Recently, I downloaded a video off the Internet that was in Hindi and I needed to add English language subtitles to the video then that I could share information technology with some friends. I checked out Windows Movie Maker, which has the ability to overlay text on video, but the feature set was very poor and it was virtually incommunicable to control where the subtitles showed up, for how long, and in what kind of format.

Another problem with Windows Moving picture Maker is that you can't create subtitles that show up equally an pick in DVD players; it's either always at that place or not. After doing some enquiry, I plant that the best mode to add subtitles to a video semi-professionally is to use a combination of programs, one that specializes in creating loftier-quality subtitles that lucifer your video exactly and another program that takes the subtitles and encodes them with the video.

And then here's a guide that volition teach y'all how to add subtitles to videos for free and hopefully not make you completely frustrated! To get started, yous first need to download and install two applications. I'm going to write how to use Handbrake outset because it'south the easier program, but if that doesn't work for some reason, you can endeavour TEncoder as a fill-in.

Download and unzip Subtitle Workshop

Download and install Handbrake

Download and install TEncoder – Optional

Create Subtitles File (SRT)

Subtitle Workshop only needs to be unzipped to run, in that location is no install. Simply double click on the SubtiteWorkshop4 icon. This is the beginning awarding we volition start with. Subtitle Workshop will allow usa to add together every bit many subtitles as nosotros want into our video and save that file out as a separate file (our video volition remain unaltered at this point).

Afterwards you open up Subtitle Workshop, click on File and choose New Subtitle.

new subtitle

Then go to the Video menu pick and choose Open. Choose your video and click Ok and y'all video will appear in the superlative section and beginning playing. Go alee and motility the slide bar to the location where you want your first subtitle to appear so click on the beginning row in the main list box that says No. ane, Show, Hide, etc.

subtitle workshop

To add your subtitle, begin typing your text into the text box at the bottom. You should see it appear on the video every bit you type. Now when you add subtitles, you'll run across that at that place is a Show and Hibernate section visible in the above screenshot. You have to type in the exact times that yous want the subtitles to announced since it does not just pick the value from the location that y'all are in the video.

In society to become the current frame that yous are in while playing the video, look at the correct side of the screen below the video. You lot'll run across those numbers but like they are in the Testify/Hibernate boxes. Only take the value from the top one and add together that into the Show box. For example, I desire my start subtitle to come up 5 seconds into the video and last five seconds.

subtitles video

So I can either type in 00:00:05:000 into the Show box or I can get down to a very specific frame by typing moving the slide bar to the exact location (or pausing at the verbal time) and and so copying the value shown at the top correct into my box. Then simply suit the Duration value to however long you want the subtitles to remain on the screen! It is defaulted to one, so just change it whatever you desire.

To add some other subtitle, you demand to click the Add together Subtitle button, which I have pointed out in a higher place with the reddish line. Yous can besides click on the Edit menu and choose Insert Subtitle. In terms of modifying the expect of the subtitle, there are not a whole lot of options. Basically, yous can utilize bold, italic, underline and alter the color. The actual encoding plan that will insert the subtitles into the video will control the other settings for the expect and feel

Once you have put all of your subtitles in, go ahead and click on File then Save. In the Save equally blazon box, scroll downward to SubRip (.srt) and salve the file in the same folder as the video file and give it the verbal same name as the video too.

sr

Apply HandBrake to Encode Subtitles

Once you open up HandBrake, click the Source button and choose your video file. Go ahead and cull a destination for your output file and get out everything else every bit is. Make sure Normal is chosen in the Presets menu on the far right.

handbrake subtitle

At present click on the Subtitles tab at the bottom and click on the Import SRT button. Pick the SRT file and it will prove upwardly in the list box below.

import srt

You tin can add more than 1 subtitle file if you demand, i.e. for multiple languages. That's most it for HandBrake! Information technology's a very elementary process and works well.

Utilize TEncoder to Encode Subtitles

Now close out Subtitle Workshop and open upwards TEncoder. Get-go, we have to add the video file that we want to add the subtitles to. Go ahead and click on the Add together (+) push and choose your video file.

tencoder add

Note that TEncoder is also a video/audio converter, so you can also change the format of the video file if you like. By default, it will create an AVI file using the Xvid video codec and MP3 sound codec. If you desire everything to be the aforementioned equally the original file, choose Directly Re-create from the Video Codec dropdown box.

convert codecs

Now make sure to check the Enable Subtitles box at the bottom right. You need to brand sure that the subtitle file is in the same folder as the video file and that it has the same name also.

enable subtitles

If yous want a higher quality file, go alee and check the Exercise two pass encoding box. You can too click on Subtitle Options to configure a few more options for configuring the expect and feel of the subtitles.

subtitle options

Note that when you click on the name of the video file in the listing, you lot should run into the path to the subtitle file automatically populate in the text boxes above. At this point, you can exist sure the subtitle file has been located properly. Get ahead and click the Encode push button to first.

subtitle file

If you check the Same as Source box, the newly created output file will be located in the aforementioned location as your original video file. Yous should now exist able to play it in your media player and turn on subtitles to encounter them in activeness.

It's also worth noting that a lot of video players will either automatically discover a subtitle or will let yous choose one manually. This tin be useful if yous don't plan on distributing the video, but simply want to see the subtitles for a video while you lookout a motion-picture show, etc. In my example, I'll show y'all how this is washed using VLC Media Histrion.

Get-go, open your video file and so right-click anywhere on the video, click on Subtitle and then click on Add Subtitle File. The program is smart enough to find it for you if yous gave it the same name as the video file, in which case you lot'll run across that Sub Rails is not greyed out and you should be able to pick a subtitle track.

view subtitles

There are a few steps in the procedure and it can be a bit complicated and confusing at times, and then if you have any questions or have gotten stuck, feel free to post a comment and we'll try to aid. Relish!