Trying to add subtitles to .avi file

OK, I think you have answered all of my questions. I am still playing around with it, but it looks like I am on the right trail anyway. I have tried a couple of different movies with some success. The subs are working, though I can't say I am thrilled with optical character recognition. I get a lot of strange spellings in the subtitles. On one of the movies, all of the lower case L's came out as 1's. I can open the .srt file with Notepad and correct them, but it is time consuming. I may just accept that it is less than perfect and forget it. Even with the wierd spellings, you can figure out what they said when you couldn't make out the audio, and that is all I was really after anyway. I am also having some timing issues. The subs don't always line up with the proper scene in the video. Many times the words come up after the scene has changed, but again it gets the message across and then you can rewind a few seconds and tie it all together. With enough work, I could get it perfect, but I am not sure it is worth it. Every time you make a correction in Notepad you have to re-mux it and then watch it to see how the changes took. It wouldn't be so bad if you only had 1 movie to do, but getting everything right for my entire collection would take years of continuous work. Maybe someday someone will come up with a software package that lets you view everything together in real time and make the editing easier. Until that comes along I think I will have to settle for imperfection!

You have been a great help. Thanks for your answers and your prompt responses. Hopefully also, this thread will help other readers trying to do what I have just learned to do. But then, isn't that what these forums are all about anyway. Thanks again, it has been interesting.

 

SubSync can do that9edit/adjust timing and preview at the same time). I think also Subtitle Workshop can do it.

 

Interesting. If it works as I have it envisioned (and few programs ever do) it sounds like something to check into. Do you have a preference for either program? What are some of the pros and cons for each that you know of?

 

Cannot say, I never used Subtitle Workshop. I believe it has more options, it is a more comprehensive program.

 

OK, I will check into both programs. Thanks, you have been a great help.

 

You're still the man, cyprusrom! I didn't have to try Subtitle Workshop, SubSync did the trick. I have now completed several movies successfully with the above game plan.

1. DVDFab to rip the movie to my hard drive.
2. HandBrake to rip the VOB files to an avi file.
3. SubRip to extract the subtitle file.
4. SubSync to get the subtitles edited and in sync with the video.
5. MKVmerge to mux the avi file with the subtitle file.
6. Change the extension for the .mks file created by MKVmerge to .mkv.

It takes some time to do all of the steps, but once completed I end up with a mkv file that the WDTV recognizes and plays perfectly - and the subtitles are working. I also put VLC media player on my computer and it plays the mkv files with the subtitles right on my screen.

As I said, I have now completed enough movies to be convinced that it all works. Now I ONLY have another 200 or so to go!! lol.

Thanks for all of your help. Without this forum, I don't think I would have been able to figure it all out. When I started this project I didn't even know that these programs existed. All of you guys are so helpful. Thanks again.

 

I am glad you got it all working for you. I would make a suggestion though. To save a step(the OCR, ripping the subtitles), I would look for an already ripped subtitle file.

I would actually look for subs before even converting to AVI. Download and check the subs, look at the frame rate, and rip your AVI at the same fps rate(the description for the sub file might not always be accurate- I had an AVI @24fps that was in perfect sync with some subs that were said to be @29fps, which I guess it wasn't true) However, downloading some subs takes you a minute. Even if them aren't perfect, you edit them anyway.

 

That would be great. SubRip is the most time consuming part of the equation. I guess I can read some of the other threads and maybe find out, but ... where do you find already ripped subtitles? Again, I didn't know such a thing was available. I shouldn't be surprised though, from the number of threads in this forum it appears that subtitles are a common thought for a lot of people. It only stands to reason that subtitle files would be shared. I just have to find out where.

Any ideas on where to start looking? Thanks.

 

http://tinyurl.com/pk7q3f

There are numerous places where you can get subs. Just look for name_of_movie subtitles, and see what you come up with.

 

Thanks for the tip. I did do some looking and found a site that has a lot of subtitle files. I also ran across one that put a couple of different viruses on my computer trying to get me to buy their spyware remover.

