Hate to post about tech stuff here, but after swimming in the web minutia for 2 hours plus, I know someone here is probably got the exact info I need. It's driving me crazy trying to hunt down the answer to what is probably a simple fix. I know the answers out there, but I'm tired of looking for it!

The Problem -

D addicts had E and J subs for My Girl, Perfect for me - But J subs won't play.

The srt is in this -

éûä‘í ÇËÇ…É\ÉEÉãÇ…í ÖǩǻǢÇ∆Å@ëÂïœÇ»ÇÒÇæ
I should know this by now, but WTF is the name for that?

I've tried to change the default encoding in subs to the different J options...

Most the advice I've found is for windows, like convert the system to Japanese for non unicode... don't think this is the answer for mac...????

I'm not sure if I need to convert the srt. file it to unicode, but I don't know how to do that properly. I tried to do it - A web site where you paste text and it converts it. I pasted the converted code in TextEdit but I must have missed a step, I'm guessing the file I saved from there was not proper srt, as I did a doc???

Also I never used notebook before now - I downloaded it, but it is a limited feature version... don't want to pay 30$ (don't have 30$!) - The version I have won't let me save a file --- I didn't see any options that convert, and let you save...maybe I'm blind??? Sorry just confused about the damn thing. Am I supposed to be able to convert to unicode in Notepad, then save the file somehow?


すみません　ー I know I'm an idiot with this stuff, and my post is laughable....I'm just always struggling when it comes to computer tech talk - Please Help, and give simple instructions if possible -

ありがとう

The easiest way is to open the file in a webbrowser, change the encoding until it is legible, then copy & paste it into a texteditor set to save as utf8 (unicode).

I don't know what you're talking about but I'll try to help anyway... If you're talking about those subs, I downloaded one and checked the encoding, it is UTF-8 (some kind of Unicode which VLC should play).

The filename of the subtitles must (or should, I don't know the technical details) be the same as the filename of the movie (Something.srt <=> Something.avi), that may be the answer you're looking for.

Last thing: it seems that Notebook is a Mac application, but it's not a text editor. You should use TextEdit to open the file and "Save as..." to change the encoding if you really need to.

Yeah those are the subs I have - I did change the file name from mygirl01.srt to My Girl ep 01.srt. I did Prfrences->Subtitles & OSD->Default Encoding->Universal (UTF-8)->Save.

Gibberish.

I Opened it in TextEditor, and saved the file as UTF-8 and replaced the file - but I don't think it converted it, just saved the same text as before....?


Sorry - embarassed to ask but... How exactly do I do that J7?

That's odd, the "My Girl" JSubs show up fine unmodified on my MacBook while in VLC. I wonder if there are any other region settings on OSX. I'm mostly a Windows user so I dunno that much.

You could try a subtitle converter to convert .srt to .ass format but I dunno if that would be any help. Unfortunately Aegisub is prealpha on the Mac and is very buggy. I dunno what else is out there. (I somehow doubt it would even fix anything.)

Forget about the srt file for a second. VLC won't display any Japanese whatsoever unless you tell it to default to a Unicode font. From the VLC Wiki:

Go to Tools -> Preferences... (set Show Settings to All) and Video -> Subtitles/OSD, then change the Text Rendering Module from Default to Freetype2 font renderer. After that go to Video -> Subtitles/OSD -> Text renderer and choose Unicode font (like ARIALUNI.TTF) to Font (you cannot select fonts directly from %windir%\fonts by using Browse... because the default Windows explorer behavior doesn't allow it, but you can copy the font to another folder before selecting it or type location directly to Font field, like C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\ARIALUNI.TTF). Remember to press Save to save VLC settings and restart VLC after that to make sure changes are enabled.

http://wiki.videolan.org/WindowsFAQ-1.0....btitles.3F

These instructions are obviously for Windows. Just do the Mac equivalent.

EDIT: Just done some Google searches and apparently VLC defaults to the LucidaGrande font on a Mac, which is not Unicode. I also found these specific Mac instructions:

If you want Chinese or Japanese subtitles.
Preferences-->Video-->Subtitles/0SD-->Text renderer
Browse and choose a Chinese of Japanese font in /System/Library/Fonts/.

http://www.dimensions-math.org/Dim_macplayers.htm

Quote:If you want Chinese or Japanese subtitles.
Preferences-->Video-->Subtitles/0SD-->Text renderer
Browse and choose a Chinese of Japanese font in /System/Library/Fonts/.

I couldn't do that .... maybe I'm missing something here, but the menu didn't have a Subtitiles/OSD inside Video...

