Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

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Nasuada
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Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by Nasuada »   3 likes

After my long trip on the Topic for "Polnische Ostern" around extracting and create a simple english Subtilte file, I decide to make this little guide. This Guide is not for ripping and / or convert a DVD or BluRay Disc, so I jump over this steps.
Sadly I can write this guide only for Windows. I din't found a solution under Mac for all steps. If you knowing something actuall stuff for Mac, pls. let me know.

And pls. forgive me some errors in the text, because english is not my foreign language and I try to keep away from any translation tools.

So let us start :-)

Step 1:
Buy a Computer (you can't do that with an Tablet or Smartphone yet) :roll: and install Windows on that. If you didnÄt know what Windows is, pls stop with this tutorial :mrgreen:

Step 2:
You need a .mkv Video File who have the subtitles includes. If you have any other source like an Image of a Movie, you need to generate an .mkv file with selected Subtitles. To create a .mkv file, I recommend the powerfull OpenSource Software "Handbrake" for that. It's running under Windows, Linux and Mac OS and it's easy to use with simple presets (or you make it manual).
To convert your source file, select from the presets what you prefer. Personally I can live with that presets:
A: For HD Quality with Stereo Sound (like from some older remastered movies) choose Fast 1080p30 and if there a Sourround Sound included, select HQ 1080p30 Sourround
B: If you have an DVD Source, you can select Fast 720p30 for Stereo or HQ 720p30 Sourround for that

If you make your decission, now you need a bit of time to let convert the Video. Now you can see, how powerfull is your Hardware. If you need to wait more than 4 hours, go Back to Step 1 and buy a better PC or go to sleep and let your PC work over the night ;-)

Note: If you prefer a better Quality, feel free to select any other preset. My personal tip is, make some different exports with different presets when you usind Handrbake the first time, to see what's your personal favorite is.

Step 2:
If you are done with the .mkv File, you need to download the following free OpenSource Software:
A: MKVToolNix in Version 20.0.0 from 2019. Do not Download the latest Version, because it's not compatible with the the following Software. If you follow the Link, you will see a little List with differend Downloads. Choose what you prefer (32 Bit or 64 Bit or compromised as 7zip File or a simple .exe File).
B: Download MKVExtractGUI2 on Sourceforge. The last Update is from 2018, so it looks that this is not longer under development and that's the reason, why you need an older Version of MKVToolNix in the Background. After you download that Software, put the File MKVExtractGUI2 in the Folder of your MKVToolNix Installation Folder like C:/Applications/MKVToolNix/
C: As least, you can Download the free Software VobSub 2.23. Pls. note, that this Software is not longer under Development, but it do it's work great. More about it a bit later.

Step 3:
If you still read this Steps, feel welcome to the Matrix now.
So if you are install MKVToolNix and MKVExtractGUI2 as described in Step 2, you can run now the MKVExtractGUI2 Tool. If you do nothing wrong, it will show you now that Window:
D26CEE49-8576-4564-8DBA-F556E2DA3C6A.png
Step 4:
Now you can select your .mkv File and select the Subtitle(s) of it. This is how it can look, if you load an Movie:
FC5EF14D-088E-4233-9BCB-3967958531A6.png
As you can see, I select Track 3 of that file. Near at the end of that Line you can see, that this is an subtitle File and in the brackets you see the language. In my Example there are two english subtitles. One of them is for the Widescreen Version of that movie. So if you have a situation like that, simply try out. It takes no time, to export it. Anyway... I select Track 3 for this example.
Change your Output Dir to a Place who you prefer. The rest you can let as it is.
Now you can hit the magical "Extract" Button on the bottom left side.

Step 5:
After some seconds you will see now in your selected "Output Dir" two Files with the Name of the Source-File, but with the ending (Suffix) .sub and .idx. The IDX contain the Timecodes for the Subtitles and the Sub File contain the text. If you try to open the .sub File in the Editor from Windows, you only get a lot of cryptic "Matrix" Stuff. But you can ignore the content of that two files, you only need to convert them now to a single .srt File in the final step...

