I have downloaded a copy of the classic Hitchcock movie "The Birds". It comes in 2 avi files, and two corresponding subtitle .srt files.

What is the best way to go about merging this into one movie, complete with subtitles?

All suggestions appreciated

regards,
Jill

Join AVI files with AVIDemux.
Load the first video, append the second.
The video/audio boxes on the left side of the window should be set for 'Copy' and the output 'AVI'.

Joining the .srt file subtitles.

Run Subtitle Workshop.
Tools > Join Subtitles
Check the two boxes labeled 'Load file after join' and 'Recalculate time values'.
[it will load the new combined file and reset the values on the second part of the subs]
Click on 'Add' - to load the subtitle files - and click 'Join' and give the joined file a name.
The new combined files will load.
Click 'Movie' and open the movie file and check the subs sync.

If the combined AVI and the subs are synced, fine.
If not read further.

This assumes the AVI files are now one file and the .srt files have been previously joined, re-timed, and saved using Subtitle Workshop, but for some reason the second part is out of sync.
It entails splitting the .srt file again, adjusting the timing, then rejoining the .srt file again.

Run SubTitle Workshop and load the combined .srt file (the combined AVI loads automatically if it has the same name).
Run the video and note the last line number where subs and video are in sync.

'Tools' > 'Split Subtitle', choose the 'Simple' tab and check 'Item Number' and input the line number.
Note:Do not recalculate time values (uncheck the box).

Save the files (Click 'Split').
What you have is one .srt with correct times and one .srt with incorrect times.

Load the second (incorrect time) file.
Highlight the first sub line number.
Play with the video and gauge where the first sub should come in.
Pause and adjust the video at this point and press Ctrl+1 (or the button, third from right, under the video window).

Highlight the last sub and adjust the video to match.
Press Ctrl+2 (or the button, second from right, under the video window).

Set the video back to the first sub, line up the video and check sync.

Either 'Save' or 'Save as' the .srt file.('Subrip' is .srt format).

Now the two files have to be joined.

'Tools' > 'Join Subtitles', add both files, the first split file and the new edited file.
Make sure that the 'Recalculate time values' box is "not" checked before joining.

Reset the video to the beginning, use the slider and check sync.

Remember that the AVI and .srt must have same name.

WOW!! Many thanks for these detailed instructions Attar, they are very much appreciated.
This is why this site is so good, with eexperts like you so will ing to give valuable help

There is a problem, however. After merging the .avi files, I find that Subtitle Workshop does not handle .idx and .sub files of my subtitle.

Can anyone please suggest an alternative that does?

Quote:

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"The Birds". It comes in 2 avi files, and two corresponding subtitle .srt files.

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Quote:

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does not handle .idx and .sub files

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So the subs aren't .srt format?

What about DivXMUX Gui ? This can handle IDX/SUB and also has
a merge function...

DivXMUX Gui seems to be an application that "merges" the video/audio/subs in one container(similar to Avimux Gui), not for joining two parts into one(from what I read, never tried it).

I use Avidemux like attar suggested to join the video.

For the idx/sub, I use VobSub Joiner, the application that comes with installing VobSub.

Very simple to use. Select Input1, Input2, select output and name the joined subtitle.For "Beginning of input2 you have to enter the exact length that the first part of the video was, HH/MM/SS/MS. In my case, CD1 was 53 minutes,25 seconds and 497 milliseconds. the joined AVI and idx/sub are in perfect sync.

VobSub is a very useful application for displaying/handling subtitles, a must have!

thanks for the advice, much appreciated. Cyprusrom, how did you measure the length of the subtitle for the CD1? - to the nearest millisecond too :)

There are many programs that will give you the precise length of the video to the millisecond. Probably Subtitle Workshop too. Almost any Video/Subtitle editing software(I use the free programs SolveigMM Avi Trimmer, SubSync, Avidemux;they can all give me that info.I don't know if any of the players will display the length to the millisecond). Since you already have Avidemux, load the video and it will display the info ( 00:53:25.497 in my case, like mentioned in my previous post):

thanks cyprusrom, this is great information :)

What software do you recommend for doing the final conversion to a dual layer DVD? I have tried Total Video2DVD Author, but it does not recognise my dual layer blank DVD

I would recommend DVD Flick, but it does not accept Idx/Sub.
The way I used to do it when being in the same situation like you, I would look for a srt subtitle file(plenty available online for popular movies). Sometimes would be a bit out of sync, then I'd use SubSync to fix them.
Or, in ten minutes or so you can convert the new merged idx/sub to srt and DVD Flick will load that...
Or use ConvertxtoDVD (but is not free; I use mostly free apps.), it does Idx/sub and works great.

If you have a different software that you use to do the conversion and it does not recognize the DL blank media, save the compilation to HDD first and then use ImgBurn to burn to disc.
What media do you use? Maybe is the burner that does not like it.

thanks for this valuable info, cyprusrom, much appreciated. I treid ConvertXDVD, but got the following error message:
Error during DVD subtitle decompression:data error.

Immediately after, there was an Exception Error wit the software, and it froze :(

I liked DVD Flick when I used it previously. So how do I actually convert my idx/sib subtitle files to .srt files?

forgot to answer your questions, cyprusrom - I have 2 DVD burners on my PC, and use RiData DVD+R DL blanks. This is the first time I have used this brand. Normally both DVDs accept DVD+R DL blanks.

For the media, for DL I would recommend Verbatim.
Make sure your burner's firmware is up to date.

You can use same awesome program-Avidemux to convert the Idx to srt.

Here is a guide. Scroll down to the middle of the page where it says " Making the '.srt' File".

http://en.flossmanuals.net/Avidemux/ExtractingDVDSubtitles

or, you can use SubResync, another feature that comes with VobSub. Open the idx/sub and save as SRT.

@cyprusrom

I can't remember a thread with so much original information showing up.
A tip of the hat to you and to JillB for starting it off.

@ attar
Thank you sir! Some of the info I found by using "the search" button :~), and lots by exploring and trying to learn about the features offered by the software already installed on my PC.
I used to merge/mux/convert to DVD often. Now I got a cheap old XBOX off ebay and installed XBMC, which plays almost any video/audio format and I don't convert that much anymore.
I've learned also a lot from you attar by just "lurking" around the forums! You're a walking encyclopedia!
Cheers!

My apologies to attar for my typo which indicated I was using .srt files when in fact I was using .idx/.sub files.

I really appreciate all the time and patience of cyprusrom in responding to my questions - many thanks, especially for taking the time to post the detailed instructions and screen shots - a picture really is worth a 1,000 works.

What a great forum!