| My impression | Jan 6, 2011 |
I have a faint recollection of having checked this (or a very similar) software when I was learning translation for subtitling, back in 2004. That was when I adapted my video translation for dubbing (doing it since 1987) skills for subtitling.
Subtitle files are all pretty much the same, and can be converted into one another, either using Subtitle Workshop or Media Subtitler. They are customized for the software that will actually burn the subtitles on the video or create a subpictu... See more I have a faint recollection of having checked this (or a very similar) software when I was learning translation for subtitling, back in 2004. That was when I adapted my video translation for dubbing (doing it since 1987) skills for subtitling.
Subtitle files are all pretty much the same, and can be converted into one another, either using Subtitle Workshop or Media Subtitler. They are customized for the software that will actually burn the subtitles on the video or create a subpicture file on a DVD. The major difference is in the data they contain.
If the subtitle burning or DVD authoring software is high-end (aka expensive) like Adobe Encore, the subtitles file is usually TXT, and only includes time-in, time-out, and the text. All formatting will be handled by the authoring software.
If the subtitle burning software is low-end (freeware) like the excellent VirtualDub, it uses more complete, detailed files, like SSA (= SubStation Alpha), which is also plain text (you may open and read virtually ANY subtitles file with Windows Notepad), however it contains, on top of the subs & spotting data, all information on each subtitle, viz. font, size, color, border, position, etc.
My impression of VirtualSubSync is that it is theoretically workable, however should be quite inefficient, if you have to mark using the mouse every section of the sound wave, to assign it to a subtitle. It will be definitely more accurate, however as you can't see the video, some later adjustments will have to be made, possibly with Subtitle Workshop.
For instance, if there is a dry cut between scenes, even if the audio trespasses it, I prefer - for a neater looking effect - to miss a split second of subtitle-covered audio, so that a subtitle won't change *almost* in sync, but not in sync, with a dry cut. I'm not sure I made it clear. I want to avoid having a cut, and the subtitle going off a split second later, as well as avoid having a subtitle coming up, and a dry cut taking place a split second later.
When I translate for subtitles, now Express Scribe has video too, I strive to make - whenever possible - subtitle changes coincide with shot changes, so there is no unnecessary 'action' on the screen, which may subreptitiously annoy the spectator.
Hence, if my working standards require me to fine-tune the subs afterwards with Subtitle Workshop, I might as well use it to do the whole job. That's why I discarded VisualSubSinc or something very similar at the outset.
Regarding subtitle file types, I've listed all those covered by Subtitle Workshop at http://www.lamensdorf.com.br/subtitle_file_formats.html . ▲ Collapse
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