Step 6:
Ok, we are slowly at the end... Now we need the Software VobSub from Step 2. So if you are still not install that one, you can do it now and have fun to found it in your Applications Folder, because it's in the Subfolder named "Gabest". So the path of the Installation is: C:/Applications (x86) /Gabest/VobSub.
Now run "subresync" and select to open the IDX or the SUB File (it's your free choice, the result will be the same) BUT before you click on "Open", select the correct Fps (Frames per Second). Ensure you've got the correct framerate specified; for most NTSCvideo from film sources, it will be 23.976fps while from a video camera it will be 29.97. PAL usually uses 25fps. It is crucial to get this part right since it can cause synch problems in the future.
So PAL is used in Europe anmd NTSC is more present in the US. If you are not sure what Framerate your original source have, open the .mkv File in the VLC Player (also for free on the Web), start your Movie and open the Media Information (ctrl. + i under Windows or cmd + i under Mac OS), switch to the Tab "Code Details" and look for the Framerate.
So if you have the right Framerate, now you can hit "Open". As result you will get this:
CE699F2B-587E-4644-9652-BF91B5AEA02F.png
Step 7:
This is the final step... You can now hit the "Safe As..." Button. Name the Subtitle File with the same Title of the final movie file, because with the same name, VLC will recognize the subtitle file itself and use it right away.
As File Type choose .srt and now click on "Safe".
Don't wonder, you will now see a little Popup named "Enter matching letter(s). This is not a captcha who you need to solve, that is an [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_c ... ecognition]OCR[url] detection who try to understand the Letters on a picture. So you need to train the Software a bit to get a better result with retype what you see.
Don’t try to skip that, because that will never end ;-)
So if you are done with the OCR part, you will have a finale .srt File.

PS: If you didn’t like to do that part with VobSub and you will not spend some time for the OCR part, you can use a Website for that. Open the URL: https://subtitletools.com/convert-to-srt-online. From there you can select your .sub File and let it convert. But it can happen that you need to wait a bit, because they working with a waiting line (or even try that you upgrade to Premium). But as final result you will get also an .srt File. So it’s you decision, what you prefer.
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ghost
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by ghost »   0 likes

Thank you Nasuada for this guide. It sure was a lot of work.

Pls allow me some notes on it:
...choose Fast 1080p30 and if there a Sourround Sound included, select HQ 1080p30 Sourround
These presets will convert the movie with a framerate of 30fps! Normally, movies have a framerate of 24, 25, or 29.97 fps. In any way you should change this to the framerate of the source video file in the 'Video' tab. Otherwise the result will be jerky.
...you can Download the free Software VobSub 2.23.
Yes, some years ago VobSub was used for this purpose. The whole process can be done much easier and faster with SubtitleEdit. You don't have to write every single unknown letter by hand... SubtitleEdit doesn't have to be trained like VobSub.

You can load directly the VOB/IFO files from a DVD or the .idx/.sub.

Just a few suggestions...
ferdi111
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by ferdi111 »   0 likes

I use both Vobsub and Subtitle Edit (sometimes also Avidemux and Subrip)
Each of them have sometimes troubles with recognizeing letters and sometimes spaces between words are lost.
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Nasuada
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by Nasuada »   0 likes

Thanks for the suggestions... I will check them out.
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Pat patrouille jouet
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by Pat patrouille jouet »   0 likes

Au top, merci ! 8-)
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yoko
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by yoko »   1 likes

I did not click the link, but this looks like spam ^
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Night457
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by Night457 »   0 likes

And I thought it was just a smiley face. How did you know it was a link if you did not click it? I went ahead and clicked after you pointed this out. It translates as "Paw Patrol Toy", a variety of puppy dog children's toys. (That are no doubt also collected by insane adults.) I just saw the MERCI / THANKS and figured that was plain enough.

I guarantee I will never buy those toys.
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ghost
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Re: Guide to extract a subtitle and convert it to an .srt File

Post by ghost »   0 likes

I just saw the MERCI / THANKS and figured that was plain enough.
Mee, too :o

I removed the link for security reasons.
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