My experience about how to make international DVD with multiple subtitle tracks

Recently i onlined a documentary called My Brother, Buddhist Monk. Now I was asked if I could make a international DVD from it with multiple subtitle tracks. My first idea was that I simply burn subtitles to picture and put all different versions to DVD but then I realized that all the versions wouldn't fit to one DVD and it'd be anyway very amateurish way to do things.

I decided to do authoring in DVD Studio Pro. First problem was that i got my subtitle files in EBU STL -format and realized there's no way to open those files with free softwares. Second thing was that even if I could have opened the files, subtitles would have looked poor when done in DVD Studio Pro.

So I did some googling and found perfect solution to all my subtitling problems. The program is called Belle Nuit Subtitler and it allows you spot, edit and render subtitles for video editing, DVD authoring and digital cinema. It opens all professional subtitling formats and makes great looking subtitles for Avid, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro etc.. It costs 130€ but it's nothing compared how much easier it makes your life. I warmly recommend trying the software if you need to work with translators and subtitles.

And BTW in addition to authoring the actual DVD I also created covers for it.

(Click on picture to see it larger.)