How to use SRT file with MP4

Question

Level 1

107 points

How to use SRT file with MP4

I want to use soft subtitles with video so I still have the option to play them without subtitles if I wish. How can I enable QuickTime Player to play MP4 with soft subtitles SRT extension? I can play AVI with subtitles in QuickTime (QT doesn't have codecs for AVI, duh, but I installed Perian to overcome that weakness). I can export the MP4 as AVI, but when I do, the result looks terrible. It seems QuickTime cannot correctly export MP4 to AVI. I can play MP4 with SRT subtitles in VLC Player, but the subtitles don't have decent shading to make them readable, like they do in QuickTime Player. Because of that, I want to find a solution for using MP4 with SRT in QuickTime Player. Any suggestions?

three Macs, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Aug 14, 2009 8:03 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Klaus1

Level 9

52,811 points

Feb 12, 2017 4:04 AM in response to Somps

Your problem, hardware or software, may not be exactly the same as that of the original poster of this older thread, and it can be very confusing for everybody if we try to answer more than one question in each thread, which can also result in you applying the wrong advice to your particular problem.

In order for us to give your problem our proper attention to try to solve it, would you kindly start your own thread, describing the trouble you are having in the fullest detail, including completing your details to show what Mac or iDevice you are using, what operating system, and what version of the application in question. Please remember to post in the forum relevant to your hardware or version of OS X. A full list of all the support forums is here:

http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa

Reply

Answer 2

Somps

Level 1

8 points

Feb 12, 2017 3:55 AM in response to jojjeee

Sorry. I am new to this. I could use some instructions. I have FFMPEG installed and I copied your command, but how do I tell it where my files are located. I get an error message saying no such file or directory. Thank you.

Reply

Answer 3

Somps

Level 1

8 points

Feb 12, 2017 6:37 PM in response to Klaus1

I was actually replying to the instructions that a user was giving for the answer. I'm not having a problem. I was just asking the user to clarify the answer they had given for this problem. Is that not considered relevant? I clicked the "reply" button under that user's response. I was following that user's direction for the question asked and I felt that it was a viable answer for the proposed question. Just didn't fully get where the user was telling the other user to put the files to be published. If I create another thread, how will that user know that I was asking for a response to their answer? Please let me know. As I said, I'm new to this. Thank you.

Reply

Answer 4

Somps

Level 1

8 points

Sep 24, 2017 5:57 PM in response to EhabKasko

I use Adapter to Convert videos from one format to another. Free Image and Video Converter for Mac and PC · Adapter it's free. I don't remember if iSubtitle is free or not but its good if you want the subtitle to be fused with the video. Jubler lets you create or convert subtitles, but the subtitles are separate files. I', not having luck with QuickTime (QT) and subs. I use MPlayerX for playing videos and using subtitles. If you can upgrade to QT Pro, I think it integrates subtitles better. I get a lot of my subitles from http://www.yifysubtitles.com/ I have to hit TAB in order to type into the searchbar. I'm not on here often so I don't know how much help that I can be, but get used to searching youtube for Mac + whatever you are looking for. good luck.

Reply

Answer 5

Aug 15, 2009 9:01 PM in response to Moof666

I have just the thing for you. Get Perian: http://perian.org/

It renders subtitles much more beautifully than VLC. Otherwise, same game; make sure the .srt has the same name as the movie and Perian will do the rest.

Reply

Answer 6

Moof666 Author

Level 1

107 points

Sep 1, 2009 11:55 PM in response to rustler2x4

I have had Perian installed for over one year. It does nothing for MP4 to enable SRT subtitles. It enables AVI to show SRT subtitles. What I need is some other component that enables QuickTime to show SRT subtitles while playing MP4. I make a lot of subtitle files for my students and most of the music videos are MP4. If I use QT Pro to export them to AVI, I can see the subtitles, but the video quality suffers a lot. Don't blame this on AVI alone, as AVIs I get from a Windows computer look wonderful when played by QuickTime on my Mac. It is only the conversions on a Mac that look bad.

