How to remove hard coded subtitles ? HELP PLEASE

[TIMETHIEF]

Hello
I downloaded a movie which has got Chinese subtitles hard cored in it. How can I remove them ??
I want to hardcore English subtitles in it. Is there any easy way out to do so ??

Help please

[yoda313]

Well your best bet is to simply overlay english subtitles over the chinese subtitles (in otherwords don't remove the chinese subtitles first, hardcode the english subtitles over the chinese subtitles).

If you were to remove the hardcoded subtitles only you would get a watery afterimage that is, in my opinion and most others too, is worse than anything you are trying to remove.

Simply put follow any hardcoding subtitles guide to add your english subtitles over the chinese subtitles.

You will need to read up on masking and mapping if these are irregular. In other words if they aren't in the same spot all the time you'll have to be creative to get the new subtitles to overlay properly.

Edit -

start here:

https://www.videohelp.com/guides

search for "hardcode subtitles" and you'll get a bunch of results.

Edit or search for "burn in" or burnt subtitles.

[AlanHK]

Yeah, best is to just overlay.
Put a dark background (semitransparent preferably) behind your new subs to obscure the Chinese ones.

I used Subtitle Creator to make SUP format (bitmap) subtitles, and then DVDSubedit to adjust the background.
That's if your player can use SUP subtitles, then you don't have to reencode your original video to "burn in" the new subs.

[Lathe]

Hi, I tried many video software to remove hardcoded subtitles and it's really hard so I have search more and found this spam link remived . Has anyone tried this? Will it work? Thanks

No, they LOOKED like they were letting you upload the file and then just gave you a bunch of surveys to answer and then nothing...

[Skier70]

Hi,
As you know some movies have hard coded subtitles on them. When I want to use my desired soft subtitle, the underneath hard coded ones annoyes me.
So I come up with this Avisynth script using internal Avisynth filters, Virtualdub filters (2 of them Bright.vdf "brightness/contrast (UI-enhanced)(1.0) by Avery Lee/Donald Graft and exorcist.vdf by Christopher Wojdon), and dekafka.avsi by poptone.

You can use this script to remove hard coded subtitles or Logos.

All you need to do is to;
1) Edit the Virtualdub plugin direcotry path in LINE 1 and LINE 2 according to your computer.
2) Check your video, find a suitable scene with the longest subtitle, save the image of the screen, then write down the Top Left Corner coordinates (X and Y) of the longest subtitle. Let's say it is X=238 Y=470. Then edit the script line 3 and 4 in order to write those coordinates into the variables SubtitleTopLeftX and SubtitleTopLefty respectively.
3) Then Please replace the text "Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4" in line 5 with your source video name.

LINE 3 SubtitleTopLeftX = 238
LINE 4 SubtitleTopLeftX = 470
LINE 5 clip = FFVideoSource("Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4").ConvertToRGB32( )

4) You can feed this scipt to MeGUI (it's the fastest) and encode your video. Please note that I have not included audio in this script to keep it simple and trouble free. You can mux the audio afterwards by using any tool like mkvmerge, AviDemux etc.


Enjoy it.
Regards,
Skier70

[Lathe]

Hi,
As you know some movies have hard coded subtitles on them. When I want to use my desired soft subtitle, the underneath hard coded ones annoyes me.
So I come up with this Avisynth script using internal Avisynth filters, Virtualdub filters (2 of them Bright.vdf "brightness/contrast (UI-enhanced)(1.0) by Avery Lee/Donald Graft and exorcist.vdf by Christopher Wojdon), and dekafka.avsi by poptone.

You can use this script to remove hard coded subtitles or Logos.

All you need to do is to;
1) Edit the Virtualdub plugin direcotry path in LINE 1 and LINE 2 according to your computer.
2) Check your video, find a suitable scene with the longest subtitle, save the image of the screen, then write down the Top Left Corner coordinates (X and Y) of the longest subtitle. Let's say it is X=238 Y=470. Then edit the script line 3 and 4 in order to write those coordinates into the variables SubtitleTopLeftX and SubtitleTopLefty respectively.
3) Then Please replace the text "Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4" in line 5 with your source video name.

