Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with subtitles

Creating a Subtitled DVD

Silky Slim — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:09:43 -0800

I need some help with creating a DVD with subtitles. My computer is a Mac, but also runs Parallels and XP. I'm adept at using Subtitle Workshop (under Windows) to create .srt files. I have also used .srt files with Submerge on the Mac to create Quicktime movies with hardcoded subs.
Right now, I'd like to create subs in Subtitle Workshop and use them to create a subtitled DVD that can be played anywhere (hopefully not hardcoded subs).
It dawned on me that I have no idea how to do this.
I noticed SW can export subs in .sub format. That's a good thing, right?
I only have iDVD right now. Do I need to get DVD Studio Pro for this? Maybe this could be achieved using Toast?
Thanks a lot in advance for any assistance. I'd like to do this on the Mac if possible, but Windows solutions are also OK.

Get that Chinese out of there!

saysthis — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:10:05 -0800

I'd like to find, or build, a tool for stripping differently encoded text from bilingual (Chinese/English) text documents. Bonus - since this is for subtitles, I need to be able to train it to recognize timecodes and unique characters like returns and hyphens. Double bonus - I know jack about programming, but since the only way to do this right now I have is by hand, which costs me hours and hours of tedium and is putting me at risk for carpal tunnel, I'm definitely willing to put in the time to learn. I'm a subtitle translator, and because of the nature of movie production, where they rarely have a final cut even after I'm done translating and timing the movie, I usually need to make a "master" subtitle file for editing purposes. That is, a subtitle file with both languages, one of which then usually needs to be removed so I can burn a review DVD for the technically inept director or whoever's in charge of making final decisions on the subtitles.

That means that, at the moment, I have to go line by line and delete all the English or Chinese from the file. For a typical movie, with 1000+ lines of dialogue, that's two hours if I'm feeling self-destructive, and my wrists HURT afterward. Not to mention it just zones me out, and I'm usually exhausted after that kind of repetition. It's the kind of work that can destroy a day's productivity, and I usually have to do that 4-5 times per movie. (I know you'll suggest just doing it once and then editing the English, but these people sometimes add/change/remove 2-300 lines of dialogue per edit. I need to be able to look at the source language as I do it, and they, being movie people, provide zero documentation; gotta work from the master sub file or I waste even more time.)

There has got to be a better way, and I'm pretty sure that given the fact that I'm working with two differently encoded languages, it shouldn't be too terribly impossible, right? I'm imagining a tool where I can tell it "take anything that looks like GBK/BIG5 and remove it." Or the same with ASCII. Now, the trick is, it would need to be trainable to recognize and ignore the particular ASCII patterns that subtitle files use for timecodes, returns, font details, and other metadata in the subs.

If it doesn't exist, as God as my witness, I will build it! It seems simple enough. I know absolutely nothing about programming except general principles, but I know that building a tool that can work with text in .txt documents. Some encoding interfaces with the character databases in whatever OS you're using, some wildcard fields for patterns to ignore, and profile memory for different subtitle formats. This is the thing I need.

If this tool doesn't exist yet, what do I need to know to build it? Is there a software language I should focus on? How can I keep this lightweight and distribute it freely once I've got it? Does sourceforge have some sort of development platform for stuff like this?

How can I purchase a DVD of Let the Right One In with the corrected subtitles?

adipocere — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:53:59 -0800

Where online might I purchase a DVD of Let the Right One In with the corrected subtitles? The original release of Let the Right One In onto DVD had "dumbed-down" English subtitles. After a great hoppitamoppita from various bloggers, Magnolia stated that they would be putting out another version of the DVD with corrected subtitles. The case itself should mention "English (Theatrical)" for the subtitles, rather than just "English."

I saw posts saying that Target was selling them. I hit three Targets in my area and none of them have the right version.

Neither of the two Best Buy stores I hit have the right version.

I can find no indication as to which version Amazon.com is selling, though numerous user reviews on the site say "Wait, wait!"