Inside Prefrences there is Subtitles/OSD menu though, but all the Japanese ones I tried had no effect....stil seeing same code gibberish.

I spent more time poking around...still no luck. I'm ready to give up on the damn thing!

If no one has a fix, how about a suggestion of a free ware player that will f@#$ing work? I really want to use RAW's with the option of E or J subs for study. I'd like to watch them first, and at some point try and figure out the subs2srs thing....

.....one technical headache at a time though...

Sorry to sound all whiney, I just get tired of failing the tech stuff, when I want to spend the time studying Japanese!

EDIT - oh almost forgot -

I have gotten J subs to work for Hana Yori Dango season 1 ep 1.....sort of.
I don't have the RAW, just a hard subbed English one, but I tried it anyway just to see...

I works, but the words cut off with ?? - I read some where to change Universal Coding to UTF-8....but that had no effect.

TaylorSan Wrote:

Quote:If you want Chinese or Japanese subtitles.
Preferences-->Video-->Subtitles/0SD-->Text renderer
Browse and choose a Chinese of Japanese font in /System/Library/Fonts/.

I couldn't do that .... maybe I'm missing something here, but the menu didn't have a Subtitiles/OSD inside Video...

There should be a box somewhere on the Preferences popup which says "Show settings". Be sure to check "all" ("simple" is checked by default).

Thanks for your help harhol -

I clicked the "All" box and it did let me navigate to follow what you instructed.

I tried all the J fonts...no dice. I saved it each time...? I even went back and reset defaults from when I tinkered with it before. I get the same gibberish.

Come to think of it -

I have Ponyo RAW with J subs....worked just fine....and that was before I ever touched the preferences....

TaylorSan Wrote:I tried all the J fonts...no dice.

You need to set a Unicode font for the text renderer, not a Japanese one. Arial Unicode is the most common and is the one that I use. Just look for any fonts with 'Uni' in the name.

Ok I did Prefrences->Video->All->Video->Text Renderer->Browse->/Library/Fonts/Arial Unicode.ttf->Save

No Change, except now I get an error box that pops up when I load the avi....But the movie still plays.

I think you'll have to take the Mac to the Mac Certified Repair Shop With Special Mac-Only Tools™ and pay $5000 to get it fixed, sorry.

TaylorSan Wrote:Come to think of it -

I have Ponyo RAW with J subs....worked just fine....and that was before I ever touched the preferences....

Depends. Are the Ponyo subs text based or vobsub based? VLC will display vobsub by default normal cause they're image files.

Must be vobsub....I don't know how tell. I looked at info it says - Subrip Subtitle File....?

I downloaded the subs linked above and was able to play them on my mac with the latest version of VLC. My VLC settings are still the default ones from when I installed it. I'm also on snow leopard if that might be a difference.

I have OS X 10.5.8 - I don't think I have Snow Leopard - ??? - Maybe it's something to do with the version of VLC I have? I uploaded the newest version two days ago, so maybe it's different then your version? I have VLC version 1.0.3 Goldeneye.

Yeah I'm still clueless about how to make it work.

I'm on 10.6.2 with VLC 1.0.2 so it may indeed be something about OSX 10.6 that's allowing it to work. I'll give it a try on my 10.5 machine when I get home.

Thanks chameleoncoder -

Hmm it worked as well on my OSX 10.5.8 machine with VLC 1.0.3. I'm at quite a loss now why it wouldn't work. It sounds like you have no problem viewing the file correctly in a text editor is that correct? If so, maybe your VLC preferences are messed up somehow. You could try deleting them to reset everything to defaults. They are located in your Home directory/Library/Preferences there is a folder called VLC and a couple files that start with org.videolan.

Ok I'll give it a shot -

I just got liar game season 2, and tried the j - subs - Work just fine...

Problem Solved!!!

Although I'm not sure what it was that caused it. I ended up deleting the app and re downloading a new one... maybe some kind of bug when I did the update?

In any case thanks for the responses to my pathetic cries for help. I try to find solutions on the net or whatever, but after a certain point I get tired of looking.

I'm stoked - this is the first chance I've ever had to watch J subs!

Hold up. This topic is about an error on OS X with LOADS of posts and NO ONE mentioned deleting the .plist? In 95% of all errors on Macs, deleting the proper .plist file fixes it.

I have the same problem.
I did everything that was written here as well as installing VLC again, AND older versions because it wouldnt work

I dont know what .plist file is.


I just bought this iMac and this is a pretty big problem.

Some details.

They're .ass subtitles
They work on my windows laptop with KMplayer but no VLC. Even though I have made no changes to it.

vlc is a terrible media player why do people still use it.