable sub-pictures' in the preferences menu, but this removed the subtitle user interface entirely, making it difficult to get subtitles on the occasions I really do want them (foreign films).
Solution 1:
I know this is kind of an old thread, but if someone else is looking for the answer, I found an easier way.
In the simple settings menu, go to "Subtitles/OSD" and under "Preferred Subtitle Language," enter none. Subtitles will no longer be displayed unless you ask for them! This works in VLC 2.2.1 and 2.2.4 (windows 7 and 10 respectively) for sure, and probably others too, but I have not tested it beyond those two.
Hey VLC guys, how about just making the default none, so we don't have to do this? Pretty please??
Solution 2:
- Browse to the menu Tools / Preferences / (Show settings: All) / Input/Codecs
- Then set 'Subtitles Track ID' to 0
per http://forum.videolan.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=62294
Solution 3:
Setting it to 0 doesn't always work. It works about 50% of the time. I set mine to 99 which seems to work better ;-)
Solution 4:
Just wanted to say that you can do this using the "simple" options as well: it's tools / preferences / and then "subtitles/OSD" which is the 4th big button on the left of the preferences menu, right above "input/codecs."
Then just uncheck "enable subtitles," the subtitles will remain available anytime via r-click/subtitles.
Also, after doing this, then switching to "show settings: all" in the lower left, the "subtitles track ID" that Colonel Panic suggests, is set to -1, not 0, which could be why some folks are having trouble with it. You can manually set this to -1, to achieve the same result. Cheerio!
Solution 5:
This answer corresponds to VLC 3.0.4 Vetinari on an ubuntu system. The subtitles can be disabled by unchecking Enable Subtitles on Tools-->Preferences-->Subtitles/OSD screen.
It can be enabled by pressing v during the running of video.
Screenshot below
