Subtitles time adjustment not working

[billermo]

In the previous version of VLC I had installed, I was able to adjust the subtitle timing (by subtracting time in tenths of seconds from what appeared in the SRT or SUB file) so that it would match the dialogue precisely.

In this new version, I can't get the subtitles time adjustment to work at all. No matter what figure I enter, there is no resulting change in when the subtitles start when viewing the film with subtitles on. Also, it's not possible to enter negative values -- in the old version I had (8.6 I think) you could do that, so that if the SRT file had the subtitles starting too late at 1:22 when the dialog really started at 0:54, you could adjust it to start at 0:54 by entering a figure to make it start 26 seconds earlier (by entering "-260" -- it was a bit counterintuitive since it was in tenths of seconds, not seconds, but I guess that's needed for fine tuning and difficult to program decimal points). In the current version, 9.9, it seems to be in full seconds -- there's no indication otherwise. And like I said, no possibility of entering any figure lower than zero -- which I suppose means subtitles can be adjusted to start later than they normally would but not earlier.

I'm not finding any good documentation on how this works in the current version.

[petefr]

Hey, I also have the same pb: I cant adjust the time lap I want. I use VLC version099
Help!! Thx P

[VLC_help]

Same problem in VLC 1.0.0 ?

[billermo]

Same problem in 1.0, yes. The first version I had, which was one of the 0.8's, allowed for a negative value to be entered to adjust when the subtitles would start. So if the film began but subtitles began AFTER the dialogue that they were meant to appear with, it was possible to adjust that and fix it by entering a negative value in the field for subtitle start time, which would start the subtitles file that much sooner in teh film than they were supposed to start.

In the current version, its not possible to enter a negative value. Unless the UI has changed completely, it seems as if this would mean it's not possible to have subtitles begin earlier anymore, but only later. That would seem to be a step backward in terms of development, so it doesn't make sense that the software would be upgraded in this way. That also makes me wonder if it's not the case and there's something I"m missing here.

I can't find any online documentation as to how this feature is supposed to work. Maybe it's there somewhere and I'm just not finding it.

[VLC_help]

GUI did change between 0.8.x -> 0.9.x, before it was wxWidgets and now it is QT4. And for me negative subtitle values do work in VLC 1.0.0 (you can use slider if the input doesn't allow negative values).

[billermo]

Sorry, I'm not seeing that. (and I've just looked at version 0.9.9 and also 1.0.0 -- the behavior was same for both on my end)

I wonder if we're looking at the same thing. Where are you finding your slider?

I'm going to Media: Advanced Open File, checking the box for 'Use subtitle' and then the next checkbox further down for 'advanced options'. Then a box appears right side toward bottom with numbers titled Start Time (it says 0.0s inside the box by default). That one definitely does NOT go to less than zero. Stops there and won't go further down. It can go up infinitely, but not down lower than zero.

Is this the same as what you're talking about?

Are there instructions online anywhere about how to use this feature?

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

You are not using it correctly. Use the synchronisation dialog.

[billermo]

I have no idea what this synchronisation dialog is that you're mentioning now, first time it's mentioned here.

I really would like to know if there is any documentation anywhere of how to use this feature. Is there documentation for it anywhere?

[billermo]

I located something under TOOLS called Track Synchronisation. Is that what you were referring to?

Clicking on it, NOTHING HAPPENS. No dialog box opens up at all. Nothing at all happens.

It looks like the feature is broken.

When clicking on Effects and Filters under Tools (which says Ctrl+E next to it) again, nothing happens. I'm doubting that you would deliberately put features under tools that when clicked on, nothing happens. Similarly, when typing Ctrl+E, nothing happens. When clicking any of the other options under Tools, dialog boxes open.

These look like bugs.

Developers, if you are seeing different behavior than we users are, can you download a new copy from the same place we are downloading ours and take a look directly? Before presuming that we're just confused and doing something wrong, please investigate. What I describe above is certain. I've tried it every way possible. Those 2 features under Tools can not be opened in the copy of VLC 1.0 I just downloaded.

If the downloaded version is behaving differently than the copies you have on your own machines, it would make sense that the version available for download might be different, or at least is behaving differently on our machines. There may be bugs that you're not finding on your end, for whatever reason.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Right. Delete preferences and cache.

[VLC_help]

I am referring to Tools -> Effects and filters and Synchronization tab (there is an Advance of subtitles over video). You can also use g and h hotkeys to adjust sync.

[billermo]

In reply to j-b, I did choose to delete prefs and cache when uninstalling 0.9.9, if that is what you mean. If you mean something else, I'm not sure how to do that. Go into the VLC directory and delete folders named preferences and cache?

Anyway, today I open VLC and I just clicked on the same Track Synchronisation under Tools and today it opened and the UI in that dialog box seems self-explanatory. Yesterday that dialog box was not opening, and I tried many times.

In reply to VLC_help, that Effects and Filters you refer to was another one of the dialog boxes that was not opening for me yesterday. Today it opens, and I see how it is one other way to get into the synchronisation for adjusting the start time of subtitles.

Could this have happened (dialog boxes not opening) if I installed VLC 1.0 but hadn't rebooted before trying to use it?

Anyway, I have access to it now, and it seems to allow negative values.

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

I
Could this have happened (dialog boxes not opening) if I installed VLC 1.0 but hadn't rebooted before trying to use it?

Yes.