Question

Hello, everyone!

I played the lecture videos with .mp4 extension, but the subtitles didn’t work. The subtitles with .srt extension are included in the course materials by MIT OCW.

Then, I tried to edit the .srt file with SubRip, SubtitleEdit, which all failed.

Who can tell me how to use the subtitle file in the media player, so that the subtitle can display while the video (mp4 format) is playing?

By the way, I use VLC of VideoLan multimedia player.

Looking forward to your reply.

Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

For WMP, you can right click when the video is playing and then go to Lyrics, Captions and Subtitles and choose "On if available". For VLC, did you try to just drag and drop the .srt file when the video was playing? Try http://www.videolan.org/doc/play-howto/en/ch03.html also, see if it's of any help :-)

Answer 2

Thanks bmp for your reply!

I did as you suggested, but it didn't work.

I tried many players, but just couldn't get the work done, while they play other videos and subtitles very well. So I doubt maybe the format of the .srt file provided by MIT OCW. As mentioned above, it couldn't be opened by the subtitle editors, but while I tried to open it with MS Word and Notepad, it seems like the .srt file format.

I don't know where it goes wrong. I just want to watch the lecture video with English subtitles, because English is my second language, and my listening is damn bad.

So is there a way to get the .srt file worked? Waiting for your answers.

Have a good time, bmp! Thank you again!

Answer 3

No problems, mate. English is not my first language also, so I now how hard it is to watch without subtitling. It seems that the format is wrong in the .rar file, if it opens with text editors like that. Another option might be using textfile to subtitle file conversor software: http://www.urusoft.net/downloads.php?lang=1 . I will fiddle around, see what I can get.

Answer 4

Sorry, OS went offline for me, but luckily I had time to save my post. I posted this: Mhm, looks like, somehow, the subtitle file is corrupted, I tried with VLC and it appears that, even though the subtitles are loaded, only the time appears on the screen, like --> 00:03:33 out of nowhere. Worst part is that I have other .srt files here and they look like the same in terms of structure... I tried to unpack everything, as stated at the OCW FAQ, but to no use. Tried to move this .srt version to a .txt one and then batch it with SubtitleWorkshop, and nothing also. I don't really know what is going on exactly :-/. Sorry, mate.

Answer 5

Exactly same, dude!

What's wrong with the .srt file? That's a problem, seriously!

I have wrote a comment to MIT OCW, but it will take two business days to get a reply, a little bit long.

Anyway, I hope get the problem solved as soon as possible.

If I make the subtitle with SubtitleEdit myself, that will consume lots of time. The additional problem is that I even can't make fully use of the MIT .srt, because the subtitle editors warn it is an unrecognized file while it is imported.

So how can I edit the MIT .srt, or where can I get the English subtitles of these lecture videos?

Thanks a lot!

Answer 6

Really don't know, I tried to look for it on Google, but I saw no bug reports nor new links for the .srt files, only the one MIT provided. Yeah, the subtitle editors warn that is unrecognized here also, that's why I assumed the file is corrupted somehow or we are doing something wrong :-).
Maybe someone with more experience or a solution to this can reply later. My bad, mate.

Answer 7

Out of curiosity: is watching the videos online through the website not an option?

Answer 8

you can read the transcript, which is an option if you scroll down, it might help you.
I don't know how to make the subtitles work. Sorry

Answer 9

The subtitles or closed captions (whatever it's called) came up automatically while I watched the lectures (in firefox on a PC on the MIT website). They were really bad and incomplete: It would miss a lot of words, and even missed some sentences. Maybe it has to do with the poor audio quality of the videos? Or maybe the professors are talking too fast for the subtitle program to keep up.

I recommend reading the transcripts like Vaishnavi98 said. I've read those and they are MUCH better than the closed captions on the videos.

Answer 10

Finally I've got the answer, hooray
I think, The problem is that the correct syntax of a ".srt" file format is something like this:
"
Subtitle number
hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds --> hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds
Text of subtitle (one or more lines)
Blank line
"
and MIT OCW srt files does not have the milliseconds part.
So, to solve the problem, download notepad++ app, then open all of your MIT OCW srt files.
Go to Search menu, then select Replace, in the search mode, select "Regular expression".
Then, in Find box, put "(..:..:..)" (without quotations)
and in Replace box, put "\1,000" (for sure without quotations)
and push "Replace All in All Opened Documents".
Wait a few minutes...
You can use "Save All" button, up there.

Tada, You have your subtitles are fixed now