Good software options for subtitling (size, font, shadow control)

[Valerc]

What programs allow to add subtitles to different video formats and actually customize them like you want?

I have tried many different programs, and even though you can change the font, font size and color of your subtitles for a .ssa format, it means absolutely nothing if the sofware you use to hardsub them is not good.

Really, most of the software I have used to add subtitles, makes them in a horrible size which you can't change, or/and with really ugly fonts. Apparently they don´t "obey" the orders of a particular .ssa file at all.

Up to now, the only one who managed to do good looking subtitles, is AutoGK. However, it has many limitations on the type of video and audio formats.

Freemake video converter seems rather good, with lots of different formats and parameters, but the subtitles you get with it are awful. Huge size and ugly font without shadow.

And also, some of the software adds the subtitles out of synch too!

Can someone recommend some really good software to add permanent subtitles to a video?

[manono]

Up to now, the only one who managed to do good looking subtitles, is AutoGK. However, it has many limitations on the type of video and audio formats.

AutoGK uses VobSub/TextSub within an AviSynth script. It preserves all the styles you set in an SSA or ASS file. You should do the same, but outside of AutoGK. Create the AviSynth script and add in the subs something like this

TextSub("C:\Path\To\Movie.ssa")

VDub can do the same with VobSub and TextSub installed.

[poisondeathray]

Any program that uses avisynth with textsub() like autogk will give the same results in terms of the subs

If you don't like autogk's output options, try something like xvid4psp , megui, ripbot . Basically any program that accepts avs scripts will give you the subs you want if you use textsub()

freemake is ffmpeg based and doesn't use avisynth - so you won't get the same results that you see in aegisub

[Valerc]

Hey, manono! You always come to the rescue. Thanks!!

Mmm... The problem is that I am not familiar with AviSynth scripts. I don´t know how to do that.

I don´t know how to use VobSub and TextSub.

Isn't there a single simple unique program to do it? It's very strange that there is not one program where you can just select the .ssa subs and add them to the video, but getting good results. I really need a single program to do it, because it´s not myself who has to do it. I need to give instructions to someone else, and going through 3 or 4 different programs and using scripts is totally out of the question, unfortunately.

[poisondeathray]

try xvid4psp, it will generate the scripts for you, many choices for audio , video , container formats

[Valerc]

Any program that uses avisynth with textsub() like autogk will give the same results in terms of the subs

If you don't like autogk's output options, try something like xvid4psp , megui, ripbot . Basically any program that accepts avs scripts will give you the subs you want if you use textsub()

freemake is ffmpeg based and doesn't use avisynth - so you won't get the same results that you see in aegisub

Thanks poisondeathray! I tried xvid4psp, but it won´t show me any image for my mp4 video, and also says it can´t load my ssa file.

[poisondeathray]

you probably need directshow filters installed and configured properly e.g. haali media splitter, ffdshow - or lav filters

do you have directvobsub installed ? did you try pointing to the subtitles under the subtitles=>add menu ? if they are in a different location or have different name, they might not autoload then you use the add function

I should have mentioned you should use the 5.x version, not the 6.x versions which don't seem to be stable

what does avisynth=>edit filtering script say ? (copy & paste the results back here)




Or you can use ripbot, it's easier to use, but fewer export options

[Budman1]

Valerc
I usually use Virtualdub and the subtitles plugin or the textsub() plugin (xxxx.vdf plugin file added to plugins folder). You can view or download a lot of examples and demos at my site http://budmansite.com where I posted Subtiles, Virtualdub, Avanti and SSA information and videos. You can watch or download the videos although they are slightly larger if you download. The demo video is especially interesting to see all the different individual styles you can add in one video. Avanti is like a Windows GUI front end for AVISynth and ffmpeg so you don't have to use command line entries. Take a look and I can post new stuff if you need another example. Below is a still frame sample of video.

Thanks
Budman1

[Valerc]

Thanks so much poisondeathray and Budman1 for your ideas!!
I will try them and let you know about it.