What app to use? MP4 h.264, want to add embedded subtitles (.ASS?)

[dtleahy]

This is just for fun, so I don't want to buy an application.

I have an MP4 video clip encoded h.264. I want to add (embedded) subtitles. Avidemux looked like the perfect tool for the job.

So, I downloaded Avidemux. Tried v2.5.6 and 2.5.1. Results: both crash, and crash, and crash. I tried answering the popup about h.264 both ways (yes and no.) Results were the same.

I have had minor successes that made me think I was just about to get it. Got a few subtitles in using the .SSA file format. Even saved an MP4 output file and it worked. Yay! But, that was just a sample. Now I want to put all the subtitles in.

Searching around, I realized that .SSA was an old format (holy crap, who uses long integer to describe color?!), and discovered the .ASS format. Intermittently, I got samples to run, but they would never save. Crash every time.

So, what would you recommend that I use, on an MP4 video clip (about 5 min long), coded h.264, to embed subtitles, and if I have to start over and use some different file type rather than .SSA or .ASS, so be it.

Thanks in advance for your assistance. I'm getting frustrated.

Dennis

p.s. I should mention this application needs to work on Windows XP.

[El Heggunte]

ToolChain:

.SSA --> (MaestroSBT) --> .SON --> (Son2VobSub) --> .IDX + .SUB

then, use MP4Box for adding the idx+sub to the original MP4 file.

OTOH, the MKV container should be a better option regarding embedded subtitles:

http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=153328

P.S.: Not sure if the page linked above is or is not outdated

[dtleahy]

El Heggunte,

Thanks for the reply.

If MP4Box is the right tool, should I just start over with the subtitle file? (I only have a test in SSA and ASS, not finished.)

Let's say I will create a new subtitle file: do I need to create BOTH an .IDX file and a .SUB file?

Option B: So, I have an MP4 file, and I want only to stream it on the Internet (not DVD.) Should I convert the MP4 to another format, and use a better/newer/easier tool to add subtitles? The goal here is just to hardsub in some subtitles, and upload the file to Vimeo or YouTube.

Thanks!

Dennis

[El Heggunte]

...

If MP4Box is the right tool, should I just start over with the subtitle file? (I only have a test in SSA and ASS, not finished.)

Neither SSA nor ASS are supported by MP4Box. In theory, you can add any type of content to an MP4 file as a "private stream", BUT unless you have a media splitter that supports SSA or ASS in MP4, the effort will be fruitless.

MP4Box is able to import .SRT files and convert these to .TTXT streams ---
--- but this is not what you want, I think.

Let's say I will create a new subtitle file: do I need to create BOTH an .IDX file and a .SUB file?

Yes$S. The .SUB contains the pictures, and the .IDX contains playback information (timestamps, color palette, whatever).

[dtleahy]

Hard to believe that it is this complicated to hardsub subtitles into a video.

Is there a way to simplify this? A different tool? Is the problem the fact that I'm starting with an MP4 file?

Thanks!

Dennis

[johns0]

Load the mp4 and ssa into mkvmerge and save as mkv,then load the mkv into handbrake and then add the saa sub as burned in(hard coded),then re-encode as mp4.I closed your other thread because its better to stay in this one.

[dtleahy]

Load the mp4 and ssa into mkvmerge and save as mkv,then load the mkv into handbrake and then add the saa sub as burned in(hard coded),then re-encode as mp4.I closed your other thread because its better to stay in this one.

johns0,

That worked.

I was even able to use an .ASS file (rather than .SSA)

Thanks very much for your help!

Dennis

p.s., I was surprised to see the file size double that of the original MP4 file, but perhaps there is a way to tweak the settings to go for a lower quality video. Normally, I would never want to sacrifice quality, but for something that will need to be uploaded to Vimeo or YouTube, it may have to be. Besides, it was really all about the subtitles in this case, not the video quality.