Hardcoding Styled (Sub Station Alpha) Subtitles to Videos

[Eudorcas]

I've already looked into VideoHelp's How to/Guidelines but didn't see one so here I am.
Hardcoding Styled (Advanced) Sub Station Alpha SSA in a video (AVI, MP4) is not impossible but for some reason I can't find any guide or how to 's for this kind of scenario. And we can see these done all over the internet by fansubbers (FanSub groups) that releases SD and HD (AVI and MKV).

I know how to hardcode subtitles in many different video formats but only in SRT (SubRip Text) the most basic subtitle with no style or positioning features, text overlaps. Almost all video converter I've come across always converts SSA to SRT or make it unstyled in the conversion process.

Any tools? Or all the tools I need to hardcode styled subs? AVISynth., VirtualDub, X264 encoding command codes?
Step by Step guide?

Thanks in advance!

[Baldrick]

I think avidemux supports ssa/ass subtitle styles. Filters->Subtitles->SSA/ASS.

[Selur]

Hybrid can embed ass subtitles,...
1. start Hybrid
2. load a/v source (Main->Input File)
3. set Main->Audio handling->passthrough all (assuming you do not want to reencode the audio)
4. configure the video encoder,..
5. activate: Main->Subtitle
6. switch to the Subtitle-tab
7. select the ass file: Subtitle->Import->Subtitle Import->Subtitle File
8. activate 'Subtitle->Import->Subtitle Import->Embed subtitle in frame'
(you can activate 'Show external subtitles' and press Preview to see if the subtitles are decoded as they should)
9. add selection to Subtitle Queue (by pressing: Subtitle->Import->Subtitle Queue->'+')
10. switch to Main-Tab
11. set you output: Main->Output File
12. add selection to Job Queue (by pressing: Main->Add to Queue)
13. start processing (by pressing: Main->Start Queue)

Also:
- All Avisynth based tools can embed ass subtitles using vsfilter.dll and TextSub(..) it's basically the same as embedding .srt subtitles, you just use an .ass File instead of an .srt file in the TextSub() call.
- All MPlayer/Mencoder based tools should be able to embed .ass subtitles when they use a mplayer/mencoder version that is compiled with libass support,...

Cu Selur

[hello_hello]

I just checked and MeGUI seems to support ass subtitles but I can't say I've ever used them. When you open a video for encoding, MeGUI will index it, then open the script creator window. Subtitles can be added under the Filters tab.

Alternatively you could just add it to your own AVIsynth script if you create your own. This is how MeGUI adds subtitles to a script:

LoadPlugin("C:\Program Files\......\VSFilter.dll")
TextSub("E:\subtitles.ass", 1)

Plus I think it also works as a VirtualDub plugin.

Edit: I see Selur beat me to the VSFilter method.

[Eudorcas]

Thanks Sir Baldrick, Selur and hello_hello -- Help Highly Appreciated.

Hope people who needs help for hardcoding styled subs comes across this thread.

[Ai Haibara]

I think avidemux supports ssa/ass subtitle styles. Filters->Subtitles->SSA/ASS.

Yes, but I think (at least as far as I've seen) AVIDemux's support for ASS is probably rather basic, and doesn't support all of the possible effects you can have in ASS subtitles. I'd rather do it with VirtualDub and VSFilter, but that's just me.

[Selur]

Difference between LibAss and VSFilter: http://code.google.com/p/libass/wiki/IssuesAndDifferences
-> personally, I do prefer libass

[Eudorcas]

Just tried both and I found Hybrid more advanced with tons of features at the same time kinda user friendly so I'll stick to it. Only prob left is that I get audio delays when I encode with CUDA H264 codec -- GPU Offload: Partial (Full always crash anyway) or in traditional x264 settings. Audio is all passthrough, styled subs hardcoded to frames. I tried re-encoding the audio to mp3 but still the same..., Could be stretch handling which I haven't tried yet. Argh... the preview looks good w/o out of sync but the encode does.

Another one is can I convert batch? I tried highlighting everything along with the .ass subs but I doubt that's gonna work

Thanks!

[Selur]

Full always crash -> full isn't supported on all cards but I haven't found the time to write some sort of detection for it.

About the audio sync: without any additional informations I can't really say what's causing the problem. See: http://www.selur.de/support for what informations I in general need to reproduce a problem. (it's probably because your source if vfr,..)

Could be stretch handling which I haven't tried yet.

Normally the default settings should be fine, so you should not disable stretch handling,...

