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  1. Member
    Join Date
    May 2008
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    United States
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    Hi,

    I have a DVD for a seminer. It does not come with the subtitle at all. However, I also have the transcript the speaker speaks throughout the seminer, in a text file (txt). I'd like to add the subtitle to the DVD.

    I have some (limited) experience of adding the subtitle. Here my question is, how do I make the subtitle files (srt, sub, sup whatever) from the text file.

    Thanks
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  2. Banned
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Freedonia
    Search Comp PM
    Unless you are honestly willing to spend 24+ hours (I am talking 24 real hours, not a one day period - I mean 8 hours a day for 3 days or 6 hours a day for 4 days, etc.) doing this and willing to repeat all your work when it fails (it probably will), you don't really want to do this. It's not worth the effort.

    Getting the text file converted to SRT is trivial. Getting the time codes to use with the subtitles is unbelievably difficult. Doing subtitles sucks more than you can possibly imagine. Whatever they pay people to do it, it's not enough. We may have guides here on how to create your own subs, but you'll have to get the time codes to use by hand it will freakin' take FOREVER to do that. You cannot possibly understand how much work this will be if you asked about it. I'd advise you to give this up. It's just not worth it. If you must do it, look at the Guides section on the left, but almost certainly you will give up very early on once you understand how time consuming this will be.
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  3. Member
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    May 2008
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    United States
    Search Comp PM
    Thank for your reply.

    Actually, the seminar is only 45 min long, and creating the srt file is not really difficult (at least for a seminar, movie may be different, i guess). I actually did one for the first seminar using DivXLand Media Subtitler. I agree missing a line or two and going back to rework can be headach. But there is no other choices. This is not a popular movie and somebody has to do it.

    The problem I am running into this time is, DivXLand Media Subtitler plays only mpeg but not dvd disc. The particular dvd I am now working on has multiple vob in the chapter (I guess this is called as multiple pgc, but not sure). But the movie plays seamlessly from second 1. I can't just split the scrip file into multiple files and sync them individually (or the srt files will all start at time 0).

    Or may be I was asking the wrong question for my situation. I should first find out how I should structure the srt file(s) for multi-pgc movie.

    Any clue?

    Thanks
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  4. Banned
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
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    Freedonia
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    You can get various SRT subtitles here:
    http://subtitles.images.o2.cz/
    Just pick one and download it. Open it with a text editor and the format should be self-evident.

    Unless you're getting a grade or pay for it, you don't HAVE to do it. I tried just to sync some NTSC subtitles to a PAL DVD I have a copy of where there has never been anything but a heavily edited release in NTSC countries, but I gave up because it was going to take probably 4-6 hours minimum to get the final 60% of the subtitles to sync up. Just not worth it to me. I just hate messing with subtitles. It takes a lot of time, but if you want to have a go, good luck.

    Are you REALLY sure there aren't already subtitles for this film? Yes, there are movies with no English subs, but you'd be surprised how many films do have them. Mentioning the film might be useful. You never know - somebody might know where a subtitle file is and save you an awful lot of work.
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  5. Member
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    May 2008
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    United States
    Search Comp PM
    I am sure there is not subtitle on the DVD. This is not a commercial movie. It is only the recording on some sort of training seminar. The seminar is in English but some of our folks are not very good at listening in such second language. The bese resource we can get is the transcript from the speaker, and certain level of out-of-sync error can be toleratd, as long as the message can be transmitted. That's why I said the effort is affortable. I agree with you that making it to movie is too heavy.

    I am looking for a workable solution to overcome the technical difficulties.

    However, if you have ever come accross any movie with multiple pgc and point me where I can get the srt file, I'd love to download it and have a look at it to see what the requirements are for multiple pgc file. (I'd done one successfully with single pgc).
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  6. Member manusse's Avatar
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    Jun 2006
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    France
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    Hi,

    You can use VisualSubSync to create a srt file using the audio stream of your DVD.
    Then use SubtitleCreator to convert the srt to sup and add it to your DVD (use the DVD authoring wizard).

    Cheers
    Manusse
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  7. Member X_Splinter's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    Portugal
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    Amagrace... Is not that hard to make subtitles, I am translator and "subtitle maker" (i dont know the name in English).

    It take a lot of hours, my record is 45 minutes translation in 5 days, (1h30) for day... its like 7h30 in total.

    If you dont like what you gonna translate it will take like 2 months. Using Subtitle workshop.

    If you need any tips let me know. When the subtitle is done... its really good see it... Hard work but we feel good cause we transmit a message to those who read.

    With Subtitle workshop everything is easy
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  8. Member X_Splinter's Avatar
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    Jan 2007
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    Portugal
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    I make some testes and its easy to convert a text into a subtitle.

    Make a line in Subtitle workshop.

    Then past all the text into that line.

    Then press: Ctrl-Shift-V (this will divide the line after the nš of characters who choose (40 by default)

    So kept pressing Ctrl-Shift-V until all the text is divided in multiple subtitles lines.

    Then you only have to synchronize with the movie.
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