SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

General questions or discussion about HandBrake, Video and/or audio transcoding, trends etc.
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Segfault
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Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 3:08 am

SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Segfault »

Running on Gentoo, 64-bit, Handbrake 1.3.3.
SRT subtitles passthru is not working, Handbrake is converting SRT into SSA instead. The real problem is the SSA file Handbrake is producing cannot be opened in subtitle editors, I tried with Gaupol and Aegisub. Bot give an error, they do not recognize the format. The file opens in text editor, and I can't figure out what's wrong with it. I tried to convert it to plain UTF-8 (removing BOM which is apparently put there for DOS users), still no cigar.
SRT or SSA, is there a solution to edit Handbrake produced subtitle file with a subtitle editor?
Woodstock
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Woodstock »

If your output format is MP4 (we don't know because there is no log), handbrake outputs MP4-compatible Timed Text, rather than either SRT or SSA.

If you want to edit the SRT, why not do it before you run it through handbrake?
Segfault
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Joined: Sat Jun 17, 2017 3:08 am

Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Segfault »

Thanks for responses. From manual I learned the SRT>SSA conversion is not configurable, the word "passthru" is simply incorrect, although used in Handbrake configuration.
The output is MKV, I was under impression MP4 container does not support SRT? Woodstock reply implies it can, interesting.
When to edit the subtitle file wasn't the question. There are cases when the question asked represents XY-problem and recommendations to do something else are appropriate. This is not one of XY-problems.

The unsolved problem remains. Why cannot Hanbrake produced SSA files be edited?
mduell
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by mduell »

That's a question for the editors you're trying to use. As you found, you can edit them just fine in a text editor.
Woodstock
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Woodstock »

MP4 doesn't support integrated SRT; just Timed Text.

A lot of players, though, will play MP4s and apply separate SRT subtitles, from a .SRT file in the same directory as the MP4.
Segfault
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Segfault »

OK, I found the crucial difference. I created an one-line SSA file for testing. There is a leading zero missing in Dialogue lines in Handbrake created file. Probably should file a bug, although players seem to cope with it?

Code: Select all

~/work $ diff handbrake.ssa editor.ssa 
14,15c14,15
< Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Actor, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
< Dialogue: ,0:00:19.96,0:00:21.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Stand by,\Neverybody, as we turn
---
> Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
> Dialogue: 0,0:00:19.96,0:00:21.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Stand by,\Neverybody, as we turn
mduell
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by mduell »

Is it required and/or allowed by the SSA spec?
Segfault
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Re: SRT subtitles passthru, crippled SSA

Post by Segfault »

Good question. I haven't read the specs, but since both quite sophisticated editors assume this zero to be there then even if it not in the specs it would be nice to have it, don't you agree?
I've filed a bug, #3580.
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