As Magnolia has stated they will not be replacing discs with inferior subtitles, I can see that some vendors might have older stock sticking around, especially if consumers are alert to the issue and refuse to buy the earlier release.

As this will probably end up as a gift, I am not going to play the "download the subtitles" game and muck about with that.

Where can I find movies or tv shows that are spoken in Spanish with English subtitles?

inatizzy — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:36:25 -0800

Where can I find some movies or tv shows that are spoken in Spanish with English subtitles? I'm going to be in Buenos Aires, Argentina for awhile and to help improve my Spanish skills I'd like to watch some movies or television shows in Spanish, with English subtitles. But I'm having a hard time locating any; the TV stations here tend to have the opposite: English-language programs with Spanish subtitles. (Which, while helping my reading skills, isn't helping my listening comprehension very much.)

Any idea where I might be able to find what I'm looking for? (In-person or on-line is fine, I have a pretty good internet connection here.)

Thanks!!

Hunk of Burning Love Needed

cazoo — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:30:36 -0800

How do I burn a dvd on a mac from an iso file with subtitles? I have folder which contains a film in iso format. The iso includes two folders, AUDIO_TS and VIDEO_TS. I would like to burn this on dvd. There are also several other files, srt., sfv., md5., and nfo.

I already tried burning it to a dvd using the built in mac Disk Utility but the subtitles do not seem to work.

What am I doing wrong? Please hope me.

Capturing TV closed captions

Yakuman — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 21:11:37 -0800

I'm looking for software that will let me capture programs with the closed captions intact. Does anybody know of anything? I have a Pinnacle PCTV HD Pro Stick tv tuner.

Two files become one

saysthis — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:47 -0800

I have two files, an Adobe Encore subtitle file of a particular film, and a dialogue list txt (no times) of a newer, shorter cut of that same film, which is to say that there is nothing in the short cut that isn't in the longer cut. I want to ensure that's the case and check the two versions for consistency, i.e. make sure the content in the new/shorter version matches the dialogue in the old/longer version. Is there an automated way to do this that doesn't involve CTL+F and a lot of cutting and pasting? Bonus challenge: the subtitle file is En/Chinese, the dialogue transcript is Chinese. I'm checking to make sure the Chinese is consistent. If there's a way to automate the check, I'll be spared hours of work. My eyes are already glazed over from finagling with two computers and adjusting formats and burning DVD's for all the different cuts of this project tonight...help a man sleep?

How to Handle Partial Subtitles with Handbrake

snap_dragon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:52:54 -0800

Using Handbrake, is there a way to put subtitles onto DVD when they are interspersed in the real movie? Example: the movie Defiance had some English subtitles when characters spoke Russian/German. These didn't come through when I made my first trial run disc. So basically I'm asking for situational subtitles if I can call them that and not the full movie-lenght subtitle added throughout the whole movie. Thanks for your input.

Subtitling, Workshopping

Silky Slim — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:48:36 -0800

Can anyone recommend subtitle software that can import files? For Windows, or preferably, for Mac. Alternately, can you find a workaround for Subtitle Workshop? As far as I can tell, Subtitle Workshop doesn't support importing external files; It only lets you type within the app itself. I'd like to create my translation in a different app and import.
I even considered using Subtitle Workshop just for timing the subs, then copy and paste the titles one by one. I tried this process once and it worked, despite being very tiresome, obviously. This time, however, it's not an option, since the subtitles are in Hebrew and pasting into the app turns everything into question marks.
Thanks in advance.

Looking for closed-captioned or subtitled media

desjardins — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:52:50 -0800

Looking for streaming (or downloadable) closed-captioned or subtitled TV shows and movies, preferably relatively recent and mainstream. Is there a repository of this stuff that I've been missing? I know Hulu has some CC media, but it's very limited.

