So I have several old British comedy series, some from DVD and some from cable TV. I've been adding soft subtitles to them and doing quite well, thank you, but tonight I ran into one episode that no amount of offset adjusting would make usable.

The bottom line is that the m4v file is just too long by about 10 seconds. I adjusted the time offset so the error is halved - synched at the middle but out of synch at beginning and end. Still, it sux.

Not wanting to manually edit the srt file for each utterance, I'm wondering if some video software has the ability to speed up or slow down so I could make the movie match the .srt file times. I'm not willing to go to great lengths, bur I have a fair collection of video editing software - maybe one of those has this capability and I just don't realize it. Manuals? We don't need no stinkin' manuals.

Oh, yeah, I've considered re-ripping the DVD to see if that helps, and I have tried a few different sources for the srt files.

you should be able to modify the times using a spreadsheet, if the file format is like the one shown here

[en.wikipedia.org]

You should be able to import the video into iMovie or FCP. Then select just the portion needing adjustment and edit some slices out or otherwise alter it's length. Then attach the pertinent subtitles to just that portion. Join everything back together and export.

BTW - I assume you are using 'SubFix' which alters subtitle times to fit video?

other helpful programs are: SubCleaner, Submerge, and Jubler.

---

You can tell a lot about a woman by her hands...
- For example, if they are wrapped around your throat she's probably slightly upset.

Thanks Ombligo. I'll try SubFix. I'll also look at your other suggestions and to space-time too, thanks for the link!

Update: Subfix works fine. Although VLC doesn't display the time with milliseconds, I was able to get the synch close enough to be useful. Anyone suggest a video player with millisecond display (although I doubt my reaction time will be adequate to take advantage)?

Thanks! Thanks! Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/13/2012 06:02AM by olnacl.

Quote
olnacl
Anyone suggest a video player with millisecond display?

I read this initial thread early this AM and thought I need to ask just this question. Now I don't have to!

---

__________________________________
Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity

Quote
olnacl
So I have several old British comedy series, some from DVD and some from cable TV. I've been adding soft subtitles to them and doing quite well

Since they speak mostly English in Britain, I assume you're adding American subtitles?

Quote
DRR

Quote
olnacl
So I have several old British comedy series, some from DVD and some from cable TV. I've been adding soft subtitles to them and doing quite well

Since they speak mostly English in Britain, I assume you're adding American subtitles?

Right-o - In many cases (not so much in Rumpole) I miss things because I don't quite understand the voices because of the accent or muffled speaking - or maybe I'm realizing the effects of years using air hammers without ear protection. Whatever, having the subtitles helps a lot.

a video player with millisecond display

MPEGStreamclip

Got no idea if that helps in any way here.

Quote
olnacl

Quote
DRR

Quote
olnacl
So I have several old British comedy series, some from DVD and some from cable TV. I've been adding soft subtitles to them and doing quite well

Since they speak mostly English in Britain, I assume you're adding American subtitles?

Right-o - In many cases (not so much in Rumpole) I miss things because I don't quite understand the voices because of the accent or muffled speaking - or maybe I'm realizing the effects of years using air hammers without ear protection. Whatever, having the subtitles helps a lot.

While the air hammers haven't helped your hearing, sound mixers on many (especially older) UK shows didn't seem to put voice intelligibility as a top priority.

I watch a lot of mostly older UK TV and by now have no problem with the accents (I like to play the "Where's that actor from?" game nowadays), the audio mixes of most of the older programs is poor. Generally when there is incidental music during dialogue, the music is mixed too loud thus obscuring the vocals. American shows very rarely do this. More recent UK shows are much better at this though the problem still pops up from time to time, but I mostly listen with headphones so it rarely becomes a problem.

I don't mind subtitles, but it's the same language (OK, mostly) so I shouldn't need them!

American shows will record the dialogue again if there is any wisp of it not being perfect i.e. ADR, Foley etc.

On British shows, in particular old shows, you are hearing the location sound.

If the location had a bit too much ambient noise then it can make the dialogue difficult to hear.

---