Font too small in Subtitles!

[Haole Dave]

I have ffmpegx 0.0.9y-L r2

My font for hard subbing my avi's using srt's is VERY small. Impossible to read it without being very very close to the screen.
I tried to install the 2005 binaries I've seen in earlier threads, but none of that works. I've never had a problem with the 0.0.9y on my other laptop with Leopard with up-to-date binaries. In fact, I can still use that for subbing.

But with this ffmpegx on my Lion Macbook Pro, I can't edit the font size. Can someone help me with this? I cannot find any other program for Mac that can help me with hard subbing srt's to avi's... (Without paying...)

Hopefully Rumple or Case can help me as I've seen they are experts at this.

[Case]

Perian can help you with hard subs, when you convert using a preset that allows for QT decoding (e.g. XviD ffmpeg), and not select subs through ffmpegX.
Such subs will look quite different, though. And there is very little control over how it will look. But I doubt you'll find them too small...

I don't think the change in behavior of ffmpegX can be helped without the aid of the developer.

Personally, I don't use hard subbing much as VLC and the WDTV can use external subs just fine.

[Haole Dave]

Yeah. It wouldn't matter if I watch it on my computer, but that's not the case. I have Perian, so I can watch it as soft subs, but I'm trying to hard sub it because I put them on the PS3, so the whole family can watch the Korean shows on the TV. Unfortunately, soft subs doesn't work with that...

But I'm confused about how to use Perian to hard sub them... Because I already have it, and I still have the problem with ffmpegx. I wouldn't mind it not being able to change anything, but as long as the font size is big...

[Case]

1/ Perian can find the subtitle file by itself if it is in the same folder as the movie, with the same base name.
2/ Test play the movie file in QuickTime Player to see if the subtitles are rendered correctly in the video.
3/ Set up for conversion with ffmpegX: Load source file, set preset, set options as you want them.
4/ Don't specify subtitles in ffmpegX, as that will be done through Perian.
5/ For ffmpegX to use the Perian subtitle feature, you must use QuickTime decoding; only then will Perian be invoked.
You may set "Decode with QT" in the Options tab. This is not available for mencoder conversions.
6/ Encode.

[Haole Dave]

Ah! Now I understand the "decode with Quicktime"! Just put a different present than DivX (mencoder)! Now I can check it.

It is very different from mencoder subs, which is a shame. I really liked those other subs. Is there a way to get those to work? Or is that just dead in Lion OS X?

Thanks for the help though!

Edit: Looks like there was still a problem... I try to just encode Episode 3.avi without specifying the Episode 3.srt in filters, and what happens is it chooses Episode 39.srt. Which is WAY mismatched. I ended up just making it 03.srt and 03.avi. Hopefully there shouldn't be any more problems...

[Case]

Is there a way to get those [mencoder subs] to work? Or is that just dead in Lion OS X?

For use with ffmpegX, it is up to the developer to come up with a fix for the font size.

Edit: Looks like there was still a problem... I try to just encode Episode 3.avi without specifying the Episode 3.srt in filters, and what happens is it chooses Episode 39.srt. Which is WAY mismatched. I ended up just making it 03.srt and 03.avi. Hopefully there shouldn't be any more problems...

True. Perian makes no distinction between foo.srt and foo-whatever.srt, and picks the first one it finds. Using a numbering scheme with "03" etc. would fix that to unique names.

[Haole Dave]

Dang... seems like ffmpegx may not do something like that. It's okay. The bolder font is growing on me.

So, there shouldn't be a problem with Episode 20.avi with Episode 20.srt and Episode 21.avi with Episode 21.srt?

[Case]

So, there shouldn't be a problem with Episode 20.avi with Episode 20.srt and Episode 21.avi with Episode 21.srt?

I don't expect any problem. You can test it by playing the avi in QuickTime Player. Perian's functionality through ffmpegX should act exactly the same.

[Haole Dave]

Works fine in QT! Guess I'm all set. Thanks so much! Glad that you're still helping out so many people with ffmpegx throughout the years!