Subtitles from an existing text in iMovie or iDVD

[SuperMole]

Hello to you all,

Here is a question considering subtitle issue with iMovie film.
I edit a video using iMovie. I have the text file for my subtitles, but this program has the only possibility: type subs in manually. I presume these subs are then embedded. This method is very time and effort consuming, AND it takes huge place on my HD.

Is there any other method, which allows me to add this text file afterwards (or any other moment) as a whole to my DVD without having to type line by line? I don't have the references and indication of frames.

Here I found a reference to a program called Jubler, sounds like something I might want to use, but not clear when and how... What other tools would you advise?

I work under Mac OS X. If I have to add subs AFTER I made the DVD, tools for Windows are no problem. I would, however, prefer a tool that somehow integrates into iDVD or iMovie. Something like adding an extra timeline for text and adjusting its timing...

Thanks in advance!

P.S. This topic is copied from Subtitle section, where it didn't receive almost any suggestions except to post here.

[rumplestiltskin]

There is nothing for subtitles that integrates into iDVD or iMovie.

Jubler can be used to create the subtitles. You could then use a tool like ffmpegX to convert the movie to a DVD and include the subtitles (as a separate "turn on/turn off" function like a commercial DVD). Alternatively, ffmpegX will let you embed the subtitles as you encode the movie into an AVI or some sort.

Hope this helps.

[SuperMole]

Thanks for your reply.
Does it mean that after finishing my project in iMovie, I should use ffmpegX instead of iDVD? Do I first have to edit the text with Jubler (to ensure correct timing etc. if it allows to)?

[terryj]

yes, after using iMovie, save the timeline out as a Quicktime .mov file.
then use ffmpegx to author your Video_TS file and make your subtitles selectable.

Your text coould be edited with Jubler, TitleLab, or Subtitler
to insure your start point for each sub as it appears on screen is correct.
I like TitleLab for this, as you can preview the sub as it will appear,
and you then can adjust the time to match the lip movements, etc.

[SuperMole]

Isn't saving in .mov format loosing quality? Won't it be better to save as DV (and what do I do with my DVD chapters, leave them for the time being?)
For the clarity:
- I first save my movie,
- then edit my text to adjust timings,
- then author the movie with the subs using ffmpegx.

Is this correct?

And thanks a lot for your help!

[SuperMole]

What would you advise when iMovie refuses to open a project of 56 GB - might making some more space help? It just closes without any notice. Any advice on how to compress this project?

[terryj]

I'm guessing at this point that your 56Gb file is a DV file?

Yes, you'd lose some quality as a QT .mov file, but
how much is always up to you to determine by the codec
you use in the file. If you use a lossless codec like
Apple Motion Jpeg-A at 95 to 100% quality, or
h.264 at Best Quality setting, you'll get a high
quality file, but also a very HUGE file that may
choke your machine trying to do anything with it.

If you use a codec such as 3ivx r D4.51 or even DIVX,
you can adjust to get a good quality file, with some but
not drastic compression that will be smaller than
Apple Motion JpegA or H.264.

iMovie is refusing to load the file because of Scratch space;
iMovie needs equal to what you are trying to load in it,
or in layman's terms, you need DOUBLE the file size
for Imovie to open it. So for a 56GB file, IMovie needs
at least another 56GB of scratch space to handle and write
changes as you make them. Your specs only report a 120GB drive,
but I'm guessing between OS and other apps than iMovie,
you have less than 100GB free?
Subtract a 56GB file, from that 100GB, and you have around
44Gb or so.

If you do not have a free 100GB or better external drive
you could use to put the file on to free back your main HD,
then you might want to try going back and using a QT .mov file
saved in either H.264 or 3ivx, with no more than 10% compression
and about 95% quality, there by making iMovie use less scratch space
because the file will be smaller.

And as for your other question, yes your steps are correct for what
you are doing.

[SuperMole]

Thank you very much for your detailed reply!
I figured that iMovie needs this 'scratch' space, so probably I have to give up my project. My HD is 150 GB, typed it wrong? No way of cleaning so much space. The file which if 56 GB is the iMovie project made from an .avi (DV) with lossless quality. Too ambitious for such a laptop, I'm afraid.

