SVCD subtitles from microDVD format

[badtom]

Is possible to convert microDVD format (.txt,.sub,.srt.....)to SVCD format ???
I do not mean to make permanent subtitles on movie, but vob subs.

Thanx

[Yusaku]

text>SSA>MaestroSBT

Lookup MaestroSBT and Srt2SSA keywords here on the site, and report problems back here.

[badtom]

I tryied MaestroSBT, and it works fine.
After i multiplexed that subtitle files with movie, but for now i did not see it. I'll check it if it works.

[HarlockBCN]

Hi all,
is there any way to convert a .SUB subtitle file to an .TXT i-author subtitle file (+ BMP file's) ??
I've tested with maestroSBT but the bmp's it generates don't work!.
I get bmp files with yellow background and black foreground color for the font :(.

Thanks

[badtom]

same here

[badtom]

But i thing in maestroSTB u can change the collors.
I do not know which colors are right.
Do u ?

[Pko]

There are 2 types of subtitles on SVCD; one of them is called "CVD" or "I-Author" subtitles, as this type is the only one that I-Author creates, and "Philips" or "SVCD standard" or just "SVCD" subtitles, as that type is the one approved as standar in the SVCD specification.

Some player play only CVD, some only SVCD, some both, some none and quite a few have some bugs (many players, qhen they find a subtitle stream, display it and the user cannot switch it off or change the stream if there are more than one). I hope all this odd behaviour will be corrected in the future by firmware upgrades and such.

Until recently, only the SVCD tools from Philips could create SVCD subs, and that tools where buggy, limited (only workrd on Windows NT 4.0) and very difficult to get (and NOT free), so most people only could create CVD (so, non-standard) subs, but now there is the submux utility (you can download it from DVD2SVCD site and comes with DVD2SVCD package itself; I recommend using the one included with build 4 since it works much better). submux can create both CVD- and SVCD- style subs.

So, first you need to test your player with both styles, to see if it supports one, another, both or none, and to see how good it does.

Then, you can create the subs in many ways; let's assume you use submux; first, a little of background info:

The subs themselves are 4 color uncompressed BMP files (there will be converted to MPEG stills prior to multiplexing in the MPEG stream, so their size will be much reduced); the "virtual screen" where the subs will be displayed has a resolution of 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL); the BMPs do not need to be of that resolution (they MUST NOT, in fact, since the files will be too large to fit well in the MPEG stream). The BMPs need only to be large enough to show the information you want.

Also, you need a text file to indicate to submux when the sub will appera and when will disappear, the size and position of the subs (the size is redundant, since submux could perhaps read it from the BMPs, but this version at least needs it) and also the transparency level of each of the 4 colors (from 100% opaque to 100% transparent)

So, to create both text files and BMPs, you can use a number of tools; if you have the original DVD, I recomend SubRip 0.97b (select philips style subs); if you have the subs in text format (perhaps MDVD or SSA), first convert them to SSA and then generate the subs with MaestroSBT (the last version does an EXCELENT work on this).

Last, use submux; simply copy all BMPs, the MPG and the text file to the same directory and from there run:

submux -t1 -s0 mystream.mpg subs.sub mystream_s.mpg

that will create "mystream_s.mpg" from "mystream.mpg" insertinng the subs as specified in "subs.sub" text file; it will create them as the first sub stream (because we specified "-s0"), they will be "SVCD-Style" (for CVD-Style, ad the option "-c") and they will be delayed 1 second (because we specified "-t1"). I've found that you allways need to delay one second at least to have the subs in synch.

Hope this helps...

[badtom]

Thank you for your info.
I have PHILIPS standalone DVD player.
That player plays only SVCD titles not CVD.
I will test it and will tell the results.

Thanks