Adding subtitles to a video file.
 

So I'm looking to hard-encode subtitles to a video file. It's a compressed .mpg rather than uncompressed .VOB so I don't believe I can use a program like VobSub or SubRip to automatically extract subtitle data from it.

Despite not having a damn clue whatsoever how to accomplish this, I managed to get so far as attempting to re-encode the video with the attached subtitles; except the exported .avi file that comes out is all screwy and doesn't necessarily play.

Is there an alternative to doing this, or is there a way I can encode this damn .avi and have it play normally and smoothly, or... something?

I was using Subtitle Workshop to create/sync up the custom subtitles, and VirtualDub (along with VirtualDub Subtitler) to make an attempt to combine the two together. It involved saving the subtitles as a .ssa (SubStation Alpha) file and having VirtualDub try to recognize it, and I don't even know if I did that right.

If you want to use VirtualDub, try VirtualDubMod. You can add subtitle streams in .srt format.

Zergrinch's 10 Complicated Steps to Adding Hardsubs.

Before we start, download and install the following software:

• Combined Community Codec Pack
• AviSynth 2.5
• meGUI

Now, go by these steps:

1. Run meGUI, and allow it to update fully. Import every single profile if desired.
2. Once meGUI restarts, go to Tools > D2V Creator, and load up the MPG file in the Video Input Box.
3. Select appropriate audio track(s) to demux, check both applicable checkboxes, and click Queue. If the encoding doesn't automatically start, go to the Queue tab in MeGUI's main window, and click Start.
4. Once processing finishes, the AviSynth script creator should pop up, along with a video preview of your movie. Resize the movie if desired in the Options tab. In the Filters tab, check "Source is Anime" if your video is a cartoon, and click Analyze.
5. In the Edit tab, add in this line: textSub("C:\Name-of-subtitle-file.srt"), replacing the file name and path, of course.
6. Check "On Save close and load to be encoded, click Save, and just click the Ok button on the dialog. Back in MeGUI main window, the fields should be populated for you.
7. Select an appropriate Encoder setting (I typically go for x264, but for maximum compatibility you'll want xVid.
8. Click Tools > AutoEncode. In the Window that appears, select an appropriate container (I usually go for MKV, but AVI will get you maximum compatibility).
9. Set desired file size or average bitrate, or just use profile settings which will process it based on the Encoder setting you chose earlier.
10. Click Queue. If the job doesn't automatically start, go to the Queue tab of MeGUI's main window, and click Start.
11. Profit!

Well, it seems as though I had no real need to make this thread, as I got pretty well all my answers through VideoHelp.com, similar Google searches or just plain toying around with a billion programs I ended up downloading.

In the end, I ended up just renting the DVD that I wanted to make a video out of, ripped it to .VOB, compressed to .avi with Dr. DivX, and did all my editing and preparation with Windows Movie Maker (I am seriously considering using another program next time, because fuck their movie saving options). Ripped the subtitles with SubRip, edited those in Subtitle Workshop as a .srt file, and I combined the two with the regular version of VirtualDub with VobSub's TextSub supplement. That came out as a 13GB file, so I compressed it down further with Any DVD Converter.

All in all, the whole process and figuring everything out was brutal and painful, but I got it done. =/

Thanks anyway for the replies, you two.