Another one is can I convert batch? I tried highlighting everything along with the .ass subs but I doubt that's gonna work

In general: Yes, Hybrid supports batch handling, but it does not autoload separate subtitle files atm. (I could probably write something for that, if people have some need for it,..) Pass-through or embedding subtitles on the other hand should be no problem with batch handling,...

[Eudorcas]

Here's the MediaInfo of the video.

General
Complete name : E:\Hunter X Hunter\[HorribleSubs] Hunter X Hunter - 16 [720p].mkv
Format : Matroska
Format version : Version 2
File size : 321 MiB
Duration : 23mn 37s
Overall bit rate : 1 902 Kbps
Encoded date : UTC 2012-01-22 04:32:22
Writing application : mkvmerge v5.2.0 ('I can't explain') built on Dec 18 2011 18:12:03
Writing library : libebml v1.2.3 + libmatroska v1.3.0
Attachment : Yes

Video
ID : 1
Format : AVC
Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec
Format profile : High@L4.0
Format settings, CABAC : Yes
Format settings, ReFrames : 6 frames
Muxing mode : Header stripping
Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC
Duration : 23mn 37s
Nominal bit rate : 1 776 Kbps
Width : 1 280 pixels
Height : 720 pixels
Display aspect ratio : 16:9
Frame rate : 23.810 fps
Original frame rate : 23.976 fps
Color space : YUV
Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0
Bit depth : 8 bits
Scan type : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.081
Writing library : x264 core 120 r2120 0c7dab9
Encoding settings : cabac=1 / ref=6 / deblock=1:1:1 / analyse=0x3:0x113 / me=umh / subme=8 / psy=1 / psy_rd=0.40:0.00 / mixed_ref=1 / me_range=16 / chroma_me=1 / trellis=1 / 8x8dct=1 / cqm=0 / deadzone=21,11 / fast_pskip=1 / chroma_qp_offset=-2 / threads=4 / sliced_threads=0 / nr=0 / decimate=1 / interlaced=0 / bluray_compat=0 / constrained_intra=0 / bframes=3 / b_pyramid=2 / b_adapt=2 / b_bias=0 / direct=3 / weightb=1 / open_gop=0 / weightp=2 / keyint=250 / keyint_min=23 / scenecut=40 / intra_refresh=0 / rc_lookahead=50 / rc=2pass / mbtree=1 / bitrate=1776 / ratetol=1.0 / qcomp=0.60 / qpmin=0 / qpmax=69 / qpstep=4 / cplxblur=20.0 / qblur=0.5 / vbv_maxrate=3552 / vbv_bufsize=8880 / nal_hrd=none / ip_ratio=1.40 / aq=1:0.60
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes

Audio
ID : 2
Format : AAC
Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec
Format profile : LC
Codec ID : A_AAC
Duration : 23mn 37s
Channel(s) : 2 channels
Channel positions : Front: L R
Sampling rate : 44.1 KHz
Compression mode : Lossy
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes

Text
ID : 3
Format : ASS
Codec ID : S_TEXT/ASS
Codec ID/Info : Advanced Sub Station Alpha
Compression mode : Lossless
Default : Yes
Forced : Yes

If you'd like to see the video for yourself for testing its Horriblesubs Hunter X Hunter 16 720p from nyaa. I tried One Piece 545 720p from yibis subs with the same results of audio sync probs. The subs are perfectly in sync with the audio but not the video. Hope the info I provided will help you to trace the probs and might as well improve your program even more further.

Btw... Glad to see your there for the users of your prog, Tnx!

[Selur]

I'll look at it.

[poisondeathray]

maybe it's vfr, because the framerate looks fishy?

Frame rate : 23.810 fps
Original frame rate : 23.976 fps

[Eudorcas]

Could be... I tried converting it with Handbrake to mp4 w/o subs and encoded it again in Hybrid with hard coded ass subs and all seems fine except the video quality sucks.

I just converted tons of mkv into ass hard coded mp4 for video storing backup and Haha... I think I'm in love with Hybrid.

[Selur]

I think I'm in love with Hybrid.

Happy you like it. Learning curve is steep, but once you understand a bit how Hybrid works and here you can do what, it's a nice tools to use,.. (at least for me, and hopefully for a few others )

Cu Selur

Ps.: the version and instructions I send you via PM should make the Handbrake step obsolete.

[Eudorcas]

Problem Solved~!

All the credit goes to Sir Selur for the Help.

Hybrid is by far (for me) the most user friendly (Easy to use for a newbie) and versatile gui converter I've ever used. Kinda like 'all made simple' video converter.

Thanks!

[Selur]

Since it does not provide special profiles for devices&Co most newbies will probably not call it "Easy to use" but I'm happy you like it,..