How to Customize Subtitles in PowerDVD
Turn on subtitles, show two languages at once, and make the text easier to read.
Updated Nov. 4, 2026 · 3 min read
In a hurry? Use the subtitles quick guide instead.
PowerDVD plays subtitles from files next to your video or embedded in MKV files, and you can show two languages at once. You can also change the font, color, and position. Use it when the default text is hard to read from the couch, or when you're watching in a second language.
- Play the video, with its subtitle file in the same folder.
- Right-click the video and select Primary Subtitles > a subtitle file.
- For a second language, select Secondary Subtitles > another file.
- Click the gear button and select Player Settings.
- On the Video, Audio, Subtitles tab, click Subtitles Settings.
- Change the font, colors, and position.
- Fix odd characters with Encoding or timing with Delay for, then click OK.
Steps to Customize Subtitles
Put the subtitle file in the same folder as the video, and start its name with the video's name, such as Beach Chat.en.srt for Beach Chat.mp4. PowerDVD then finds it on its own.
Step 1: Play the Video
Open the video in PowerDVD and start playing it. In this example, subtitles start off.
Step 2: Turn On Subtitles
Right-click the video and select Primary Subtitles. The list shows the subtitle files PowerDVD found, so select the language you want.
If your file is in another folder, select Import... and browse to it.
Step 3: Add a Second Language
To show two languages at once, right-click the video again and select Secondary Subtitles, then the other file. The second language appears at the top of the picture, and the first stays at the bottom.
Step 4: Open Player Settings
Click the gear button at the top right of the window and select Player Settings.
Step 5: Open Subtitles Settings
On the Video, Audio, Subtitles tab, click Subtitles Settings at the bottom.
Step 6: Change the Font, Color, and Position
Under Font style, pick a font and a size. Click the Font color box to choose a text color, and the Border color box for the outline. A dark border keeps light text readable on bright scenes.
Use the arrows next to Position to move the subtitles up. At 0% they sit at the bottom of the screen, and at 100% they're at the top. The video behind the window updates as you go.
Step 7: Fix Timing or Odd Characters
Imported file settings apply only to the subtitle file that's on now. If its text shows strange characters, pick the right option from Encoding here. Default encoding above covers other subtitle files that aren't Unicode.
If the subtitles appear before the dialogue, raise Delay for to show them later. If they appear after it, enter a negative number to show them earlier. Click OK, then OK again in the Settings window.
The Result
Each line now shows in a bigger yellow font with a dark border, with the Spanish line at the top. The subtitles change with the dialogue as the clip plays.
We tested these steps in PowerDVD 365 version 24.0.1923 on Windows.
Don't have PowerDVD yet? Get subtitles looking the way you want them, in up to two languages at once.
Download PowerDVD Free →FAQ About Subtitles in PowerDVD
Right-click the video and select Primary Subtitles > Off. Do the same under Secondary Subtitles if a second language is on.
External text subtitles in SRT, PSB, SUB, SSA, ASS, and SMI, and VobSub image subtitles (.sub with .idx). PowerDVD also shows subtitles embedded in MKV files, and VobSub or timed text embedded in MP4 files.
Subtitles Settings change subtitle files and subtitles embedded in movie files. The subtitles on Blu-ray Discs and DVDs can't be restyled this way.