From the subtitle tools listed probably only Jubler works with Intel-based Mac, so I'll give it a try.

[SuperMole]

My progress thus far is as follows.
I exported my iMovie project to a .dv file. Then I edited the text subtitles with Miyu (freeware) to adjust timings, and saved as a .srt file. Then loaded the movie and subs into ffmpegX and followed the instructions in the guide. Used DVD mpeg2enc preset, checked .VOB subtitles and selected .idx. In Options tab, everything remained as it was.
The result is: the files in the same folder as the original:
mymovie.dv.ff.ac3
mymovie.dv.ff.m2v
mymovie.dv.ff.mpg
mymovie.dv.ff.mpg.xml;
No Video_TS folder.
In .mpg file, no subtitles.
In Activity Monitor, I see that 99-100% CPU is used by mplayer (even when ffmpegX quits). No preview, no play or info avaiable - the program freezes when pressing these buttons (so I don't have the logfile of my last encoding).
What do I do with the resulting files, what did I do wrong in my encoding process and how can I get the subs (all fuzz was for the selectable subs, otherwise I'd've used iDVD instead)?
Anyone suggestions?
All help will be greatly appreciated!

[Herve]

[...]
Anyone suggestions?
All help will be greatly appreciated!

first, don't use ffmpegX for encoding (ony for subtitles), it don't handle fields (and you have them in dv). Use a soft that handle fields (Compressor, toast, iDVD or my sign)
tuto:
- Encode your dv with iDVD (make a disc image, not a direct burning)
- extract your mpeg file (encoded by iDVD) from the image disk (use mpegstreamclip, yade, etc) on your hard disk
- open ffmpegX or MovieGate (or another soft that handle subtitles) and add your .srt exported from Miyu to the mpeg
- author the resulting mpeg (VisualHub or ffmpegX for a basic structure, or MovieGate if you wants real menus)
PS: sorry but it will be too complex to try to reuse your new "mpeg"(transform as .vob during the authoring step) with the previous structure made by iDVD (if your have time to loose with this try, take a look to www.mydvdedit.com to understand how to do it )
bye

[SuperMole]

Thanks a lot for your reply!
Can you specify what exactly do I have to do in iDVD? And what do I do in ffmpegX / MovieGate to author?
Otherwise, what can I do with MovieConverter or Toast (drag my .dv and .srt files into DVD video and let it do the job, but then without menus I guess.....)?
Very grateful for your help!

[Herve]

Thanks a lot for your reply!
Can you specify what exactly do I have to do in iDVD?

encode!
make a real DVD (but choose DiscImage as output and not a direct burning)
don't loose time with menus, you won't use them

And what do I do in ffmpegX/ MovieGate to author?

with ffmpegX / VisualHub, just give you mpeg (with subtitle) and author it.
With MovieGate, do the same or:
- add a menu, chapters, thumbails, etc

bye

[SuperMole]

Oh you were faster than me
Waiting for iDVD to encode, cannot try MovieGate or the rest.
Do I have to export Mpeg-4 with MpegStreamclip, and leave audio alone? Couldn't it be easier to convert the .dv file to something MovieGate could handle?
And I would like to have menus, hope it will be easy.
I don't really understand what "just give you mpeg (with subtitle) and author it" means....
Thanks again!

[Herve]

Do I have to export Mpeg-4 with MpegStreamclip, and leave audio alone?

???
encode with iDVD, iDVD will produce to you a DVD.
open your resulting DVD with mpegstreamclip or Yade.
extract ("convert to mpeg" in mpsc, or "extract to vob" in yade), your video from the disc iDVD produced.

Couldn't it be easier to convert the .dv file to something MovieGate could handle?

read the previous post, only 4 softs handle interlaced streams... (MovieGate is almost the 5th, but it doesn't handle every case of interlacing, all others are bad with these sort of streams).

