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There have been a few questions raised about how to convert DVD subs (Vob subs) from idx/sub to .srt format.
There are various ways of doing this, the two most common being with SubRip or SubResync.
The process is similar in both, and once you master one, the other becomes self-evident.
The following is a simple guide to converting idx/sub to .srt using SubResync. It assumes, for simplicity, a single episode file.
You need SubResync, which comes with VobSub.
(If you can watch subtitles in WMP, and/or use Subtitle Workshop, you probably already have VobSub - and SubResync - installed.)
If not, you can get it here: http://sourceforge.n...files/VSFilter/
Assuming that SubResync is on your PC, proceed as follows...
1. Right click the .idx file that you want to convert.
Select: Edit with SubResync in the context menu.
You'll see this:
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Click 'Save'.
Now you see this:
Fig. 3
In this example, it is querying the character "A", shown large. In the lower pic. the context of the character is shown.
Type in the correct letter or character (in this case 'A') and click "Add".
(Note: the 'Skip' button changes to 'Add' when you type in the box.)
Fig. 5
(The next character that it doesn't recognise will be ' i ' - SubResync skips the second ' d ' in 'Addic7ed', because it has already "learned" that character shape as 'd'.)
Type in the correct letter or character ( ' i ' ) and click "Add"....
And so on...
As you progress through the file, SubResync "learns" more and more characters, and will soon ripple through the file until it gets to the end.
If SubResync stops on (and queries) a "nothing", like this (Fig.6):
Fig. 6
There is no warning or indication that it has finished, other than the appearance of a .srt file where you asked for it to be saved - SubResync just stops when it gets to the end.
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In real life, the images are occasionally difficult for SubResync to 'read', because of background colours and patterns. In which case, you have to play around and experiment a little.
For example, there will be times when the OCR will show a "letter-and-a-half" (i.e., a complete character and a portion of the next character) such as:
Fig. 7
In this case, use the "Extend" button to encompass the whole of the two characters (fi) and type them in as such, and click 'Add'.
If a complete word is shown, then type that into the box.
Remember:
- It's not a perfect tool, and OCR errors can occur.
- More importantly, you are guiding it - what you tell it to 'recognise', it will do so every time that it sees that shape; so if, at the start, you wrongly type, say, 'S' for 'A', for the rest of the document, 'A' will not be questioned, but will be automatically recorded as 'S'.
(This also applies if, after finishing one file - say, an episode of a show - you drag another episode file in, without closing SubResync; the character set is saved in SubResync, and it skips through the next episode, only questioning anything not met in the first conversion.)
- So finish the job with a spell check!
Enjoy.
s.
