How can i extract subs that seemingly do not exist?

[Unknown01]

I have a mkv file with softsubs in english.

However, i cannot properly extract them.

MKVCleaver can't find them:



MKVExtract can't either:



Potplayer can save an .ass subtitle file, but only the first 2-3 lines of the subtitles.

FFMPEG can extract them BUT they are all messed up, the font size is WAY too big and like half the screen.

How can i extract these subs like i see them in the file?

[poisondeathray]

Did you try a newer mkvextract version ? Your screenshots show versions 2-3 years old

[Unknown01]

Did you try a newer mkvextract version ? Your screenshots show versions 2-3 years old

Yeah, it automatically gives an error when i try to add it:



This is actually a video of a show that aired a few weeks ago, so it can't be some old obscure subs format that no modern software can work with.

Like i said, FFMPEG can extract them, but the styling of the subtitles is completely wrong (font size, font style, everything is broken).

I even went and got the latest FFMPEG and MKVtoolnix but the problem remains.

[october262]

Did you try a newer mkvextract version ? Your screenshots show versions 2-3 years old

Yeah, it automatically gives an error when i try to add it:



This is actually a video of a show that aired a few weeks ago, so it can't be some old obscure subs format that no modern software can work with.

Like i said, FFMPEG can extract them, but the styling of the subtitles is completely wrong (font size, font style, everything is broken).

I even went and got the latest FFMPEG and MKVtoolnix but the problem remains.

try the program called subtitle edit - https://superuser.com/questions/302481/program-for-extracting-subtitle-text-from-mkv-files
https://www.videohelp.com/software/Subtitle-Edit

[ProWo]

Post the extracted one (with Ffmpeg) here.

[Ai Haibara]

It might help if you posted a Mediainfo log (in text mode) of the MKV. That way, we can see if there's anything special about the subtitles within the MKV that might be causing problems.

[netmask56]

As above or open the file in MKVToolNix and that will show all the elements. Just a reminder if anyone has any problems with mp4 or mkv files the first post should always include a MediaInfo log. Makes life a lot easier for someone to help.

[Unknown01]

Is this enough?



That's the subtitle file i want to get, text #2 and text #3 are other languages.

Fun fact: This only happens with THIS show episode, other episodes subtitles can be extracted and look normal.

[ProWo]

You can try to extract it with clever FFmpeg-GUI

[ProWo]

You could also try to remux your 02.mkv to a new mkv with Mkvtoolnix.

[Unknown01]

You can try to extract it with clever FFmpeg-GUI

Nope, doesn't work.



It's weird it says it can't find the file, i am chose the file and never moved it, i even can play it with a video player so the file is at the location specified.

You could also try to remux your 02.mkv to a new mkv with Mkvtoolnix.

Not sure what you meant with remux but i opened it in mkvtoolnix, removed the unwanted audio and made a new video file, with only the subs i wanted.

It still doesn't work, MKVExtractGUI2 doesn't even find anything:



Same with MKVCleaver.

I have never found subs these weird before.

[ProWo]

As last resort you could upload your 02.mkv to a hoster and post the download link here, so we can work with the faulty file and maybe find a solution.

[jagabo]

FFMPEG can extract them BUT they are all messed up, the font size is WAY too big and like half the screen.

So edit the ASS file with notepad or wordpad and change the font size.

[Unknown01]

So edit the ASS file with notepad or wordpad and change the font size.

If i resize it in the notepad, the position of the subs are all messed up too.

I tried comparing the subs of that show episode with other episode and they look completely different in notepad:



One seems like a normal srt file while the other (the problematic one) is all messed up.

Everything about this file format is just a complete and utter mess, most tools cannot work with it or if they do they give a wrong result. Sometimes something works, then when repeat that it doesn't work and so.

Mediainfo probably found nothing unusual either.

[jagabo]

Use Wordpad instead of Notepad. It should show the file correctly. Windows normally uses CR+LF at the end of a line. Linux uses only CR. Notepad doesn't display Linux text documents correctly (as you have seen). Wordpad does.

