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Author Topic: Best looking text-based subtitles  (Read 8309 times)

Matt

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Best looking text-based subtitles
« on: July 14, 2011, 02:54:55 pm »

Edit by JimH:  This is available in a build that will be released early this week, about July 19 or so. 

Please see this thread for more details:
http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=65269.0

End Edit

Begin Matt:
I'm playing with adding support for text-based subtitles (SSA/ASS).

What visual style do you think looks best for text-based subtitles?  Any screenshots of the sharpest looking solution?

Should there be a faded background bubble like our OSD uses?  Should the text be white, or yellow, or something else?

Thanks for any tips.
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MrC

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Re: Best looking test-based subtitles
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2011, 03:00:59 pm »

Criterion folks seem to generally desire white, and opinions are strong against yellow.

http://www.criterionforum.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4407
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Hendrik

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2011, 03:27:34 pm »

SSA subtitles should not have any extra styling applied thats not defined in the SSA script. People use that to blend texts directly on street signs and stuff like that.

For unstyled text subtitles (SRT), i prefer white with a slight black outline - no background bubbles.
Here is a screenshot of MPC-HC rendering SRT subs, sharpest renderer you can get right now: http://files.1f0.de/MPC-HC-SRT-Rendering.png (excuse the size, didnt want to downscale or overly compress it)
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glynor

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2011, 03:37:48 pm »

Definitely no background bubbles.  I basically agree with what nevcairiel just posted.
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rick.ca

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2011, 04:20:27 pm »

Quote
I basically agree with what nevcairiel just posted.

+1
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jmone

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2011, 04:34:03 pm »

I'm playing with adding support for text-based subtitles (SSA/ASS).

:) I don't use Txt Subs but I love how once the ball gets rolling .....  great stuff!
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gvanbrunt

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2011, 05:12:47 pm »

I agree. White with black border, not bubbles.
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Osho

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2011, 05:33:50 pm »

I agree. White with black border, not bubbles.

+1

Osho
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Alex B

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2011, 05:43:35 pm »

I dont have any SSA/ASS subtitles.

For srt subtitles I prefer white with black border. That's what I would expect to see as default (if options will be available). Most of my subtitles are srt - either external or recently also muxed in MKV. I prefer to replace the ripped idx + sub files with the resolution independent srt subtitles if I can find correct srt files. Sometimes I also use "subtitle OCR" and create srt files by myself but that is time consuming because the resulting subtitle files must be proofread and the OCR errors corrected.

A very important option would be some kind of control for the size. In general I prefer rather small subtitles, but the size must be adjustable for different viewing distances and also for different audiences.
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Alex B

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2011, 05:51:17 pm »

or unstyled text subtitles (SRT), i prefer white with a slight black outline - no background bubbles.
Here is a screenshot of MPC-HC rendering SRT subs, sharpest renderer you can get right now: http://files.1f0.de/MPC-HC-SRT-Rendering.png (excuse the size, didnt want to downscale or overly compress it)

Actually, the screenshot shows a black outline and a small shadow. That is actually my preferred style. I forgot the shadow. However, these things are adjustable in vsfilter and ffdshow. Would MC be locked to one predefined style?
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MrHaugen

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #10 on: July 15, 2011, 06:25:42 am »

NOT yellow. White with black borders is the best in my opinion. Perhaps with the shading as illustrated in the example image.
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Alex B

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #11 on: July 15, 2011, 08:06:53 am »

In addition to size control, a position control would be good to have.

Ideally it would allow to optionally pad the output with black area and place subtitles there. For example if the video aspect ratio is 2.40:1 the output could then be 16:9 with black bars (top & bottom) and the subtitles would show below the actual video frame. This option is available for example in vsfilter.

I attached two screenshots. In the first screenshot a single text line is placed entirely in the padded area. In the second screenshot the following subtitle has two lines and the first line is partially inside the actual video frame. The bottom line stays in the same position.
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MrHaugen

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #12 on: July 15, 2011, 08:17:01 am »

A position control would be very handy. On the OSD control page. Use the arrows to move text and ok to accept? Mmmmm
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skeeterfood

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #13 on: July 15, 2011, 08:01:14 pm »

8I need the opposite positioning capabilities. I need the subtitles inside the picture for 2.35:1, since I project constant height and the black bars are above and below the screen.
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globetrotters1

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #14 on: July 17, 2011, 08:33:20 pm »

+1 for white text with black outline, if possible always SAME size, SAME font, no background bubble

+1 for positioning control on-the-fly or at least fixed to the same position on the projection screen (the screen is the important thing, not the movie!)

And if you are still working on the subtitles:
It would be cool if we could add more than one language subtitles to one movie, english and spanish for instance
as an example:
NameOfMovie.mkv
NameOfMovie.eng.srt
NameOfMovie.spa.srt

And it would be very cool if it would be possible to change the subtitle delay +/- on-the-fly too, for subtitles out of sync

:)
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sunfire7

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #15 on: July 18, 2011, 12:32:02 am »

+1 for white text with black outline, if possible always SAME size, SAME font, no background bubble

+1 for positioning control on-the-fly or at least fixed to the same position on the projection screen (the screen is the important thing, not the movie!)

And if you are still working on the subtitles:
It would be cool if we could add more than one language subtitles to one movie, english and spanish for instance
as an example:
NameOfMovie.mkv
NameOfMovie.eng.srt
NameOfMovie.spa.srt

And it would be very cool if it would be possible to change the subtitle delay +/- on-the-fly too, for subtitles out of sync

:)
agree 100% with this post
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lepa

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #16 on: July 18, 2011, 03:58:10 am »

Actually, the screenshot shows a black outline and a small shadow.
This.

Colour, position, size and delay configuration would be nice.
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minolotus

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Re: Best looking text-based subtitles
« Reply #17 on: July 21, 2011, 01:10:05 pm »


Colour, position, size and delay configuration would be nice.

+1
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