Character coding for input SRT files

OKSHAW

I'm using VideoPad on a Windows 10 computer.

I'm trying to load an SRT file which I'll call "MY.srt" that I generated separately into an MP4 file. When I do the load, I get a message "0 subtitles loaded".

I then

(1) created some subtitles manually in VideoPad and exported them to a file I'll call "VP.srt".

(2) copied VP.srt and named it VPCOPY.srt,

(3) deleted the contents of VPCOPY.srt,

(4) copied the contents of MY.srt into VPCOPY.srt, and

(5) loaded VPCOPY.srt into the MP4 file. It loads successfully ("88 subtitles loaded").

The file size of MY.srt is 13KB, and VPCOPY.srt is 6KB. MY.srt and VPCOPY.srt look identical in my text editor (Emacs). The character encoding of MY.srt is presumably ASCII---

So my question is what character encoding of the SRT files does VideoPad require? And also how can I generate such an encoding?

borate

Share your original MY.srt - the one that doesn't load in VP - and someone will take a look at it. Just upload to a free server, get a shareable (public) link, copy the link and post it here or in a Private Message, via the envelope at the top-right of this forum.

OKSHAW

Thanks for the quick response. Here's a link to MY.srt and also VPCOPY.srt

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v7a9ddvowy33k5t/MY.srt?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gopm2o2fql8sxe5/VPCOPY.srt?dl=0

borate

But for file size, the two SRTs do look identical in Notepad. Don't know what the issue is.

That said, using an on-line converter to SSA format solved the issue. If the file converts to ASS just change the extension.

MY.ssa

OKSHAW

I figured out the problem. MY.srt was generated by a program that has an option to use Unicode, and I had inadvertently specified that option. When I instead specified non-Unicode the resulting version of MY.srt was half the size (of course) and works fine in VideoPad.

I should have been tipped-off by the fact that MY.srt was twice the size of VPCOPY.srt.

Sorry for the bother.

P.S. I'm surprised that VideoPad doesn't handle Unicode. What do you do for subtitles in Japanese or Mandarin?

borate

Fair question. Put it to tech support. https://tinyurl.com/r89tpcw

borate

SRT unicode import now succeeds in beta release 10.12. Betas may have undiscovered glitches. Retain your registration (if licensed) and installer.

For licensed users upgrades are free for up to six months from purchase date. After that, VP will continue to fully function but a fee will be required in order to register the newest. Retain your old install file and registration info.