[Unknown01]

As last resort you could upload your 02.mkv to a hoster and post the download link here, so we can work with the faulty file and maybe find a solution.

I just noticed by your username, you are the creator of clever FFMPEG GUI?

If want to check the file, it's the torrent here:

https://nyaa.si/view/1373596

I tried to cut a piece of video and upload that instead because it's 600mb and would take a while to upload but the subtitles gave more problems so i couldn't.

Use Wordpad instead of Notepad. It should show the file correctly. Windows normally uses CR+LF at the end of a line. Linux uses only CR. Notepad doesn't display Linux text documents correctly (as you have seen). Wordpad does.

Thanks.

But it seems that the mega-font size moved the subs up than their normal position, so even if resize them i end with subs that are too high up.

Original subtitles before i try anything: https://forum.videohelp.com/images/imgfiles/0x5i4tL.png
The ones i get when i extract with FFMPEG: https://forum.videohelp.com/images/imgfiles/q1UMNmZ.png
Rezised version of the ones edited with FFMPEG: https://forum.videohelp.com/images/imgfiles/IDP1PKR.png

It might seem unimportant, but later the subs being too high affect later the video visibility.

[ProWo]

As last resort you could upload your 02.mkv to a hoster and post the download link here, so we can work with the faulty file and maybe find a solution.

I just noticed by your username, you are the creator of clever FFMPEG GUI?

Yes

[ProWo]

Here is your subtitle, extracted with clever FFmpeg-GUI

[Unknown01]

Here is your subtitle, extracted with clever FFmpeg-GUI

That's amazing, thanks a lot!!

For reference to solve future problematic files, how did you do it?

Like i said, Clever FFMPEG-GUI gave me an error, MKVCleaver struggled to even read the file (and couldn't find a subtitle track) and MKVExtractGUI2 also couldn't find anything. And FFMPEG extracted the oversized subs i mentioned in my last reply.

[ProWo]

I think your torrent download is buggy. Download again and retry

[ProWo]

Here is your subtitle, extracted with clever FFmpeg-GUI

That's amazing, thanks a lot!!

For reference to solve future problematic files, how did you do it?

Like i said, Clever FFMPEG-GUI gave me an error

Whats your OS? XP, vista, 7, 8 or 10?
clever Ffmpeg-GUI needs NET Framework 4.6 to work.

[Unknown01]

Here is your subtitle, extracted with clever FFmpeg-GUI

That's amazing, thanks a lot!!

For reference to solve future problematic files, how did you do it?

Like i said, Clever FFMPEG-GUI gave me an error

Whats your OS? XP, vista, 7, 8 or 10?
clever Ffmpeg-GUI needs NET Framework 4.6 to work.

W7 64 bits, NET framework 4.8.

Maybe i am missing some system updates, i guess i'll have to check that later.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

No matter what i did only FFMPEG gave me subtitles but they were oversized.

[jagabo]

I downloaded the torrent and extracted the ass subs with ffmpeg and they played normally.

ffmpeg -i testvid.mkv -c copy -testvid.ass

And they look normal in Notepad:

[Script Info]
Title: [Erai-raws] SHADOWS HOUSE - 02 [eng]
ScriptType: v4.00+
WrapStyle: 0
PlayResX: 1280
PlayResY: 720
Video Zoom Percent: 1
Scroll Position: 0
Active Line: 0
ScaledBorderAndShadow: yes

[V4+ Styles]
Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding
Style: Default,Open Sans Semibold,45,&H00FFFFFF,&H000000FF,&H00020713,&H00000000,-1,0,0,0,100,100,0,0,1,1.7,0,2,10,10,25,1

[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Actor, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.14,0:00:20.27,Default,,0,0,0,,Waking each morning, one finds\Nblack soot covering everything.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.27,0:00:22.52,Default,,0,0,0,,Nightclothes are blackened.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.14,0:00:26.44,Default,,0,0,0,,The bed is blackened.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.44,0:00:30.98,Default,,0,0,0,,Whatever one touches...
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.82,0:00:36.66,Default,,0,0,0,,...gets dirty.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.66,0:00:38.16,Default,,0,0,0,,Dirty.