DVD ReBuilder and editing subtitles (?)

[bobkoure]

I'm just starting to investigate how to do this and know just barely enough to be able to start asking questions.
My primary motivation is being able to relocate subtitles lower on the screen in movies that I have that are letterboxed - and that I have used the "Convert from LB 4x3 to 16x9" option. I've also a couple of DVDs that only have English-for-hearing-impaired subtitles. I'd love to be able to edit out the "[water dripping]" bits.

There are a number of ways to extract subtitles from movies (and good guides for doing so here at doom9).

Then I likely have to do some modification, either modifying graphics images or, if I used OCR to convert subs into text above, then converting this text (potentially modified) back into something I can merge back in to the movie.

Now, to merge subs back in, I think I can use the subtitler filter (http://www.virtualdub.org/virtualdub_filters) the same way I can use other VirtualDub (http://www.virtualdub.org/index) filters to clean up / smooth / sharpen / whatever - via the Avs Options / Filter Editor.
However this filter wants .ssa (SubStationAlpha (http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=Sub_Station_Alpha)), which is no longer being developed. Videohelp.com recommends that I use Subtitle Workshop (http://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=Subtitle%20Workshop#comments) in its place.

So... does all this seem familiar to anyone here? Am I wasting my time on a dead end? Is there some other (and potentially easier) way to do this? Is there some key area that's going to cause me troubles? (I'd have guessed that this would be synchronization, but it might be something else...?)

If it does work for me I'll try to write up what I did and how I did it so as to save the next folks trying this some time puzzling it out...

[CoNS]

Well, you're kinda in the wrong section as your question is related to subtitles. Here's where you can find help: http://forum.doom9.org/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12

Anyway, I'd say that the easiest way to do what you wanna do is this:

1. Rip the original subtitles to a text format using an OCR program (SubRip works very well, rips to .srt format)
2. Edit your subtitles using SubtitleWorkShop (removing the hearing impaired parts etc.)
3. Use the program PgcDemux by jsoto to demux the VTST containing the main movie on your original disc (to save separate audio, video and subtitle streams) you can find info about the program and read where to download it here: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=84778 (also in PgcEdit you save your celltimes and create a log file)
4. Use a program like Srt2Sup or SubtitleCreator to make a new bitmap subtitle stream in .sup format with your new subtitles. The .sup format holds information about vertical alignment of the subs, in reference to your question.
5. Use IfoEdit (latest version 0.971) to author new DVD where you include your new custom made subs. Check the log file created by PgcDemux to see if there's any delay to be added to the audio stream(s) ripped by PgcDemux ub step 3
6. If you want to keep the menu of the original disc (and extra material etc.), replace the old VTST containing the movie with newly authored VTST using the program VobBlanker, also by jsoto.
7. Make sure the .ifo for the VTST with the main movie has the right subtitle colours. You can edit the colours using SupRemap, IfoEdit or PgcEdit.
8. Test your disc and burn!

[bobkoure]

Thanks for the response.
Originally posted by CoNS
Well, you're kinda in the wrong section as your question is related to subtitles.
I was asking in this section because I was wondering if anyone has used / was using the subtitle filter which, in as much as it works with VirtualDub, should work with DVDRebuilder as an AVS filter. I'm pretty sure folks in the subtitles forum are not doing it this way (extra trouble as the subtitles filter uses elapsed time - and no mention of subtitlefilter), so here I am...:)