i identified the problem, but how do i fix this subtitle goes to black problem? windows 10 / windows 11

Resolving the Black Screen Issue During Subtitled Video Playback on Windows 10/11

If you’ve encountered a recurring problem where your screen temporarily turns black when displaying subtitles in video playback—particularly with MPEG-2 files—you are not alone. Many users have reported this issue across various media players such as VLC, MPV, and MPC-HC, often experiencing brief black screens whenever subtitles appear. This article explores the causes behind this phenomenon and provides professional solutions to resolve it effectively.

Understanding the Issue

The core problem involves video playback with subtitles that triggers brief black screens. Since this issue is inconsistent and occurs across multiple players, it suggests a system-level or graphics rendering conflict rather than a specific application bug.

Common Factors Associated with the Issue:

• Subtitle rendering processes that interfere with video output
• GPU hardware and driver configurations
• Display output settings and cable quality
• Subtitle file formats and encoding

Steps Taken and Observations

• Created subtitle files (.srt) using Subtitle Edit for MPEG-2 videos
• Swapped graphics cards from NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti to AMD Radeon 6400, with no resolution
• Attempted to change HDMI cables across various versions (1.2 to 2.1), with no effect
• Disabled On-Screen Controls (OSC) in media players
• Tried different driver versions, both old and new, without success

Potential Causes and Professional Insights

1. Subtitle Overlay Rendering:
   Subtitle rendering involves overlay layers that may conflict with GPU compositing or video output processes, especially when hardware acceleration is enabled.

2. GPU Driver Conflicts:
   Driver inconsistencies or incompatibilities can cause rendering artifacts, including black screens during subtitle display.

3. Hardware Acceleration Settings:
   Enabling or disabling hardware acceleration in media players affects how subtitles are rendered and may influence the occurrence of the issue.

4. Display and Cable Compatibility:
   Although cables and HDMI versions seem unlikely culprits here, ensuring high-quality connections remains beneficial.

Recommended Solutions

1. Update or Reinstall Graphics Drivers:
2. Use the latest stable drivers from the GPU manufacturer’s official website.

3. Consider performing a clean installation to remove residual driver files, preventing conflicts.

4. Toggle Hardware Acceleration:

5. In VLC: Navigate to Tools > Preferences > Input / Codecs.
6. Locate the Hardware-accelerated decoding option and experiment with enabling/disabling it to see