Combining two consecutive subtitle files into one.

[Sebastian42]

I have a single video file, and matching subtitles files, but they come in two parts. Surely there must be software available that will AUTOMATICALLY join the two parts into one. Both KMPlayer and Subtitle Workshop have been recommended to do this, but I found that KMPlayer would not even detect the SRTs as valid files, and I could not discover how get Subtitle Workshop to provide a satisfactory result. Help would be welcome.

[Moralez]

What I do is append one subtitle to another (notepad, copy/paste).
Save the new file, new name.
Drag the new SRT subtitle into SubtitleEdit
Then:
Tools > Sort by > Start time
Tools > Renumber
File > Save

SubtitleEdit has an append function but I could never get it to work as simple as it is.

[Sebastian42]

I wonder if there is a misunderstanding. Both files would start with zero time, so when they are appended and sorted, instead of the second one starting at the end of the first one, its entries would closely follow those of the first - FROM THE START, so I'd have a jumble of subtitles, one correct and the other misplaced (too soon, by the length of a CD). Please tell me if I am wrong in that.

I am speculating because a friend gave me the correct movie-subtitle combination for the film in question, and so I deleted the separate subtitles - therefore cannot test your procedure for lack of relevant files. But I expect to come across this problem again, and would like to have a suitable procedure ready to apply.

[johns0]

In subtitle edit load your first sub and select tools/append subtitle and click on yes and load your second sub and and click ok,if you need to adjust the second subtitle starting time click on synchronization/adjust selected lines only.The second sub will start at the end of the first sub when you adjust the second starting time.

[Sebastian42]

JohnsO - Luckily, I found the SRTs on which I could test your technique - sad to say, I had no greater success with it than with Subtitle Workshop. Rightly or wrongly, I feel that I could do with more detailed step by step instructions - in any case NO progress yet. I DO hope that this can be resolved. Seems to me that something systematic is going wrong if THREE softwares made for the purpose, all fail to achieve success.

[davexnet]

Post the two subtitles here as well as the providing the running length of the first video to the nearest second

[Ennio]

I wonder whether any software can meet your wishes. With subtitles in two parts that both start at "zero", the problem lies in the video cutting point. Given you don't have the two separate videoparts, this point is unknown. Which is obviously not a problem for the first part. But how could software know how big an offset must be applied to sync the second part?
I think the second part would always need a manual synchronisation.

[EDIT] I overlooked davexnet's post

[Sebastian42]

I have uploaded the two SRTs, but see NO sign of them in this post. As for the length of the video, VLC says it is 1.47.25

[Sebastian42]

At first attempt I had not clicked on 'upload' - but I have now !

[Sebastian42]

Ennio - Computers are all about making difficult tasks easy (even if it is hard to do that). Surely there MUST be software that will automate this task. Moreover, posters elsewhere on the web claim that they know of (AT LEAST) three softwares that will do it. I'm willing to believe that the fault is my incompetence and am willing to try to correct that fault IN ME.

[jagabo]

All the subtitle editors let you add a delay to the subs. All you need to do is find the appropriate delay (in Subtitle Workshop it's Edit -> Timings -> Set Delay) to sync the second sub file to match the video. Then append the two sub files.

[johns0]

i joined the subs with subtitle edit and used the method i described,not sure why you can't do it.

[davexnet]

I have uploaded the two SRTs, but see NO sign of them in this post. As for the length of the video, VLC says it is 1.47.25

What is the length of part 1 only?

[johns0]

Part one is about 53 minutes.

[Sebastian42]

JohnsO - indeed the combo you sent me does show subtitles in the second part, but they are NOT synchronised - presumably just out of 'phase'.
It may well be that my own effort achieved the same effect, but I did not test the result thoroughly enough to find that they were there but misphased. I thought the second part was missing from my efforts.

So if that is the best that the software can do, I may have to change the interval between the two segments manually - starting with the one you sent me. Instructions for that would be welcome.

[davexnet]

If the length of the first video is 53 minutes 10 seconds, and the first line in the 2nd SRT is at 15 seconds,
then the second SRT should be resynced so that the first line starts at 53 minutes 25 seconds.
What exactly is the problem?