And I would like to have menus, hope it will be easy.

with MovieGate it's easy.
so, now you have a mpeg (mpsc) or a vob (yade)
- load the file in MovieGate, clic on "keep"or "demux" -I don't remember exacltly- (no need to re-encode), add your subtitle in the same window (srt from Miyu).
- make a nice menu (last tab menu )
- clic on "start" (will be fast)
- burn
bye

[SuperMole]

MovieGate is supposed to be a great program, but it's not. It really does not offer the possibility to intuitively edit and author, leave alone preview :S By the way, MovieGate did do the job of creating a DVD from .dv and .srt files, but it did not do it correctly. No "nice menu", no possibility of adding selectable chapters, etc.

Please advise me some other, friendlier, tool. Is the soft from your signature something I'm looking for?

I'll try the first method with mpegstreamclip.
And thanks for your input!

[Herve]

MovieGate is supposed to be a great program, but it's not. It really does not offer the possibility to intuitively edit and author, leave alone preview :S

???
select a track in the main tab
select a subtitle just below
clic "add"
the mpeg and its subtitle will be collect in the drawer below
---
go the chapter tab, select the track you want to chapter in the drawer.
make your chapters.
---
go to the menu track
add a background picture or "skin"
specify the title, position of your thumbails, or import a new file
---
clic on start

I have been using MovieGate since version 1
I had no problem with it
(if you had a bug, report it to its developper, he will listen it)

By the way, MovieGate did do the job of creating a DVD from .dv and .srt files, but it did not do it correctly. No "nice menu", no possibility of adding selectable chapters, etc.

strange (maybe a limitation of the demo version, are you a registred user?)

Is the soft from your signature something I'm looking for?

no, it's actually an encoder "only" (subtitles and authoring will come later, I'm in debug state for them...)

I'll try the first method with mpegstreamclip. And thanks for your input!

mpsc is not your answer, this soft is great but it doesn't handle subtitle and mpeg2 encoding (only decoding)

use ffmpegX (no menus ), select your mpeg extracted from iDVD, add subtitle (tools tab), create a dvd (tools tab).
If my memories are not too bad, no chapter, no menus, but produce a dvd...

bye

[SuperMole]

select a track in the main tab
select a subtitle just below
clic "add"
the mpeg and its subtitle will be collect in the drawer below

No problem with these steps.
---

go the chapter tab, select the track you want to chapter in the drawer.
make your chapters.

This also seems ok.
See the attached snapshot. What I want is to link the button "Play movie" to the movie, and the button "Scene selection" to, obviously, the scenes. I also want to call the scenes as they are called in the film

specify the title, position of your thumbails, or import a new file

So here I have the problems. I just don't get the logic of "title" and "submenus" within this program. (see other snapshots here: http://afkatja.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!251A47471B66BD0F!133/)


picture%201.png

[Herve]

What I want is to link the button "Play movie" to the movie, and the button "Scene selection" to, obviously, the scenes. I also want to call the scenes as they are called in the film

right, you can't access to chapter directly with MovieGate (I didn't understand it was your aim)

So here I have the problems. I just don't get the logic of "title" and "submenus" within this program. (see other snapshots here: http://afkatja.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!251A47471B66BD0F!133/)

snapshots are not avaible but this feature will not help you (this sort of menu is like a "subfolder" for videos, not an ability to access to a special stream)
You have no other simple soluce, instead of DVDSP (expensive) or myDVDEdit (you must have some knowledge about DVD-authoring) or command line dvauthor (very friendly)
Last soluce -and worst one- is to integrate subtitles directly in the mpeg (re-encode/hardcode subtitle inside the picture )

no other (bad) idea
bye

[SuperMole]

[quote="Herve"]

So here I have the problems. I just don't get the logic of "title" and "submenus" within this program. (see other snapshots here: http://afkatja.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!251A47471B66BD0F!133/)

snapshots are not avaible but this feature will not help you (this sort of menu is like a "subfolder" for videos, not an ability to access to a special stream)

Uhm... let's say I only want a button like "Play movie" that links to the film, forget about chapters and scenes. I make a submenu, because "button" tab leads somehow to a submenu when double-click. (Otherwise the "Button" tab is all inactive, see attached snapshot.) There I place the track as the program calls my film and hope it will link to the film as my previous attempt was a menu that led nowhere.... Is this correct? When the DVD is ready, after inserting the disc one will get a menu and after pressing "Play movie" the movie? I cannot get even this far

You have no other simple soluce, instead of DVDSP (expensive) or myDVDEdit (you must have some knowledge about DVD-authoring) or command line dvauthor (very friendly)
Last soluce -and worst one- is to integrate subtitles directly in the mpeg (re-encode/hardcode subtitle inside the picture )

What is command line dvauthor (accessible via Terminal? Then I doubt it might be friendly....)? This is so uncomprehensible, that such a simple task of making a DVD with menu and chapters (all nicely available in iDVD) AND subtitles (not available in iDVD) costs so much effort.... Maybe I see it wrong?