Reply

Answer 7

Sep 2, 2009 4:40 AM in response to Moof666

Hi,
You need Subler - get it Here

Regards

Reply

Answer 8

Moof666 Author

Level 1

107 points

Sep 11, 2009 4:51 AM in response to Josef Kowalewski

I need a lot of things, but I can't use Subler. These are PPC Macs running 10.4.11. Anyone know of a way to make QuickTime play SRT subtitles with MP4? I can do it with VLC Player, but the subtitles are hard to read, especially when projected in a classroom.

Reply

Answer 9

Sep 11, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Moof666

In QuickTime I don't know, however the Movist video player (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/27642) renders SRT subtitles in a separate video layer, so they are always ultra clear (and fully configurable). In most other video players, subtitles assume the resolution of the video file and thus become blurry in fullscreen.

Reply

Answer 10

Sep 15, 2009 2:08 PM in response to Moof666

First of all, SRT subs are fail. I would Highly recommend downloading jubler subtitle editor and export them as .*** (advanced substation) or .SSA (substation alpha) It should pick up the files then as long as its in the same directory with the same exact name, unless you mux it with that guys program. I personally. .*** allows you to stylize and add effects, which are unnecessary, but easier on the eyes, and easy to do, just open them in notepad and enter the color value code, or do it in jubler. Full customizability over .SRT which could really only be resized.

Reply

Answer 11

Moof666 Author

Level 1

107 points

Sep 29, 2009 4:20 PM in response to JohnPatterson

I didn't understand all of what you said, such as "SRT subs are fail". Surely you don't mean to say "SRT files are not a good choice". They are the de facto standard for soft subtitles. It is QuickTime that needs help. I have had Jubler for more than a year. It doesn't make a subtitle file that works with QuickTime. I am using the latest version of Jubler (4.1.3) and I saved the file as SSA. So that leaves Jubler out of the discussion. Does anyone know how to make QuickTime work with SRT files? That's the ultimate solution.

Reply

Answer 12

Oct 2, 2009 10:38 PM in response to Moof666

Oh, I hastily misread the question. My apologies. I ran into this same problem, cant figure out how to force these layers on without hard subbing, in which case you cant turn them off. I usually just convert to the other formats because 1. you can see them better because you can set the color, 2. you can turn them on and off in vlc as long as it has the same name as the video file without hard subbing. But alas, I contribute not to the problem with quicktime, which has too many problems of its own.

Reply

Answer 13

Rondex

Level 1

0 points

Oct 12, 2009 11:30 AM in response to Moof666

Hello guys. I have the same problem here. I'm using avidemux_2 to convert mkv to mp4, and that works successffully. The new mp4 files plays without any problems on quicktime with gpu acceleration enable (cpu utilization under 10% to 720p high definition movies). The only problem is: I can't load subtitles with mp4 on quicktime, but in vlc player the same file works just fine exept this is playing without gpu acceleration.
The only reason that I want to play movie files on quicktime is hardware acceleration, witch causes less power consumption and heat.
Does any one know how to use gpu acceleration with subtitles? As far as I know, hardware acceleration is only possible with mp4 and I'm not so sure with mov files.

Thanks in advance.

Reply

Answer 14

Oct 15, 2009 12:52 PM in response to Moof666

Hi,

Facing the exact same quirk, the solution I found comes with good old MPEG Streamclip. It allows to save one's mp4 into an avi-container and lo and behold, Perian kicks in to load whatever subtitle file it supports as soon as QuickTime Player opens said avi.
Copying the subtitle track from avi to mp4 (add to selection and scale!) may be required. Save as mov and you 're all set.

Reply

Answer 15

Moof666 Author

Level 1

107 points

Jan 8, 2010 11:54 PM in response to CMar|c|e|l |

I already have QT Pro and Perian, so I can export as AVI using QT Pro. The result is a much larger file with much lower quality. I can use VLC to play the MP4 files, but the interface is awful and the subtitles have poor (or ... let me squint closer... maybe no shadowing, so they are very difficult to see. The best way to play MP4 movies is with QuickTime Player -- except for this no SRT subtitles issue.

Those of you who need some special thing unrelated to this question, please submit your own question. Please don't tag your unrelated question onto this one.

Reply