:( Converting & hardsubbing mp4 issue..

[f4m45]

Hi,

Firstly, I am a beginner, but very eager to learn. I have successfully done quite some videos by following a lot of guidance provided in this forum. However, I am stuck with this video issue that seems to be totally out of my knowledge. Hence, I am asking for some help from experts like you all here. I would appreciate it so much if someone can provide me with step-by-step guidance that can solve this issue. Thank you in advance!

My ultimate goal is to HardSub an .mp4 movie that I have. Here is the info of the movie and sub-file:
video: mp4, 60fps according to AnyVideoConverter OR 29.97fps according to Xvid4PSP and avidemux (confusing, huh?! field or frame?), avc1, H264, 1280x720, 12209 frames, 6 minutes 47 seconds
audio: aac, stereo, 128 kbps, 44100 Hz, 6 minutes 47 seconds
sub: srt

Now, I am very frustrated due to the dozens of failures I had in the past couple days. Here are things I have tried (based on reading many articles in the forum):

1. Due to the fact that most softwares can handle .avi only, I tried converting the movie to .avi format using "any video converter." (I've been using this software for at least a year now, and very happy with it)
However, I found out that no matter what settings I used, the output movie is not in the correct length. By that I mean the movie is roughly half the length of the original movie. It seems like it's a 2x fast-forward movie.
I later on realized that the max fps setting in the software is 30, which explains why the movie is roughly half the length of the original movie only. (due to the fact that "any video converter" read the input file as 60fps while the max output option is only 30fps). As a note: I set the "Video Framerate" to "Auto."

Reading an article in this forum revealed that I could hardsub the movie later on using AutoGK with combination key "ctrl+f8", but at half the length, the file is rendered useless!

2. VirtualDub (along with the avisynth and vobsub)
Seems like this is the ultimate tool that most people here refer to. So I insisted on using this software until I finally gave up...
First of all, the file has to be in .avi format. But due to the previous output file issue from the conversion of mp4 to avi using "any video converter", the file is just not right! But I decided to give it a try anyway!
On top of that, I could NOT seem to integrate the .srt file into the movie. Here is the issue with the subtitle:
-- As instructed, I used "full processing" option.
-- In the filter menu (I already installed the vobsub according to the instruction on another article here too), I clicked "Add", then chose "textsub 2.23" instead of "vobsub 2.23" because my sub file is .srt.. Then I clicked "Open" and chose the .srt file, BUT...... even after choosing the .srt file, the "OK" button was still grayed out! And I noticed that the "Styles" button was grayed out as well. So, I got stuck there!

3. I downloaded avidemux, due to a guide in this forum as well.
Settings used:
Video --> MPEG-4 ASP (mpeg4)
Filters --> Subtitle -- I tried both "Subtitler" and "VobSub" (one at a time, of course!)
Audio --> AAC (Faac)
Format --> mp4 (because the original movie is mp4, I thought it would be best to not change the format)
===== Okay, I tried this 2 times (first with subtitler, second with vobsub), but both gave a movie that did NOT have subtitle. However, the length and resolution are both correct!
===== I tried again one last time using .avi setting under the "format" option (other settings were the same), but another failure.

4. Another guide suggested using Xvid4PSP.
This brought no luck as well... I have to admit that this software was the easiest to get around with though.
Settings used:
Format --> mp4
Filtering and Color Correction --> disabled
Video Encoding --> x264 Q21 HQ Film
Audio Encoding --> AAC-LC VBR 0.45
===== The preview display showed that it was supposed to be a success. But when it finished the encoding task, the output file was not in-sync, by means of audio and video were not correctly synced.
===== Analysis shows that the video is somewhere around 3-4 seconds too fast compared to the audio! But this issue exists from the beginning to the end of the output file, so I have no clue where it started to go wrong!

~ Now I am very curious and frustrated at the same time. I really want to be able to find the solution to this. Please kindly help me find the solution to this....
I am sure the easiest way to do this is to be able to convert this mp4 movie to avi format with the proper framerate! Once it's done, all sorts of option will be opened.. (especially if the virtualdub subtitle textsub 2.23 filter can somehow be fixed)

THANK YOU in advance...!!

.: Paul :.

[pirej]

There is no problem with textsub 2.23+virtualdub, i just tried to hardsub one of my 1280x720.mp4 (h264+ac3) using srt.
NO problem with textsub, and the output is hardsub-ed.
Maybe you should reinstall vobsub2.23

[f4m45]

First, THANK YOU for your helping. Here was what I have done:

I installed a whole new VirtualDubMod 1.5.10.2.b2542 (I previously used VirtualDub 1.9.6), then I run the vobsub installation file again & integrated the vobsub into the new VirtualDubMod... But, still, the same result!

I am confused, seems like no one ever mentioned or had this kind of issue before.. How can this be?????


Note:
By the way, I don't think the issue is whether the vobsub works or not (I am sure it would work fine), but the fact that I could not click "OK" once the "textsub 2.23" had been chosen and the .srt file addressed in the Filter menu. So, the operation was never actually performed due to the incapability to click "OK." (the OK button was grayed out, even in the newly installed VirtualDubMod and vobsub).

[pirej]

Ok, i tried using avidemux with "subtitler", and it works
So, in subtitler you should choose which font you want to use, if you dont choose.. there will be no subtitle in the output.
Just go to windows/fonts and copy "arial" or "tahoma" or whichever you want, and paste it on desktop or in the video file folder, and use it with subtitler.

[f4m45]

Hi, thanks for your reply... I've been busy and out of town this lately so I just got the chance to look at your reply. I will try this soon and post some pictures if I encounter issues.

Thank you for your time and patience!


EDIT:

Okay, I just got the chance to try your suggestion. For once, I could actually go on with the process!! THANK YOU............

But, other issues appeared:
1. The audio and video are not in sync! It seems like it got worse toward the end.
2. The subtitle did not successfully embedded into the end result.
(here is the link to the screenshot of the subtitle setting:
http://www.mediafire.com/imgbnc.php/146fb636d1e0992327e7716b2cdd9f79eb0707f78e3fafe4cb...be20681b6g.jpg
as you can see, I chose "filter -- subtitles -- subtitler" because my subtitle is in .srt format)
3. Seems like the quality of the video toward the end is very bad, similar to VERY LOW bitrate.. but, the video looks good in the beginning! So I don't know what went wrong.

Here is my setting:
Video: 'MPEG4 (AVC)'
Audio: 'Copy'
Format: 'mp4'

(note: I noticed that similar issue has been mentioned a couple times in other threads as well regarding the audio-video being out of sync, but I don't know how to make the fix of it)

Thanks in advance pirej for your help!