Solutions for videos and subtitles in Mac OS X

What is the best way to merge a .srt subtitles file with a Movie, and have it subtitled online. I have a mp4 file and I've already made the subtitles in a .srt file. I've used the SubMerge software, but when I upload the generated mp4 to vimeo, there's no subtitles. It seems that subtitles generated by this software are some kind of meta-data inside the video. Is there any way to RENDER the subtitles whithin the video, so it can go online in any video website?

Daniel Cukier

Posted 2009-09-17T03:04:06.667

Reputation: 3 270

Answers

Submerge is what you asking for, you must be doing something wrong.

Go to File, select "Open file" and navigate to the video file you want to add the subtitles to.
Click the "Choose" ikon in the top left side of the main windows and navigte to and select the .srt file
The program now renders the subtitles, which actually means it's converting the text to graphics in order to embed them into the video.
assuming that the size and sync of the font is what you want, klick the export wheel and select your desired format. I use iPhone or AppleTV. Both are h264 and will upload fine to most video services.

Hope this helps. /Ulrik

ulrikhansen

Posted 2009-09-17T03:04:06.667

Reputation: 168

I did exactly this in this movie: http://vimeo.com/6094673 - as you can see, when I uploadit to vimeo, the subtitles are not shown on the vimeo flash player. But if you download the video on the same page (right corner, bellow) you'll see the video with subtitles

– Daniel Cukier – 2009-09-23T14:49:16.747

I finally discovered what was happening. If you export in Submerge using .mov format, it will add soft subtitles. Using mp4 export format, it creates the hard format, what I wanted. I've just uploaded the generated video to vimeo and the subtitless are there! THANKS! – Daniel Cukier – 2009-09-25T14:12:26.867

What you did is… you used -> Soft, non-destructive subtitles

I love them a lot because I can attach Japanese, English and German subtitles (and also choose between several audiotracks). This is extremely flexible.

If you want the uploaded movie to always appear with subtitles attached you need to export them hard burned / hardcoded. Like Ulrik said, all the pictures must be processed aka the whole movie will get rendered again with subtitles.

Here are some software tips:

iSubtitle does the same thing as Submerge, but maybe you can handle it better. Try the demo.
Muxo for Soft Subtitles only :)
Handbrake Great free alternative to all things video related, you can also to these hard burned subtitles with it. Check it out!

…learn more about hard burn subtitles here.

patrick

Posted 2009-09-17T03:04:06.667

Reputation: 950

So, submerge doesn't have the option to create Hard subtitles? – Daniel Cukier – 2009-09-24T13:48:03.660

I'm trying to use Handbrake, but it doesn't render subtitles. Is there any special way to do it? There's no field where I can choose the .srt file to be attached. – Daniel Cukier – 2009-09-24T14:13:45.863

BTW, iSubtitle 1.4 is bugged in Snow Leopard. When I try to export the movie, it crashes... – Daniel Cukier – 2009-09-24T14:15:32.350

Submerge should have no problem creating them. In fact it used to only to do in the beginning.

I doesn’t remember exactly the settings for this, but you should be able to export it "flattened" or to "render subtitles". If one of those two options works I deserved a thumbs up from you :] – patrick – 2009-09-24T15:33:01.070