Don't you just love "anti-spyware" spyware? Doing exactly what they are trying to tell you that they fight. Don't get me started on that one! Anyway, that site is permanently blocked now! It took me a day to get all of the crap viruses off my computer - but I'm back up and running again.

You are right, downloaded subtitle files make the job a lot easier than ripping my own file using OCR. The files are cleaner, and much quicker to obtain.

I have now done about 15 movies this way - still ONLY a couple hundred from completion. I'm sure you are tired of hearing it, but many thanks for the tremendous help you have been.

 

I hear ya, my mouse got "stuck" a while back, and I accidentally clicked on one of those buggers and got some spyware. Otherwise, never had a problem.

Have fun converting!

 

All I can say to someone reading this thread is "beware of the subtitle site you go to". I have been downloading subtitle files from one site and have been very successful at getting them to mux with my avi video files. However, I have a movie that I could not find a subtitle file for at my favored site. So I thought "Okay, they are not the only subtitle site out there", and I Googled "name of movie subtitles". That gave me a hit for a different site that supposedly has subtitle files. I went there and all HELL broke loose. I didn't even click on anything (or at least I don't think I did...). Just going to the website was enough to put a virus on my computer that I couldn't get rid of. I run AVG-Free antivirus and SpyBot Search And Destroy and neither of them could find the virus. I knew it was there because I kept getting a message that Windows firewall was blocking XXX. Also, strange things kept happening that had never happened before, so I figured it was some kind of virus. Anyway, to make a long story short, the only way I found to get rid of the SOB was to reformat my hard drive. Such a pain, but it worked. I think from now on if I can't get a subtitle file from my favored site, I'll either do without subtitles or rip my own.

It is a shame that mentioning subtitle website names here is forbidden. This makes two different sites that I have been to that ended up putting viruses on my computer. One wasn't so bad - I was able to clean it. The other ... like I said, reformat was the only answer. We need to be able to call these guys by name if only to warn other users to steer clear of them. I know of one site that I have not had any problems with, and I am sure that there are others that are clean as well. But having been burned twice now, I am reluctant to try any new sites. It would sure be helpful if we could share our experiences with one another. I would love to get some suggestions from other users for sites that they have not had problems with.

Oh well, that's my soap box sermon for the day! Anyone else's thoughts?

 

usually I find if you NEED subs it's because the film is in a language you don't understand..

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

that's how to do it on linux/unix

 

I know of a few people who need subs in their own language because they are hearing impaired.

 

'Trainspotting' comes to mind.
Brando and Dylan could also benefit at times.

 

Indeed attar and toshibot have touched on my need - or desire - for subs. As a rule, I don't care for foreign films, so I don't have to worry about them being in a language I don't understand. But even movies spoken in English often have segments where the actors say something that I can't understand. I find myself rewinding repeatedly trying to figure out what they said and often give up trying. Maybe it is because this old country boy's ears are just not as good as they once were, we won't talk about that! Then again it is often the accent that I can't pick up on. The Harry Potter movies come to mind. The actors are all British. I know that they are speaking English, but the way they say things often sound to me as though they may as well be speaking some foreign language. Or maybe, for effect or something, the actor mumbles something that I just can't make out. Indeed attar, Marlon Brando was good at that. That is where I like to be able to turn the subtitles on and "read" what they said. Then I turn the subs back off and go on with the movie. Needless to say, subs are on constantly for the Harry Potter movies, to use the previous example.

So are subtitles essential? No, but they are nice to have to fall back on when needed.

That's my rant for the day!

 

Thanks guys for all the write-up. It was very informative.
Thanks LostUser and Cyprusrom. They were very helpful.

 

I read all your discussion trying to find a solution to my problem: When using Subsync i just get a black screen with no audio. What can I do?

 

@bidelce

I assume you successfully loaded the .avi file into Subsync and it still gives a black screen. It sounds like your .avi rip is corrupt. Have you tried playing the avi file with a media player to be sure it works?