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  1. Member
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    I've searched around for a straightforward answer to this without success but I could well have overlooked something, so apologies if this has already been asked and answered.

    I have a downloaded 90 minute MP4 video with an associated srt subtitle file. I've rewritten and generally tidied up the subs (using Subtitle Edit, which I've used before) but this time I'd also like to add some basic text formatting (italics and bold).

    I've added the formatting tags in Subtitle Edit and saved the new srt file, but when I try burning a DVD and playing it in a standalone player, the formatting is ignored. I'm using DVDStyler for the burning, with the settings I usually use for srt files with no formatting, which has always worked well.

    Is there some obvious step I've overlooked? Or am I trying to do something which simply cannot be done? Should I use Save As in Subtitle Edit to change the srt file to another format?

    Many thanks for any help or advice.
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    I've never personally found a standalone player of any kind that obeys formatting commands like italics or bold in SRT subtitles. This is why I use a text editor to delete all those HTML type markers from SRT subtitles. Now that I've said that I don't know of any players that obey them, someone will surely post naming a player that does, so take that for whatever it's worth.
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    Jman98, Thanks for your reply. Given what you say, is there a way in which I can ensure that formatting is reproduced by any standalone player? Can it be done by using a subtitle file version other than srt? If so, which would be the best one to use?
    Last edited by Bert Coules; 4th Apr 2014 at 19:04.
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  5. Member netmask56's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by jman98 View Post
    I've never personally found a standalone player of any kind that obeys formatting commands like italics or bold in SRT subtitles. This is why I use a text editor to delete all those HTML type markers from SRT subtitles. Now that I've said that I don't know of any players that obey them, someone will surely post naming a player that does, so take that for whatever it's worth.
    Oh well! Yes the Popcorn C200 does obey formatting commands like italics or bold in SRT subtitles and I think the DUNE models do as well, not sure about WDTV Live...... Has someone suggested the OP try ASS format assuming his media player can cope?
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    Netmask56, Thanks for your reply. I need the burned DVD to be playable in any standalone player, so a different file format sounds like the way to go. There's an option in Subtitle Edit to Save As ASS, but I'm not sure if DVDStyler, my usual burning program, can handle that format: I'll check.

    LATER...

    That was interesting. DVDStyler does recognise ASS files, so I just tried burning a short test video. I added subtitles with italics and bold tags in Subtitle Edit and checked that the formatting was reproduced properly in the program's video window. Then I saved the file as ASS. I loaded video and subs into DVDStyler, went into the formatting options and set text colour to yellow and font (experimentally) to Comic Sans. Then I burned a DVD.

    The colour and the font were reproduced, but the italics and bold were not. More experimenting needed, obviously.
    Last edited by Bert Coules; 4th Apr 2014 at 19:30.
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  7. I've used SSA subs with the kinds of styles you mention and gotten them into DVDs and kept the styles. I create SST subs from the SSA using MaestroSBT and then use them in Muxman when authoring. I don't know how DVDStyler handles it.
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    Manono, I'll see if DVDStyler can handle SST subs and if so, give that a try. Thanks.

    LATER...

    SST isn't an option in DVDStyler. I just tried using an SSA file and the result was the same: colour, font and size (all set in DVDStyler) were recognised but the italics and bold text formatting in the SST file were not. Perhaps I should try a different burner program.
    Last edited by Bert Coules; 4th Apr 2014 at 20:10.
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  9. Originally Posted by Bert Coules View Post
    I just tried using an SSA file and the result was the same: colour, font and size (all set in DVDStyler) were recognised but the italics and bold text formatting in the SST file were not.
    Author using Muxman and then replace the original with bad subs with the new Muxman authored one using either VobBlanker or PGCEdit. Fix the colors in either PGCEdit or DVDSubEdit.
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    Wouldn't that permanently embed the subs? Or am I mistaken? I'd rather have them switchable, if possible. Doesn't hard-coding introduce a certain degradation into the video file?
    Last edited by Bert Coules; 4th Apr 2014 at 20:41.
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  11. I'm a Super Moderator johns0's Avatar
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    You can use multiavchd to re-encode and burn the mp4 to dvd-video and the subs will have proper italics,bold and colors.
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  12. Originally Posted by Bert Coules View Post
    Wouldn't that permanently embed the subs?
    No. Muxman isn't an encoder but only an authoring program. You could try what I suggested and then play the DVD Muxman makes to check if it did what you wanted (ignoring the colors) You could even check the BMPs included in the SST file or the individual subtitle lines while still in MaestroSBT to confirm you got the italics and bolded lines. All DVDs you make authoring with Muxman will have selectable subs unless they were hardcoded into the M2V (video) itself earlier.
    Last edited by manono; 5th Apr 2014 at 00:34.
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    Thanks Johns0 and Manono for the replies: I'll investigate your suggestions.
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    After a lot of experimentation, I decided to try hard-coding the subs after all. I've been playing around with XViD4PSP and have started a new thread with some specific questions about that program. Any help will be gratefully received.
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