Subtitles

The Subtitles project offers a command line tool, known as 'subs', along with a Perl backend, that enables users to easily load, re-time, convert, and store movie subtitle files. It supports popular formats such as .srt, .sub, and .smi, making it a versatile solution for users. Furthermore, the tool is also extendable, allowing for additional features and support as required.

With subtitles gaining enormous popularity in recent times, Subtitles project offers a convenient way to view movie files along with subtitle text files. Caution is advised when using the -i feature, especially if subtitles are shown too early (5 seconds). In such cases, the following command can be used:

subs -i -b 5 file.sub

In situations where subtitles are for a movie in 25 fps but need to be for 24 fps, to suit frame-based formats, the following command can be used:

subs -i -a 24/25 file.sub

If you encounter a situation where subtitles start 1 second too early and are 7 seconds late after an hour, the following command is helpful:

subs -i -p 0 -1 -p 1:00:00 +7 file.sub

Users can also easily join two parts with a 15-second gap with the following command:

subs -o joined.sub -j 15 part1.sub part2.sub

Splitting subtitles in two after 50 minutes and half a second is another convenient feature, making it easy to manage large subtitle files. The following command accomplishes this:

subs -o basename.sub -s 50:00.5 toobig.sub

In addition, users can remove closed caption-specific comments using the following command:

subs -e 's/[s-]*[.*]s*n*//gs' sub.sub

Installing Subtitles project is a hassle-free process, requiring users to perform a few simple steps, such as running the following commands:

perl Makefile.PL

make

make test

make install

The latest release of Subtitles project comes with a subtitle "zapping" function, which enables merging subtitle files to utilize one's text lines with another's timeframe information. This is a welcome addition and enhances the functionality of the tool.