Need help with Arabic subtitle

Well, this is my first time posting, usually I get the answer through searching but not this time. I think my problem is not related to Arabic subtitle only, many other languages face the same problem...

Lately, I tried to add subtitles to some video files (mostly .avi) I have and convert them to DVD.

After searching and comparing products I decide to install the latest ConvertXToDVD, it's prety good program and very easy.

Now to the subtitle I want to add, I knew that there're some programs that can show subtitles like VLC, so after downloading the subtitle files I tried to test the subtitle to know how it appears, the English subtitle appeared very normal and perfect but when I tried the Arabic, it appeared like this: ÇÒ æÞÊí ˜å 25 ÓÇáã ÈæÏ, even when I opened it with Notepad it appeared just the same.

This realy makes me confused, I searched and read many forums about the problem, the only solution I get there is to change the Regional Option from English to Arabic. I chnaged it, after this it appeared normal characters in Notepad but with VLC the letters appear separated, if you know about Arabic letters, all the letters in a word are joined together but here they're separated.

I tried a lot to solve this, changing the Encoding, the file type, ... nothing happened it was the same every time, separated Arabic letters.

I finally decide to make the DVD and see if it's appear the same in the DVD Player (cause may be there's erorr in the machine). when I played it, the weird thing I saw is the same first erorr (i.e.: character appears ÇÒ æÞÊí ˜å 25 ÓÇáã ÈæÏ), I even play it with PowerDVD on my computer but it was the same.

The few sentence I mentioned above is to tell you that by changing Regional Option I progressed but not solved the problem!

This is my problem in detail,I read in some places that Russian and some other languages have the same problem.
So, anyone can tell me how to correct this, even if you know a site that has experts in Arabic subtitle please let me know.

PS: I have everything necessary on my computer; the latest codec pack, players (MP, VLC, QT, RP, etc), fonts, programs for converting subtitles and videofiles, ...
I run Windows XP SP2 and not countered any problem, even I tried all these on my laptop (Windows Vista) I got the same result.

I appreciate any help you provide.

 

You need to use software which support Arabic *unicode* & Russian *cyrillic fonts.

SubtitleWorkshop should work for Arabic unicode to edit the subtitles.

For Encoding (burning) of subtitles in Arabic below softwares work fine

Software1
Software 2


thanks,
Media Movers, Inc.

 

Thnaks for your quick reply (esubtitle). To make my point more clearer:

First of all my only problem is with Arabic subtitle only, I talked about Russian because I saw some articles about Russian's and looks like my problem, since there're not many persons expert in Arabic's I thought it will be better to talk about that, too.

Secondly, I'm downloading the subtitle files from the Internet and they're supposed not to need editing.

Now back to my case, I want to tell more informations with images:

When first I downloaded the files (before changing any settings, ofcourse I had all the programs I mentioned above) they appeared like this;
Then I changed regional setting like below;
After that the files appear like this;
That solve my problem on my PC, but when I burning them to a DVD it appears like the first image.

After posting this I found that;
The separated Arabic letters I mentioned above turned out a problem with VLC not with the subtitle file, there're few articles about that.
So, I test them with other players and I found that Media Player shows them without any problem (like the third image).
I tried to take a snapshot to show you what I mean but the players crop the subtitled part. Anyway, I think you can get it when you look at the Notepad images...

From all this I figured out that like the problem with VLC, may be ConvertXToDVD is also not support Arabic, it's the only explanation.

Now to the solutions you provide; SubtitleWorkshop is a great software for creating your own subtitle and provides many other features like you said but I think I don't need it right now because I already download the subtitle files. However, if you could or know any article that explain this program with images especially about how to editing, splitting, merging subtitle file, I'll appriciate it.
About the softwares for burning DVD with subtitle, I looked at them but I didn't find any software even a demo version, they talk about subtitles but not includes any software, that's how the pages appeared to me!

So I'm asking again; could you name any burning program that convert video files to DVD, easy and contain most of the features like that in ConvertXToDVD which really supports Arabic's and compatible with all subtitle file type (like .sub).

Thanks a lot.

PS: I tried hard to upload a larger image but everytime the site has resize it

 

Well, thanks to you "esubtitle" you were the only one who reply me. However, it doesn't help me...

It's strange that among those thousands users just one posted a reply, may be my Title wasn't so attracting or may be no one like to help a person in Middle East.

Anyway, it turns out that every DVD creating software encode the subtitle file while converting the video file to DVD, and from there you should edit the page code to the language you want. You don't need anything else extra, it was very stupid from me when I thought it may be a Regional Option or some Windows related problem. I should check the program settings well before I make myself confused with Internet forums.

Best wishes for all.

 

Glad to know your problems are resolved

Wish you a happy & peaceful ramadan


Media Movers, Inc.

 

@dsmr
You may stuff that where the monkey stuffed his nuts.

 

ROFLMFAO. Well said attar.

 

Or we didn't care.. It's more a problem for the players devs and their specific forums than here where we really don't give a toss 99 times out of 100 if a certain piece of software doesn't work properly.

Why didn't you go to VH where developers hang out instead of here where most people wouldn't know a font from a fountain? j/k

Usually most players will use the default regions for the PC.. and messing with default regions and fonts isn't something people generally want to do... I have learned from personal experience that messing with the default regions on your pc is a quick road to nightmare city

 

Hello dear brother (dsmr)

I exactly have the same problem as you faced with. the subtitle appears the same thing as you said.

Would you please guide me what to do?
I just want merge it with avi file not DVD.

Thanks in advance.

 

I found the solution bro.
Thanks.

Such an easy way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was thinking for 2 days on this!!

 

ohhhhhh plzzzzzzzz tell me what did u doo?!!!!!!!

 

Sinabina, Could you please tell me what the solution is?/

 

here are the instructions:
1. Open the subtitle with "Microsoft Word"

2. change the encoding to "Arabic (Windows)"
(this will convert the strange characters to the right Ar)

3. Select all and copy it to a new Word processing file (notepad or word file).

4. Close the already opend subtilte (word file).

5. Open the Subtilte again using notepad and paste the copied text over the existing.

6. go to "Save As" and:
save as type: All files
Encoding : Unicode

point to the name of the subtitle to override it with this new file

7. Enjoy your time with the right subtitle

I found this solution on a forum and I tried it and it's work, I hope this will help you all

 

NeoZero:

please, I've tried your way, now I have the subtitle file as a .doc word file, and the translation won't show on the movie, do u know how to convert it again to .srt subtitle file ?

thanks alot