LINE 3 SubtitleTopLeftX = 238
LINE 4 SubtitleTopLeftX = 470
LINE 5 clip = FFVideoSource("Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4").ConvertToRGB32( )

4) You can feed this scipt to MeGUI (it's the fastest) and encode your video. Please note that I have not included audio in this script to keep it simple and trouble free. You can mux the audio afterwards by using any tool like mkvmerge, AviDemux etc.


Enjoy it.
Regards,
Skier70

Wow, that sounds pretty nifty mate! Thank you so much

[DB83]

Since you have dug up an old thread to tout your script, it may be a suggestion that you upload a small example of 'before' and 'after' since it is my understanding that removal is at best a compromise and no one would want to spend hours on a job and then be disappointed - you can do something basic with a blur filter in vdub or just treat the subs as a logo and use a logo removal filter

Just my 2 cents.

[Lathe]

Since you have dug up an old thread to tout your script, it may be a suggestion that you upload a small example of 'before' and 'after' since it is my understanding that removal is at best a compromise and no one would want to spend hours on a job and then be disappointed - you can do something basic with a blur filter in vdub or just treat the subs as a logo and use a logo removal filter

Just my 2 cents.

Hmmm... good point. I WAS gonna ask the fellow kindly to explain the steps as to what the script does. Since, like you say, most the stuff just simply covers it over or blurs it.

[Skier70]

Yes it takes hours to finish the job, but I like the result, better than fully blur. Attached the Before&After pictures.

[Attachment 41090 - Click to enlarge] --->
[Attachment 41089 - Click to enlarge]

[Lathe]

Yes it takes hours to finish the job, but I like the result, better than fully blur. Attached the Before&After pictures.

[Attachment 41090 - Click to enlarge] --->
[Attachment 41089 - Click to enlarge]

Wow, really looks nice mate! So, does it take a frame(s) from just before and just after the subtitle is displayed and then interpolate the difference?

[sambat]

Tried it with MeGUI and VirtualDub, both choke.
VirtualDub message:


[Attachment 41098 - Click to enlarge]

[Lathe]

Tried it with MeGUI and VirtualDub, both choke.
VirtualDub message:


[Attachment 41098 - Click to enlarge]

Well, I am definitely NOT an Avisynth expert, but I THINK that you have to be sure to put at least the 2 files from the folder DL'd here in your Avisynth 'plugins' folder. The file that ends in .avs and the file that ends in .avsi

[sambat]

The avsi file is in the Avisynth\Plugins folder and placing the avs file there is a new one for me, but I tried it and it makes no diff to the error.
Is 'core' a dll file or defined somewhere as a 'function'?

[manono]

As it says in the error message, core is mentioned in line 55 in the hsr.avs. I haven't tried this method (and have no use for it) so I can't help more than that.

[Skier70]

Sorry I forgot to iclude Threshold.dll. Core is a funciton in 'Threshold.dll" it's a Avisynth dll. please finde it attached. (put it in Avisynth plugins folder.

[raffriff42]

Tried it with MeGUI and VirtualDub, both choke. [no function named "Core"]

Some more changes are needed to the script. My notes in blue:

0) get the Coring filter by Donald Graft here
1) Edit the Virtualdub plugin directory path (or wherever you have placed the '.vdf' files) in LINE 1 and LINE 2 according to your computer.
1.1) add the following below the previous lines (edit <path> as required):

LoadVirtualdubplugin("<path>\filter_coring.vdf", "Core", 1)
Import("<path>\dekafka.avsi")

2) Check your video, find a suitable scene with the longest subtitle, save the image of the screen, then write down the Top Left Corner coordinates (X and Y) of the longest subtitle. Let's say it is X=238 Y=470. Then edit the script line 3 and 4 in order to write those coordinates into the variables SubtitleTopLeftX and SubtitleTopLefty respectively.
3) Then Please replace the text "Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4" in line 5 with your source video name.

