Guide

How to show subtitles when AirPlaying a movie

Built-in subtitle tracks are easy. External .srt files are where Apple's apps stop helping. Here's how to get both onto your TV, and make them readable.

Last updated October 2026
3 min read

Subtitles on AirPlay come in two flavors. If the subtitles are built into the video, Apple’s apps can show them. If they’re in a separate .srt file (the most common way subtitles are shared), you’ll need a different approach.

If the subtitles are built into the video

Movies from the Apple TV app, and many MP4 and MOV files, carry subtitle tracks inside the file.

In QuickTime Player

Open the movie in QuickTime Player.
Choose View › Subtitles and pick a language. If the movie has no subtitles, the option doesn’t appear.
Click the AirPlay icon in the playback controls and choose your TV.

In the Apple TV app

Start the movie and move the pointer over the video to show the controls.
Click the Subtitles button and choose a language.
Click the AirPlay button and choose your TV.

In CastPanda (including MKV files)

Apple’s apps don’t open MKV files, which is where built-in subtitles are most common. CastPanda reads the text subtitle tracks inside MKV and MP4 files (SubRip, ASS/SSA, WebVTT, mov_text and others) and shows them on any TV it streams to.

Drop the video on CastPanda and choose your TV.
Pick a track from the subtitles menu. A track marked default or forced turns on by itself.

Picture-based tracks, such as Blu-ray PGS and DVD VobSub, aren’t supported yet.

If the subtitles don’t appear on the TV when you stream from Apple’s apps, mirror instead (Control Center › Screen Mirroring): whatever is on your Mac screen, subtitles included, appears on the TV.

If you have a separate .srt file

Apple’s guides for QuickTime Player and the TV app only cover subtitles already inside the movie; neither describes adding an .srt file. You have three workable options.

Option 1: Play it in a Mac player and mirror

Open the video in a player that loads .srt files, such as VLC or IINA. Most pick up an .srt automatically if it has the same name as the video and sits in the same folder.
Mirror your screen to the TV from Control Center › Screen Mirroring, and make the video full screen.

Free and quick, but mirroring re-encodes your screen live, so picture quality drops, and the subtitles appear at whatever size the Mac player draws them.

Option 2: Add the subtitles to the file

A converter such as HandBrake can add an .srt to a new MP4, either as a track you can turn on, or burned permanently into the picture. Then AirPlay the MP4 from QuickTime Player. Reliable, but you’ll wait for the conversion and end up with a second copy of the movie.

Option 3: Use an app that streams with subtitles

CastPanda takes the video and the subtitle file (.srt, .ass, .ssa, .vtt, MicroDVD .sub, .smi, .scc or .mpl) and draws the subtitles into the stream as it plays, so they appear on any Apple TV, AirPlay 2 TV or Chromecast. No mirroring and no conversion step.

Drop the video on CastPanda and choose your TV.
Add the subtitle file. If it’s named after the video (Movie.srt or Movie.en.srt) and sits next to it, CastPanda picks it up automatically.
Adjust until it’s comfortable: make the text bigger or smaller, shift the timing if lines come early or late, and turn on a background box for bright scenes.

Every format is shown in CastPanda’s own adjustable style, so styled .ass subtitles lose their original fonts and positions. Picture-based DVD .sub/.idx files aren’t supported.

Tips for readable subtitles on a TV

Match the release. Subtitles made for a different version of a film (theatrical vs. extended, different frame rate) drift out of sync. Look for an .srt that names the same release as your video file.
Fix a constant offset with a timing shift. If every line is early or late by the same amount, shifting the timing fixes it; if the gap grows over the film, you need a different file.
Go bigger than you think. Text that looks right on a laptop is small from across a room.
Use a background box for films with bright scenes or white snow and skies.
Check the file’s encoding if you see garbled accented letters. CastPanda reads files saved in older Windows text encodings; in other apps, re-saving the file as UTF-8 in a text editor usually fixes it.

Frequently asked questions

Can QuickTime Player load an .srt file?

Apple’s QuickTime Player guide only covers subtitles that are already in the movie (View › Subtitles), and notes that if a movie has no subtitles, you won’t see the option. It doesn’t describe loading a separate .srt file.

Why are my subtitles out of sync?

The .srt was probably made for a slightly different cut or frame rate of the movie. Try a subtitle file that matches your exact release, or shift the timing: in CastPanda you can nudge subtitles earlier or later while the movie plays.

Do burned-in subtitles work on Chromecast too?

Yes. Because burned-in subtitles are part of the picture, they show on any TV or streaming device. CastPanda burns subtitles in, whether they’re built into the video or in a separate file, for both AirPlay and Chromecast.

Can I pick a subtitle track embedded in an MKV with CastPanda?

Yes, for text tracks such as SubRip, ASS/SSA, WebVTT and mov_text. CastPanda lists them in its subtitles menu and turns on a track marked default or forced automatically. Picture-based tracks such as Blu-ray PGS and DVD VobSub aren’t supported yet.

Which subtitle file formats does CastPanda support?

.srt, .ass, .ssa, .vtt, MicroDVD .sub, .smi (SAMI), .scc and .mpl, including files saved in older Windows text encodings. All of them are shown in CastPanda’s own adjustable style, so .ass styling and positioning aren’t kept. Picture-based DVD .sub/.idx files aren’t supported.

Sources

Competitor details were checked on each vendor’s own website or App Store page in October 2026. Prices and features change; check the vendor’s site before you buy.