How much Hindi in Slumdog?

zardoz — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:32:55 -0800

What percentage of the movie Slumdog Millionaire is in Hindi? (Yep, I'm the one guy who hasn't seen it yet...) I'm in Japan and will rent it as soon as it is released on DVD, but I can't read Japanese well enough to read subtitles. I've heard that "parts" of the movie are in Hindi, but if I watch it without English subtitles will it detract from my understanding of the plot significantly?

What are some great, foreign language film clips or scenes ripe for parody subtitling?

Unsomnambulist — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:35:05 -0800

Subtitling that "Downfall" clip has been done to death. Are there any other great scenes from foreign films that are ripe for language interpretation? (Examples of the "Downfall" clip being parodied include Hitler being very angry about the new Watchmen ending, and Hitler becoming upset when his grammar is corrected.)

Fastforwarding subtitles?

ellanea — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:52:16 -0800

Does your DVD player display subtitles while fast forwarding? I'm in the market for a new DVD player, and have had no luck searching for one of the best features of my ancient Cyberhome: it displays subtitles during 2x fast forwarding (great for zipping through required films for class). Has anyone used a currently available commercial DVD player that has this feature?

Subtitled videos on an iPhone?

spockette — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:48:01 -0800

I have a bunch of .avi files with separate .srt subtitle files. How can I convert them to .mp4, so I have a video with subtitles that plays on my iphone? I'm using a Mac, running Leopard.

Or, I could just learn Spanish.

waraw — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:28:36 -0800

I seek a quick and dirty method to alter the times in a subtitle (.SRT) file. 1
00:02:12,687 --> 00:02:14,564
- Jump!
- What are you doing?

2
00:02:25,327 --> 00:02:27,318
- Oh, my God!
- What are you doing?

etc. This is what the entries in an .SRT look like. However, for the movie I'm wanting to admire, the times seem to be off by about thirty seconds. (Determined by comparing the entry which declares the movie's title, by when the title actually appears). I haven't had luck finding a proper match online. Is there an easier way (on a Windows machine) to add thirty seconds to each time listing?

Generating English subtitles for International TV

Yakuman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 02:52:01 -0800

I want to auto-generate English subtitles for foreign language TV. This entails capturing a program off a TV tuner onto my HD. From there I would export the closed captions and have them robo-translated into English. From there I would want the new text re-imported into the show. That way I could watch the program with these subtitles, which would be full of errors, but still useful. Is this reasonably possible?

Convert VOB w/ subtitles

pravit — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 22:46:59 -0800

How can I convert VOB files to AVI or some other format, but with embedded subtitles? I have VOB files which have a selectable subtitle track when you play them in VLC. I want to convert them to AVI or some other format, but with the subtitles embedded. Is there any simple way to do this? Please keep in mind I know next to nothing about video editing/compressing etc. Thanks!

Choosing a video editor

elgilito — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:23:12 -0800

We have 10 hours of Mini-DV tapes (interviews made during my wife's PhD research) and we're looking for a video editing software to edit them into a 1-2 hour DVD. We'll have to add subtitles and to clean noisy audio and video. What would be the best video software to do that? More detailed specs follow. - User-friendly: we're newbies at video editing
- Under €200
- Windows Vista
- The target audience consists in the few fellow researchers interested in the topic. No need for sophisticated video effects.
- Subtitles: the interviews will all be subtitled so the subtitling feature should be easy to set up. The subtitles will have to mix two character sets (French and Vietnamese).
- Audio and video correction: filming conditions were poor (handheld camcorder, indoors, low light, background noise). Not expecting magic there, but some minimal cleaning ability would be nice.
Software I've considered so far: Adobe Premiere Elements 7, Pinnacle Studio 12 Ultimate, Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Pro Pack, Cyberlink PowerDirector 7. However, the reviews I've seen rarely talk about the subtitle aspect (except for PowerDirector) and before test driving a bunch a crippled trial versions I'd like to hear suggestions from more experienced people.

