edit font & size of hard coded subtitles

[skylinekiller]

Currently, there is not an option to change the font and size of the subtitles in Handbrake. This is a bit of a limiting factor for me when it comes to Handbrake. At the moment I am using Ribot. It doesn't have this option either, but I can edit "Default.style" under the "Tools\AviSynth plugins\VSFilter\Default.style" Right now my this file is configured as
"Style: Default,Univers CE 45 Light,41,16777215,0,16777215,0,-1,0,2,1,2,20,20,20,0,0"

Can I do this to Handbrake too? If so, I do not see this same file in the Handbrake folder so I don't know where to edit it.


1.2.2 (2019022300)




Windows 10 Pro latest update as of 27 Feb 2019

[Ritsuka]

The next major version will let you add an external ass/ssa track. You can try it already if you download a nightly build. If the subtitles tracks is already embedded in the mkv/mp4, there is still no way to change the font.

[skylinekiller]

I guess that is a start. Wonder why this option still is vacant. changing the font and font size are vital to the watching experience.

[Deleted User 13735]

Wonder why this option still is vacant. changing the font and font size are vital to the watching experience.

Not if one is producing a media file in his own geographic region for his own use. A student of languages, perhaps?

[Woodstock]

"vital to the watching experience" should include adjusting the subtitle positioning, fonts used, colors, etc., on a scene-by-scene basis. That means SRT subtitles and a fixed font style is not the way to go, unless you're rather desperate.

[skylinekiller]

Well that's most certainly true. While that is more important than font type, size, and color; changing the font type, size, and color you are able to fuse the subtitle within the movie where it becomes not as distracting. For example, watching Avatar with its original subtitle font Papyrus, is much more appealing than plain white standing out font.

Don't get me wrong, This is a great program and the request is trivial. I understand my request is like upgrading the wipers on a Ferrari. It's a great machine but could see a little better with a small upgrade.

[mduell]

the request is trivial

I look forward to your proposed patch, covering all supported platforms and interfaces.

[skylinekiller]

I mean trivial in comparison to the other stuff being worked on, not as in easy to do. Let's keep our pants on and not get so easily offended.

[JohnAStebbins]

We have a feature request on github that covers this that's been accepted as an enhancement. But nobody is working on it. Our feature request list is long and our developers are few. So there's no telling when this might rise to the top of the list for someone.

[Woodstock]

John, if the SRT file were edited to have a style defined at the beginning (using the SSA formatting commands), would the style remain applied to all subsequent subtitles, when handbrake is rendering the subtitles for burning?

Just trying to think "outside the box" to allow for this without code changes

[JohnAStebbins]

Nope. SSA override tags only apply to the line the occur on. There is no global style you can set. Even in a regular SSA file, you specify which of the defined styles you want per line. The default style for a line is part of the prefix that exits for every line in SSA.

But thinking outside the box...
If the source subtitles are SSA, extract the SSA modify the style(s) in the header, mux back in or use a HandBrake nightly build with SSA import to encode.
If the source subtitles are SRT, encode with soft subtitles to mkv, extract the resulting SSA track from the output, modify the style header, mux it back in.

I know those aren't great options, but it's what we've got right now.

[skylinekiller]

Thank you for the detailed and educational response. I guess, for the time being, if I need hard-coded subs I'll use RB over HB. I'm not sure when it was added, but I just noticed HB will separate each title of a DVD. I won't even began to tell you the daunting process I was doing until a few days ago