MP4 to MPEG conversion could affect frame rate and subtitle times?

[Valerc]

Hi!

I need to create subtitles for a video. I first need to download the video, which is in 2 optional versions: MP4 and MPEG. The thing is that the MP4 version is 100M and the MPEG is 500M big. Obviously, I would choose to download the smaller and quicker to download, the 100M MP4. Apparently, both the MP4 and the MPEG have 29,97 fps.

1) The problem starts here: I use Subtitle Workshop to create my subtitles, and SW is NOT compatible with MP4. SW won´t play MP4. Sooo, if I download the small MP4 video, I need to convert it to MPEG, which SW is compatible with. My question is if the format conversion from MP4 to MPEG will affect the frame rate of my video or other parameters which in turn will make my subtitles out of synch when you compare them to the original videos I am suppossed to download.

So, the dilema is: if I convert that MP4 to MPEG myself and I keep all the rest of the parameters the same, and I create my subtitles according to that converted video, will my subtitles be different in time synch than the original videos?

2) What player could I use to test the original MP4 I downloaded (without converting it at all) with my subtitles, before sending my work to my boss, just to make sure that the subs are synch. I have GOM player and it seems to have some option for subtitles, but I couldnt load them.

[Baldrick]

1. Have you tried subtitle workshop 2.52 RC (from http://sw.binhoster.com/ ) ?
And can you play the mp4 in windows media player?

Another option would be to try Subtitle Edit instead of Subtitle Workshop.


2. Try VLC Media Player.

[Valerc]

Hi, Baldrick!


So, you mean that it is not a good idea to convert from MP4 to mpeg, keeping all the parameters the same? That would be the best solution, really.

I am trying the original video. It does not play in windows media player. It does play in VLC, though. I loaded the video and the subs in VLC, but it´s tricky, because the subtitles disappear if I move the video forward to check how they are. They are gone!

About SW, I am quite sure my version is 2.52, but I don´t know if there are many sucessive 2.52 versions... However, are you sure that those 2.52 versions are compatible with mp4?

[Valerc]

OK, Baldrick. I downloaded the last 2.52 version of SW, which in fact is newer than mine. However, bad news. It won´t play MP4... ((((

Could you please confirm if I would have trouble or not converting the MP4 to MPEG myself, even if I keep all the parameters the same? Would that make my subtitles out of synch with the original videos?

Thanks!