Downloaded Thai Subtitles On Movies Appear As Hieroglyphics

[Mobi]

I found a site that has thousands of Thai subtitles for western movies and I have downloaded a few so that my GF can watch movies with me ,(which I have on my hard disk).

I know how to do this, as I often download English subtitles, as my hearing ain’t what it used to be, especially on American movies where everyone seems to love mumbling…

Anyway, the Thai sub titles appear as hieroglyphics.

What do I need to do to make them appear in proper Thai Script?

I have added Thai kedmanee option to the keyboard options in my control panel, but am not sure if this is relevant to my problem.

Any ideas, anyone?

[JamieP]

How are you trying to watch these on a PC or DVD player?

If a computer, what program / OS.

What model of DVD player etc.

[thaicbr]

have you actually put thai in the language options on your computer.

[ITGabs]

You need to choose an "Unicode Font" or choose some font that include Thai or download one. that you must set in your subtitle program, not in the keyboard or in another configuration of your OS usually, properties -> advanced -> display -> subtitles -> font.

BTW what page?

[emanphoto]

I'd like to know too as Thai subs are hard to find.

[Mobi]

English + 17 other langaugfe subtitles can be downloaded from : http://www.tvsubtitles.net/

Thai sub- titles can be downloaded from: http://www.thaisubtitle.com/

The way it works is:

Select the subtitles for the movie or TV programme you wish to watch. They will download as zip files and you must extract and put into a 'sub title' file folder, which you create for this purpose.The files will be listed as SRT (.srt) Files.

You then open the movie / TV programme you wish to watch in a media player - I use either Gom or VLC - both of which are free programmes.

You then right click on the media player and click 'open' then 'subtitles'

You will then be able to browse to the folder containing your downloaded sub-titles and click on the correct one.

Your media player will then automatically show the subtitles as you play the video.

There are menu options to change the position, increase or decrease the size and even advance or 'retreat' them by up to 0.5 seconds at a time if they are not exactly in sync. Usually they are, but always.

There seems to be no facility in Windows media player to add sub titles.

That's how I do it, but as previously reported, Thai sub titles appear as Gobbledygook.

I note that the sub-titles are SSA (.ssa) files as opposed to SRT (.srt) files.

I have activated all the Thai fonts via my W7 control panel so there is no problem there.

I strongly suspect that the problem is with the media players, as they do not support Thai fonts. Not sure what to do about this, except to find a media player that does have Thai fonts.

Any ideas?

[Chicog]

What media player? Have you checked the manufacturer's website?

[Mobi]

What media player? Have you checked the manufacturer's website?

I think I already answered this question

...I use either Gom or VLC - both of which are free programmes....

As to manufacturer's specs - not sure how or where to start - maybe their website will tell me...

[Mobi]

I've cracked it - thanks to an old Thai Visa thread on the same subject back in 2010.

Thai sub titles downloaded from http://www.tvsubtitles.net/ have to be converted into a different format that works with VLC and GOM media players.

This can be done at: http://grinninggecko...itle-converter/

Just follow the simple instructions on the site and the file will be converted into a format that shows Thai script when adding Thai subtitles to a video played on GOM or VLC.

Good luck everyone...

[Chicog]

I strongly suspect that the problem is with the media players, as they do not support Thai fonts.

OK, reading what you are saying, you're talking about software media players; VLC can play Thai subtitles, you don't need to convert them. Just go to Tools, Preferences, Subtitles and OSD; then select the preferred language.

There are two selectable Thai languages, ISO and Windows.

It would speed things up if you'd state what you are using in the OP.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Chicog

[Mobi]

I strongly suspect that the problem is with the media players, as they do not support Thai fonts.

OK, reading what you are saying, you're talking about software media players; VLC can play Thai subtitles, you don't need to convert them. Just go to Tools, Preferences, Subtitles and OSD; then select the preferred language.

There are two selectable Thai languages, ISO and Windows.

It would speed things up if you'd state what you are using in the OP.

I'm using W7.

The 2010 thread I referred to was actually discussing VLC player and not GOM. Everyone had given up trying to use VLC as they had the same problem I had, in spite of numerous suggestions regarding the fonts, options etc.

I just tried your suggestion on VLC and the st's still came out as gobbledygook.

I then tried with the converted file (same movie) and the Thai script appeared.

Apparently there are two different systems for encoding Thai subtitles and the website I use, needs to have them converted from one to t'other before you can use them in GOM or VLC.

Other media players might play them without the need to convert.

[Chicog]

Do you know what the two formats are? I say that because ISO is one and Windows is another....

[Mobi]

Do you know what the two formats are? I say that because ISO is one and Windows is another....

quote from the conversion website:

...Tool to convert subtitles downloaded from ThaiSubtitle.com from their native TIS-620 encoding to the more functional UTF-8 (for use with VLC & MPlayer OSX Extended on OSX, maybe others on other platforms)...

Suggest you to go the website (http://grinninggecko...itle-converter/) for a more definitive answer as I'm not an expert.

[Chicog]

Interesting, since one of VLC's is TIS 620-2533/ISO 8859-11. So I can only assume there are more variants then.

[Jayman]

http://www.addictive...itles-settings/

I think you need to change the font settings for the subs in the vlc settings. My guess is that your issue is an incorrect encoding. try Windows-874 rather than the default codepage of 1252. Is that one isn't right then just cycle through them till they display correctly. Or you can post a link for the file here and I will have a look at it and tell you the cp the charset is using.