LINE 3 SubtitleTopLeftX = 238
LINE 4 SubtitleTopLeftX = 470
LINE 5 clip = FFVideoSource("Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4").ConvertToRGB32( )
Don't forget the ConvertToRGB32

[Lathe]

Tried it with MeGUI and VirtualDub, both choke. [no function named "Core"]

Some more changes are needed to the script. My notes in blue:

0) get the Coring filter by Donald Graft here
1) Edit the Virtualdub plugin directory path (or wherever you have placed the '.vdf' files) in LINE 1 and LINE 2 according to your computer.
1.1) add the following below the previous lines (edit <path> as required):

LoadVirtualdubplugin("<path>\filter_coring.vdf", "Core", 1)
Import("<path>\dekafka.avsi")

2) Check your video, find a suitable scene with the longest subtitle, save the image of the screen, then write down the Top Left Corner coordinates (X and Y) of the longest subtitle. Let's say it is X=238 Y=470. Then edit the script line 3 and 4 in order to write those coordinates into the variables SubtitleTopLeftX and SubtitleTopLefty respectively.
3) Then Please replace the text "Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4" in line 5 with your source video name.

LINE 3 SubtitleTopLeftX = 238
LINE 4 SubtitleTopLeftX = 470
LINE 5 clip = FFVideoSource("Pandora (2016).HARDSUB.WEB.HEVC.720p.mp4").ConvertToRGB32( )
Don't forget the ConvertToRGB32

WOW! Now YOU know your stuff! So, are we just using VirtualDub plugins or are we also using Avisynth plugins. I'm kinda confused... Is the script a combination of both?

Can we JUST use Avisynth? I know NOTHING of how to use VirtualDub scripting.

[sambat]

That's better with core.
Here's a quick look at the result:

In order, source:fitered:new Subs.


[Attachment 41115 - Click to enlarge]


[Attachment 41116 - Click to enlarge]


[Attachment 41117 - Click to enlarge]

When the new subs are in place, the results are very good.
Just erasing the original is mildly distracting - perhaps tweaking would make it less so.

[raffriff42]

>So, are we just using VirtualDub plugins or are we also using Avisynth plugins. ... Is the script a combination of both?

Skier70 is (cleverly) loading VirtualDub plugins into AviSynth, so you don't need to run VirtualDub.

[sambat]

@raffriff42:

The script calls the plugins which are assumed to be in the VirtuaDub plugins folder, so VirtualDub doesn't have to be running MPC will play the script OK, but you have to get the audio back at some point so it's convenient to open the script in VirtualDub for that chore - and new subs if required.

[DB83]

Looking at the results in the above replies it seems that those in reply #9 are somewhat misleading since it is mostly a dark background.

When one comes to reply #18, now with a much lighter background, the result is, IMHO, much worse that using a simple logo removal vd plug-in. Replace with more subs and, naturally, the disturbance goes. But you could achieve that much quicker with a simple black overlay.

Maybe the results can be improved by tweaking the script but for me, as it stands, it is not a credible solution.

Again. Just my 2 cents.

[Lathe]

>So, are we just using VirtualDub plugins or are we also using Avisynth plugins. ... Is the script a combination of both?

Skier70 is (cleverly) loading VirtualDub plugins into AviSynth, so you don't need to run VirtualDub.

Hmmm, interesting... That was what was throwing me (not that it takes much)

So, for future reference, in general, is it EVER really necessary or desired to incorporate VD plugins when using Avisynth, or are there generally speaking enough ways or plugins JUST using Avisynth usually to get the job done?

BTW, whenever I personally use Avisynth, I ALWAYS am using x264 to process it, not any of these other programs or VD. So, for my limited intellect, it would be nice if I only have to focus on using Avisynth to do what I want and them simply plug it in to x264.

Would there ever really be a dire need to complicate things beyond that, do you think...?

Thanks!

[raffriff42]

So, for future reference, in general, is it EVER really necessary or desired to incorporate VD plugins when using Avisynth, or are there generally speaking enough ways or plugins JUST using Avisynth usually to get the job done?

AviSynth has a much larger selection of filters available in 2017, and the language is very powerful, but there are a few VirtualDub filters that I still prefer over any AviSynth equivalent that I am aware of - Deshaker mainly, but also ColorTools (among other features, it has the best out-of gamut warning), and Kagayaki (a starburst/bloom/lens-flare filter). I'm not familiar with Bright, Coring or Excorcist.

