Using VLC as subtitle projector
Posted: 17 Jun 2013 10:47
Hi all,
I'm planning to use VLC in a way which might be new, I don't know if it's been attempted before: to screen timed subtitles simultaneously with a film projection. In my case, the VLC machine would only be screening the subtitles, while a completely separate system would project the movie onto a movie screen. This already seems quite workable, with just a few little kinks I'd like to work out with your kind help.
This is the workflow I came up with so far:
Step 1: Create the subtitles in SRT format, making sure the timecode is correct for the film.
Step 2: Using the great subtitle utility Submerge, create a .mov version of the film with a QuickTime subtitle track.
Step 3: Play this .mov on VLC, with the subtitles running synchronously in a separate little window, not overlaid over the video.
Step 4: While the movie plays, drag the subtitles window to the secondary display (projector) and let them run, concurrently with the film as it screens in the theater. Fine tune as necessary during playback to maintain sync.
I remembered the useful behavior described in step 3 from previous versions of VLC. I tried it in the current release (2.0.6) and the video just played without subtitles, so I downloaded VLC 0.9.9a and there it worked like a charm, just as I remembered.
Here are my questions for you good folks:
1. Do I have to use such an old version, or is there a way to achieve this in a more current release?
2. Adjusting subtitle delay during playback doesn't seem to work. When I Press J and H during playback, a little OSD pops up and says "Subtitle delay XXX ms", but... the subs still play in perfect sync with the video. Why is this? Maybe those keys only control external SRT subs and not a QuickTime subtitle track? I'm not married to the idea of the QuickTime subtitle track, I could go the SRT route if I could get it to work.
3. This might be a newbie question, but... How do I specify that the subs should play at the top of the screen in full screen mode?
Thank you so much in advance.
I'm planning to use VLC in a way which might be new, I don't know if it's been attempted before: to screen timed subtitles simultaneously with a film projection. In my case, the VLC machine would only be screening the subtitles, while a completely separate system would project the movie onto a movie screen. This already seems quite workable, with just a few little kinks I'd like to work out with your kind help.
This is the workflow I came up with so far:
Step 1: Create the subtitles in SRT format, making sure the timecode is correct for the film.
Step 2: Using the great subtitle utility Submerge, create a .mov version of the film with a QuickTime subtitle track.
Step 3: Play this .mov on VLC, with the subtitles running synchronously in a separate little window, not overlaid over the video.
Step 4: While the movie plays, drag the subtitles window to the secondary display (projector) and let them run, concurrently with the film as it screens in the theater. Fine tune as necessary during playback to maintain sync.
I remembered the useful behavior described in step 3 from previous versions of VLC. I tried it in the current release (2.0.6) and the video just played without subtitles, so I downloaded VLC 0.9.9a and there it worked like a charm, just as I remembered.
Here are my questions for you good folks:
1. Do I have to use such an old version, or is there a way to achieve this in a more current release?
2. Adjusting subtitle delay during playback doesn't seem to work. When I Press J and H during playback, a little OSD pops up and says "Subtitle delay XXX ms", but... the subs still play in perfect sync with the video. Why is this? Maybe those keys only control external SRT subs and not a QuickTime subtitle track? I'm not married to the idea of the QuickTime subtitle track, I could go the SRT route if I could get it to work.
3. This might be a newbie question, but... How do I specify that the subs should play at the top of the screen in full screen mode?
Thank you so much in advance.