adding subs to avi problems

[Kharackien]

Hi, im a new guy thats just joined the wonderful world dvd films and subbing etc.

what ive been wanting to ask has been bugging me since i joined. (since i had to wait 2 days b4 i could post anything )

my problem is that im trying to permanently add subs to an avi of mine. ive read all these articles on it but none seem to fit what i want? or maybe im doing it wrong, i dont really know, my ickle newbie mind cant take it no more.

basically all i want to do is permanently add subs to an avi (using Iron Monkey CD1.avi as an example with .srt and also have .ssa for it) WITHOUT editing the avi file in anyway possible (with the exception of adding the subs of course) all these guides seem to convert the original file into a different file say mpeg etc.

ive tried using lets say...... virtual dub, i know that for instance u can add subs on thru the filters etc, but unless i compress the avi using the various formats (divx etc, u know :P ) but it makes the avi lose too much quality for me to be satisified with, but if i dont compress it, it becomes a massive 15+ gig file or something!
its also the same if i were to use TMPGenc.

it seems like such an easy task, yet i really dont have any clue.

i dont know what to do, and i would like for a nice person to come help me out

[celtic_druid]

You can't hard encode subs without re-encoding. Your ownly option is softsubs in the form of a seperate subtitle stream or to re-encode. You can mux the subs into the avi with say AVIMuxGUI if you wish so as to only have 1 file, however this will lower compatibility as compared to an external file.

If you do re-encoded then you have the quality loss that comes with re-encoding, plus the fact that subs are just simply hard to compress, so if you are using the same original bitrate then yes there will be a noiticable drop in quality.

[Kharackien]

Hi, thanks for replying. meh damn, i thought you would be able to but i guess not.

what did u mean but mux-ing the subs into the avi but it will reduce compatibility? i didnt quite get that.

if i was to use softsubs (does this mean subs that arent permanently added, as in you can turn them off and on?) which guide would u recommend? I would not have to re-encode it right?

thanks again.

[celtic_druid]

Well take a standalone hardware player, it may support an external subtitle stream, however not one muxed into the avi. Not all avi splitters may parse the subs, etc.

To use softsubs you just make sure that the srt/ssa and avi are together and have the same name. Then with the correct setup the subs will autoload on playback.

[Kharackien]

hey there,

i know about keeping them the same name etc, altho the problem is that they dont seem to work on my dvd player (Dk Digital dvd player model 915) but they work on my pc.

can you advise me what type of compression should i do, to minimise the amount of picture quality lost?