Best way to add subs to divx and convert to WMV?

[Blinky7]

Well, I want to watch the 5th season of 24 on my CRT TV (so there is no need for hi-def) and I want 5.1 sound. I can find the files in xvid form, either in SD xvid+ac3 version (700mb each) or in HD xvid+ac3 version (1.4gb each). First of all, I assume there is no need to get the HD version as the WMV i am gonna make will be SD anyway (since it is a CRT TV, no need for HD). So I guess I should get the files which are 700mb each to convert...right?

Secondly, I want to add permanent subtitles to them which I got in .SRT form. Here comes the interesting part.
Is there any way to add the subs to the WMV file being created by the conversion, or should I add the subs to the xvid files (which I think can be done with virtualdub) and then just convert those files to WMV? If there is an app that does the first I think it would be best because it will save me 1 conversion which equals both time and loss of quality...

Secondly, which app shoudl I generally use to convert xvid to wmv? I think it can be done with VLC (but the files I have tried didnt have AC3 sound and I dont know if I can preserve the 5.1 sound this way) or otherwise should I use windows media encoder? (I don't know if it can take .avi as an input, have only tried .mpg with it).

I thank you in advance for the help.

[bratao]

You can create a .avs script with a subtitle plugin to embbed the subtitle direct in wmv encoder

If you choose the 1.4G the final quality will be better
And BTW, A CRT can be HI-Def

[Blinky7]

sure, there are some rare (especially in europe) Hi-def CRTs, but mine is just a 32" 100Hz Samsung SD one.

Could you please give me some more detailed steps on this procedure (progs to use and how? I guess avisynth but I don't really know how it works)

[mahsah]

How I would do it is:
DirectShowSource("yourfile.avi")
resizehere
Textsub("yoursubs.srt")

Make sure that you have vsfilter for avisynth installed. Also, it would probally be better to add a resize before the textsub.

You will probally have to demux/decode the AC3 with besweet or such, and encode it seperately, then mux it with the encoded video stream.

[Blinky7]

How I would do it is:
DirectShowSource("yourfile.avi")
resizehere
Textsub("yoursubs.srt")

Make sure that you have vsfilter for avisynth installed. Also, it would probally be better to add a resize before the textsub.

You will probally have to demux/decode the AC3 with besweet or such, and encode it seperately, then mux it with the encoded video stream.

I will have to use resize only if the input file is the HD version with 720p right? Otherwise why not just leave the original resolution intact?

I assume that the code you have written should be used in Avisynth? And from avisythn I will get a .avs file and load that to WME? Why do the ac3 seperately? I an currently doing mpeg-2 -> VC-1 and it works fine with ac3 audio as the source (ac3filter is the decoder in graphedit).

Excuse my bliss but I have never used avisynth.

[Blinky7]

I tried loading my .avi (with ac3 sound) to WME and using quality vbr it started encoding just fine, with multichannel sound!
Then I tried to make an avisynth script to overlay the subtitles too, but failed cause I know sh!t about avisynth.
The source files are "c:\test\24.avi" and "c:\test\24.srt".
I opened notepad and wrote the following (as suggested above) :

DirectShowSource("C:\test\24.avi")
Textsub("C:\test\24.srt")

and saved it as a .avs file, then tried to load it in WME as a source but I got an error message.

Do I need to add some stuff to the script? (also if you could, give me a command to display the subs 6secs earlier).

[JoeShrubbery]

Isn't this thread a violation of rule #6?