Adding Subtitles To RealMedia

[megamachine]

I don't normally use RealMedia much, but this job requires that I do. I have a number of XviD encoded AVI files with separate text subtitles in SUB or SRT format. I need to combine the video and subtitles into one RealMedia file. For RealMedia encoding without subs, I would load the AVI into Canopus Procoder Express, but there is no way to add the subtitles to that. The only solution I can think of is to first re-encode the video with subs into an AVI or MPG file, and then encode that again into RealMedia, but I would prefer a method that avoids two re-encodings, if possible. Anyone have any ideas? Many thanks.

EDIT: Admin, I just realized this might fit better in the Other -> Authoring/Conversion/Encoding forum.

[drfsupercenter]

Did you want the subs as a RT (realtext) format? I once downloaded a Japanese Pokémon episode in RM format, it had a RM file as the playlist, the video was RAM and the subs were RT. When played together, the subs were underneath the video, not on top (overlay). Is that what you wanted?

[futurex]

just create an avisynth script like so:

loadplugin(”VSFilter.dll”)
avisource(”c:\your video.avi”)
textsub(”c:\your subs.srt”)

and feed through encoding program of your choice

[megamachine]

DRF, I need both encoded in a single file for streaming but thanks for replying.

Futurex, many thanks and I think that's what I was looking for, although I've yet to try using avisynth scripts so there'll be a learning curve. Guess it's time to take the plunge! In the meantime, any one have another way?

[drfsupercenter]

Put them on top as an AVI file and then convert?

[futurex]

avisynth is the best way, period. megamachine, there should be no learning curve, if this is all you are wanting to do. just install avisynth, place vsfilter dll in avisynth plugins directory.

get the script i posted above, fix up the file paths, rename from txt to avs and input to encoding program. the program will "see" the avs file as an ordinary avi file

[megamachine]

Got it, futurex, and thanks again!

[megamachine]

Call me a dummy, but something's wrong. I installed AviSynth and registered the VSFilter.dll, but now all my AVI files with subs won't play. When I open them I get no video and only the subtitles play. Files without subs work fine. Ditto when I load the AVS file into my encoder. Did I miss something here?

EDIT: I unistalled AviSynth and unregistered VSFilter and now things are back to normal. I think the problem was with VSFilter. I used version 2.37. Any known issues with that? Other recommendations?

[celtic_druid]

You don't need to register vsfilter. You only need to do that if you want to use directvobsub. To use it as an AVISynth or VDub plugin no registration is required. Still never had any real problems with dvobsub here.

[futurex]

dont register it, just place into avisynth plugin directory

[megamachine]

Thanks cd, but I got this error message in Procoder:

LoadPlugin: unable to load "VSFilter.dll"
(W:\Work\test.avs, line 1)

I installed AVISynth here: C:\av\avisynth
and copied VSFilter.dll to the Plugins folder

Then created a script entitled test.avs with these lines:

loadplugin("VSFilter.dll")
avisource("w:\work\test.avi")
textsub("w:\work\test.srt")

Then loaded that into Procoder and got the error message.

Did I miss a step?

EDIT: Thanks futurex, too, I was writing this when you replied.

EDIT 2: Never mind, I forgot to specify the path to VSFilter. Now it's loaded, with subs visible Procoder preview, so I'll run my encoding and write back with the results when it's done. Thanks for the assistance.

[celtic_druid]

You don't need to load it if it is in the plugin dir. It gets loaded automatically.

[megamachine]

Thanks cd, but when I used the script without specifying the avisynth plugin directory, I got the error message noted above. Not sure why. I am new to scripting, and specifying the directory of the plugin solved the problem for me. But now I'm curious; any idea why I would have to do that? Best wishes.

EDIT: Do you mean omit the line for loadplugin?

[futurex]

Do you mean omit the line for loadplugin?

no. the script i posted should've worked perfectly as long as you had the vsfilter.dll in the "c:\...avisynth\plugins" directory

loadplugin("VSFilter.dll")

[megamachine]

Strange, futurex, because the plugin was in the proper location but I got that error message from my encoder. When I specified the path, and without changing anything else, it loaded the video with the subs.