[Herve]

Uhm... let's say I only want a button like "Play movie" that links to the film, forget about chapters and scenes. I make a submenu,

no need for un submenu (you just have one button - the movie)

(Otherwise the "Button" tab is all inactive, see attached snapshot.)

each button = a different track
to modify one button, you must select it: clic on the thumbail or clic the track in the list below, (every time you add a video, the list display it, if you want to select a track clic on this list, same behavior as chapters).
PS: at home when I select a button, the thumbail becomes red (depends of your preferences)

Is this correct?

sorry no idea of what you did, seems you have only one video track, 2 buttons in the main menu, 1 button in an other submenu? Don't manage to see more with your snapshot

What is command line dvauthor (accessible via Terminal? )?

oops, dvdauthor

such a simple task of making a DVD with menu and chapters AND subtitles (not available in iDVD) costs so much effort...

not a simple task without a GUI
I don't know why you didn't succeed (maybe some problems with ergonomy or tutorial?), my last attempts were easy, but I didn't try with the last version.
bye

[SuperMole]

each button = a different track
to modify one button, you must select it: clic on the thumbail or clic the track in the list below, (every time you add a video, the list display it, if you want to select a track clic on this list, same behavior as chapters).
PS: at home when I select a button, the thumbail becomes red (depends of your preferences)

All right, I export the film and subtitles, then go to the button tab and it's deactivated, cannot edit anything. I right-click there and choose "Add selected track to the main menu". I see the thumbnail, when I select it, it also becomes red. I don't need submenus or whatever, I just want (as simple as that) a film with subtitles and chapters. Then I click start and voila.... a menu, which leads to nowhere, a black screen with title "My DVD" (which is a submenu I didn't edit). So really disappointing, this was my second try with same result. Giving it up....
By the way, the .mpeg file created by mpegstremclip could not be read by ffmpegX (using mpeg2enc codec; ffmpeg codec deactivates subtitles so not an option for me).
I would agree now to something very simple, just the film and subs!

oops, dvdauthor

Seems a Windows tool.....?

not a simple task without a GUI
I don't know why you didn't succeed (maybe some problems with ergonomy or tutorial?), my last attempts were easy, but I didn't try with the last version.

Ergonomy of the MovieGate program? It's just very very unfriendly... (or am I seeing it too difficult?)

[JoseDA]

Hello:

I'm looking for how add subtitles from a SRT file (or similar) to AVI file (and another files) and generate a DVD. The best answer I have found it's in this forum and that was posible just with ffmegX (that we can download in this web or in the program web (www.ffmpegX.org)

It's surprising that 5 years after this post, there isn't anything new and not just that, now we can't have DVD studio pro

The process with ffmepgX is some difficult and I've writed a manual IN SPANISH that I think will be help to many people in the same situation as me

Thank you because without this forum I couldn't do that

JoseDA

[Case]

By the way, the .mpeg file created by mpegstremclip could not be read by ffmpegX (using mpeg2enc codec; ffmpeg codec deactivates subtitles so not an option for me).

ffmpegX detects the source file format by looking at the suffix first. If you rename your .mpeg to .mpg, then ffmpegX can continue in your process.

oops, dvdauthor

Seems a Windows tool...?

Also a Linux/Unix/BSD/Darwin command line tool, which is used by various Mac GUI apps, including ffmpegX.

[rumplestiltskin]

It's surprising that 5 years after this post, there isn't anything new and not just that, now we can't have DVD studio pro

Well, not too surprising given that DVDs are so 20th Century. The solution today seems to be devices like the WDTV that can display subtitle files along with the selected video.