Adding subtitles to MP4

[xwind2]

Hi, I'm trying to add subtitles (in .srt) to an .mp4 file. The video file is about 200 MB encoded in h.264 29.97 fps. I've tried using different conversion programs like Wondershare and Handbrake to add the srt but the output file always ends up MUCH larger than the original file. Encoding it at h.264, 29.97 fps, same resolution as original, and 1200 bitrate I end up with a file over 500 MB. At 900 bitrate I end up with over 350 MB. If I keep reducing the bitrate I could get close to 200 MB but at that point the quality is so bad. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

[hello_hello]

Just guessing...... it's a fairly small file and re-encoding it while hard-encoding the subtitles may be making it much harder to compress, hence the larger file size. What happens if you re-encode it without including the subtitles?

There's so many variables..... are you using a particular preset when encoding using handbrake? What's happening with the audio? Are you converting it too? The original audio may be much smaller in size than the new version.

My two cents..... forget bitrates. Encode using a CRF (quality) setting of around 20 to start. Let the file size be whatever it needs to be. If it's too large, increase the CRF value a little. Or try VidCoder. It's a different GUI for Handbrake. As far as I know you can't specify a file size any more using Hadbrake, but you can using VidCoder. You should be able to tell it you want a 200MB encode. See how the quality looks then. I'm not sure whether the specified file size is for the video only, or if it includes the audio too, but at least you can specify one.

[Ai Haibara]

So, you're definitely wanting to hardsub the subtitles?

If you actually wouldn't mind adding the subtitles as a soft (selectable) subtitle stream to the MP4, since you're using .srt subtitles, you can do that with MP4Box (and a GUI like MyMP4Box). That way, the video and audio quality won't change, and you'll be able to switch the subtitles on and off (and won't have possible artifacts or blurring in the text as you might see with hardsubbing).

[_Al_]

Soft subtitles is a solution but it has some drawbacks too,

coming in mp4, it is ready for streaming , jwplayer subtitle plugin will read it, VLC and MPC on PC will read subtitles too but you have to set it manually and media player (WDTV Live) will not read it

coming in mkv, it is NOT good for streaming but VLC and MPC will read those automatically I think and Media players perhaps easily too (WDTV Live will)