VirtualDub filters can be ported to AviSynth as Skier70 has done, but the process is a bit cumbersome. It's nice to have a GUI for tuning the filters, but once set up, the parameters can be copied to AviSynth.

[Lathe]

So, for future reference, in general, is it EVER really necessary or desired to incorporate VD plugins when using Avisynth, or are there generally speaking enough ways or plugins JUST using Avisynth usually to get the job done?

AviSynth has a much larger selection of filters available in 2017, and the language is very powerful, but there are a few VirtualDub filters that I still prefer over any AviSynth equivalent that I am aware of - Deshaker mainly, but also ColorTools (among other features, it has the best out-of gamut warning), and Kagayaki (a starburst/bloom/lens-flare filter). I'm not familiar with Bright, Coring or Excorcist.

VirtualDub filters can be ported to AviSynth as Skier70 has done, but the process is a bit cumbersome. It's nice to have a GUI for tuning the filters, but once set up, the parameters can be copied to AviSynth.

Thanks Bro!

[aphixe]

I tried many times to get this script to work either i missed a step but. I get an error about no function named loadvirtualdubplugin so i googled it. someone used. LoadPlugin("pathtoMEGUI\tools\avs\plugins\VDubFilt er.dll") and i get error opening exocist.vdf

[Attachment 53961 - Click to enlarge]

[Attachment 53962 - Click to enlarge]

[lordsmurf]

This topic always reminds me of Ferris Beuller, where he's running the car in reverse to take off miles
You're trying to unring a bell.

This will never, ever, work.
- At best, you make a mess.
- At worst, you make a mess.

The only solution = getting better source, sans subtitles baked in.

"Subtitle removal" is a fool's errand.

Even manual removal, frame by frame, can be impossible.

[davexnet]

Here's one I did a number of years back using the MSU subtitle remover in Virtualdub.
I found the filter to be temperamental and eventually I used a really old version of Vdub for better compatibility.

Doesn't win any awards for beauty or video quality; there's even a few spots where it's apparent I didn't make
the mask wide enough, but the movie is watchable and the result not too distracting.

[Skier70]

Aphixe;

I suggest you to use portable Universal Installer Universal Avisynth Installer [2020-06-20]
Forum Page: https://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=172124
Link is from Groucho's Avisynth Folder
http://www.mediafire.com/file/xrs1g7v3bnn5ehz/UniversalAvisynthInstaller_351.7z/file

Uncompress, run setavs.cmd with admin rights.

..Then try to uninstall X86 with option 9 and then X64 with option 10. Always start as clean as possible.

..After that, install AVS60_MT (option 4)

..And then please copy all your plugins, .avs scripts in the following folder
AvisynthRepository_351\AVS260_MT\plugins

You can double check your Avisynth info with AviInfoTool, and make sure no conflicts or error regarding plugins.
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/x6f7yqjufdg7c/Groucho's_Avisynth_Stuff

You can load your script to AVSPMod check if it's running, or the nature of the error.
https://github.com/AvsPmod/AvsPmod/releases

Finally and hopefully you should be able to use "LoadVirtualdubplugin" function.

[jagabo]

You don't need to use any VirtualDub plugins. You can use AviSynth filters (mt_binarize, for example) to create the mask. Starting with Sambat's image and using dekafka:

ImageSource("source.jpg", start=0, end=23, fps=23.976) 
Crop(0,1,-0,-0)
ConvertToYV12() # most people will be starting with YV12

# area where subs appear, in practice you'll want to use a box as big as the biggest sub
bx = 80
by = 260
bw = 420
bh = 48

block = Crop(bx, by, bw, bh)
smask = block.mt_binarize(200).mt_expand().mt_expand().mt_expand().mt_expand(chroma="-128") # get bright white text, expand to cover black outline
smask = Overlay(smask, smask, x=3, y=3, mode="add") # cover drop shadow too
smask = smask.Blur(1.4) # blur the edges of mask to make it less obvious

DeKafka(last.ConvertToRGB32(), smask.ConvertToRGB32(), bx, by, bw, bh, 255) # an infill that works in YV12 would be better

[Attachment 54035 - Click to enlarge]