[jagabo]

I may have to change the interval between the two segments manually - starting with the one you sent me. Instructions for that would be welcome.

Select all the subs that need to be shifted. Use the delay function to move all selected subs later (positive delay value) or earlier (negative delay value).

[johns0]

What i showed was the 2 joined subs,i didn't need to sync them,just an example.

[Sebastian42]

Davexnet - What exactly is the problem?
The problem is that the first subtitle file 'appears' perfectly synchronised. The second does not.

Since they are files that will open Notepad, I imagine I could simply open the first in Notepad, then open the second at the end of the first, and save the result as an equally ineffectual total.

My expectation was that the software or the technique would produce a complete subtitle file that is synchronised with the movie right up until the end. I am puzzled by the claim that softwares will do this and yet when I try it, they fail.

[Skiller]

There is no way for the software to know the offset between file 1 and file 2 because there is no information about this in SRT. As others have said, after joining the files, you need to figure out the correct delay of the first line of the 2nd file yourself and the rest will be in sync.

[johns0]

In subtitle edit when you are joining the subs you can adjust the second half by choosing synchronization/adjust all times/selected and subsequent lines,so this will adjust all the lines in the second sub so with a bit of adjusting it will align,if you can't do this then get someone else to do it.

[jagabo]

My expectation was that the software or the technique would produce a complete subtitle file that is synchronised with the movie right up until the end. I am puzzled by the claim that softwares will do this and yet when I try it, they fail.

You haven't thought this through. How is a subtitle editor to know how much time there is at the end of the first file? All it knows is what time the last subtitle ended. There could be no time between there and the end of the first video. Or there could be seconds, minutes, even hours. That's why it's up to you to tell the program how to adjust the timing of second set of subs.

[Sebastian42]

Jagabo - "You haven't thought this through." I'm prepared to believe in the 'magic'/capability/deductive-reasoning of software. Subtitle Edit did ask for the actual video file, and that would have in it, the information required for 'synching'.

JohnsO - "if you can't do this then get someone else to do it." I can't do it yet, but if it is doable, then maybe I CAN do it. However, I need detailed instructions including all the intermediate steps. Then I myself can become the expert that that I need to consult.

Skiller - "There is no way for the software to know..." Just like I have to manually get the info from the video file, so a program's AI can get it too, but more accurately than I can.

Davexnet - I want to acknowledge that you did indeed give IN PRINCIPLE instructions for doing the proper timing for the join of the second subtitle. And that is rather intuitive anyway.
I was hoping for detailed instructions - one step at a time.

[blud7]

mkvmerge does a great job at this. Add the video, then add the first srt, then concatenate the second. Mux and then you extract the srt from the resulting file

[jagabo]

mkvmerge does a great job at this. Add the video, then add the first srt, then concatenate the second. Mux and then you extract the srt from the resulting file

That works only if you have the two videos that match the sub files. The first post only mentioned having the full movie as a single video.

[Sebastian42]

Jagabo - correct : ONE movie file and two SRTs. In any case 'MUX' leaves me in the same (?) quandary as the other procedues-without-detailed-steps

[blud7]

Split the movie

[october262]

Jagabo - correct : ONE movie file and two SRTs. In any case 'MUX' leaves me in the same (?) quandary as the other procedues-without-detailed-steps

try with ffmpeg - https://stackoverflow.com/questions/35121841/ffmpeg-add-two-subtitle-files-to-the-same-mp4

or with concatenate - https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Concatenate

[Skiller]

I can't do it yet, but if it is doable, then maybe I CAN do it. However, I need detailed instructions including all the intermediate steps. Then I myself can become the expert that that I need to consult.

I don't think you even tried. johns0 and others gave instructions. The process is straightforward and simple (albeit it does require trial and error without the second video file). All I hear is you complaining about this being not as convenient as you would like.

[Sebastian42]

october262 - Your first URL does NOT address my need - it seems to want subtitles in two different languages simultaneously.

Concatination SOUNDS right, but is incredibly complicated. I want the program to do the hardwork, rather than me.

Skiller - you are quite right - I am 'complaining about this being not as convenient as I would like' - computers are meant to make complex processes easy - I DO expect the AI embedded in software to obviate the intricate manipulation otherwise required.