Where can I find streaming news videos with captions?

spaceman_spiff — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:13:06 -0800

Where can I find streaming news videos with captions? I want to watch the debate tonight on my laptop, but I need captions or subtitles. Does anyone know if any of the sites streaming it will have captions? And generally, if any major news organizations have begun putting captions on their streaming videos?

Better media player for subtitles?

keith0718 — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:25:07 -0800

Windows Media Player and Center in Vista suck at subtitles for the old b&w foreign flicks I watch. Subtitles are white and get washed out when the picture is white. Is there a hack or some other media player which will render the subtitles better (outlined or in yellow). (FYI: subtitles for these films show up great on my Sony DVD player.)

The Obnoxious Menace of Subtitled English: Mandated Hullabaloo, or Xenophobic Condescencion?

ulotrichous — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:19:47 -0800

Why do many TV shows subtitle people that are speaking completely understandable english? Sometimes, it makes sense, like if there's lots of background noise... but it seems that over the past few years more and more solidly clear english is being subtitled. Is this a US thing? Is there some new law? Do TV producers or executives just have a decreasing opinion of their audience's ability to understand spoken english? It's usually furriners so it's hard not to see this as some expression of xenophobia... it's obnoxious. Does this bother you?

Subtitles in letterbox area

snarfois — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:03:29 -0800

Why are movie subtitles almost never put into the black letterbox areas, outside the picture? This question really nags me. On most consumer screens, most movies will be letterboxed to a degree. Unless they're hard-subbed into the picture, what reason is there not to use that space for subtitles?

All DVDs use soft-subbing, where the text is overlaid onto the picture by the player software. And soft-subbing is the preferred approach for compressed video too, whether packaged into a single file like MKVs, or with separate subtitle files like .srt.

Can't players detect the screen's aspect ratio and determine the best placement of the subtitles, out of the picture if possible? Why don't any of the popular media players (VLC, Perian, Mplayer, MPC, Quicktime) do this?

Where can I get the best subtitles for My Neighbour Totoro?

snarfois — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:37:56 -0800

Where can I get the best subtitles for My Neighbour Totoro? I have the Studio Ghibli Japanese DVD, which is ruined by dubtitles. (The translators felt the need to fill all the silent bits with chatter.)

I've ripped the DVD to AVI, and can use VLC or Perian to play it with any .SRT subtitle file. I've downloaded these, which seem to be very closely based on this translation.

Unfortunately, the timings are full of mistakes -- too many to rectify -- and the translation of the opening theme is rather weak -- not as good as the version at the end of the above file.

Does anyone know of better .SRT subtitles for My Neighbour Totoro?

Bonus question: Lately I've been spoiled by the excellent subtitles on fansubbed anime, including surtitles, attractive fonts, translation notes, and music lyrics in both English and Romaji. (Will *official* foreign-language releases ever approach this kind of quality?) Is there any subtitle format and media player that can do that with standalone subtitle files?

You Know Who Else Used Subtitles?

fandango_matt — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:20:54 -0800

How do I make my own subtitled Hitler clip from this scene in Downfall: Hitler and the End of the Third Reich? I have three questions:
1. Does someone out there have this scene without the subtitles? I have a fast connection and I will set up an FTP site so someone with the clip can upload it.
2. Failing that, how do I get this scene from the DVD?
3. I have a Mac equipped with AfterEffects. Will this software work for adding my own subtitles?

Mefites with experience in such things are encouraged to contact me by emailing matt at fandango dot net.

Thanks, everyone!

"An intellectual carrot! The mind boggles!" / [If you're going to grow that stuff, make sure there's enough for everybody]

kurumi — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 18:12:51 -0800

Has a film ever told a completely different story in its subtitles compared to the audio track? It would be a prank, but a clever one to pull off: the audio has the "real" plot, while the subtitles graft another plot onto the visuals. Two movies in one.

The closest thing I've seen is Mad Movies in the '80s, where new lines were dubbed over old movies, and some bad subtitling that drifted from the plot.