To begin, click Subtitles & OSD in left flank to bring all the settings related with On-Screen display and Subtitles. From Subtitle Language, you can enter preferred language along with text decoding. Changing Text Decoding option comes helpful in instance when you have subtitle decoded file not complying with VLC default Windows – 1252.

From Display Settings, you can change font family, size, effect, and font color. Font families are available in great number, you can pick out one which suites you more. If you watch video on big display monitor or DVI attached home theatres, changing Font Size from normal to large would make more sense. Font color list includes only bright solid colors you can choose one according to your video. As far as text overlay effect is concerned, I like it the default way, however, Background and Fat outline are always present to replace Outline effect.

EDIT::I just read through the whole post and see that you found a solution. Well if the original subs you have are encoded with TIS 620 then just select that in the instructions I posted above. No need to convert them as VLC handles TIS 620 encoding.

Edited September 5, 2012 by Jayman

[Chicog]

According to Post 11 he tried them and they didn't work....

[Mobi]

According to Post 11 he tried them and they didn't work....

Nor did any of these people in 2010

http://www.thaivisa....thai-subtitles/

Not only did I select Thai fonts (including the (Thai (TIS 620-2553/ISO 8859-1), which i have tried again to be sure it doesn't work.

It is exactly the same for GOM. The thai fonts work but only after the files are converted as explained above.

Maybe Thai sub titles from other sites will work without being converted, but not from the site at: http://www.thaisubtitle.com/

Try it yourself if you're not convinced.

[Jayman]

According to Post 11 he tried them and they didn't work....

Nor did any of these people in 2010

http://www.thaivisa....thai-subtitles/

Not only did I select Thai fonts (including the (Thai (TIS 620-2553/ISO 8859-1), which i have tried again to be sure it doesn't work.

It is exactly the same for GOM. The thai fonts work but only after the files are converted as explained above.

Maybe Thai sub titles from other sites will work without being converted, but not from the site at: http://www.thaisubtitle.com/

Try it yourself if you're not convinced.

I have no files to test since you never posted any

[Chicog]

According to Post 11 he tried them and they didn't work....

Nor did any of these people in 2010

http://www.thaivisa....thai-subtitles/

Not only did I select Thai fonts (including the (Thai (TIS 620-2553/ISO 8859-1), which i have tried again to be sure it doesn't work.

It is exactly the same for GOM. The thai fonts work but only after the files are converted as explained above.

Maybe Thai sub titles from other sites will work without being converted, but not from the site at: http://www.thaisubtitle.com/

Try it yourself if you're not convinced.

Oh don't worry, I am convinced, only I don't have the problem as I never use Thai subtitles in .srt or .sub format.

[Jayman]

Do you know what the two formats are? I say that because ISO is one and Windows is another....

quote from the conversion website:

...Tool to convert subtitles downloaded from ThaiSubtitle.com from their native TIS-620 encoding to the more functional UTF-8 (for use with VLC & MPlayer OSX Extended on OSX, maybe others on other platforms)...

Suggest you to go the website (http://grinninggecko...itle-converter/) for a more definitive answer as I'm not an expert.

I did BM that converter site in case I ever have this issue with thai subs on my NMT. Thanks for that.

[vijer]

Posted 2012-09-05 07:15:07

http://www.addictive...itles-settings/

I think you need to change the font settings for the subs in the vlc settings. My guess is that your issue is an incorrect encoding. try Windows-874 rather than the default codepage of 1252. Is that one isn't right then just cycle through them till they display correctly. Or you can post a link for the file here and I will have a look at it and tell you the cp the charset is using.

Quote

To begin, click Subtitles & OSD in left flank to bring all the settings related with On-Screen display and Subtitles. From Subtitle Language, you can enter preferred language along with text decoding. Changing Text Decoding option comes helpful in instance when you have subtitle decoded file not complying with VLC default Windows – 1252.

From Display Settings, you can change font family, size, effect, and font color. Font families are available in great number, you can pick out one which suites you more. If you watch video on big display monitor or DVI attached home theatres, changing Font Size from normal to large would make more sense. Font color list includes only bright solid colors you can choose one according to your video. As far as text overlay effect is concerned, I like it the default way, however, Background and Fat outline are always present to replace Outline effect.

EDIT::I just read through the whole post and see that you found a solution. Well if the original subs you have are encoded with TIS 620 then just select that in the instructions I posted above. No need to convert them as VLC handles TIS 620 encoding.

I wish that were true, but I tried changing the settings for subtitles in VLC and it still displays gibberish. The conversion suggested by another poster actually worked.

Edited October 5, 2012 by vijer

[Cooperlicious]

I love to use VLC player but have the same problem as the OP at times where the subs come up as hirogliphs. I found if you download GOM player it usually solves this problem. I think someone mentioned this already but just thought i would reiterate the face that any subs that wont play on VLC will play on GOM.

GOM however does also install some other unwanted (bloatware) programs. However these are easily uninstalled from the control panel uninstall program option.

Hope this helps.

[Guderian]

On 9/4/2012 at 2:33 PM, Mobi said:

I've cracked it - thanks to an old Thai Visa thread on the same subject back in 2010.

Thai sub titles downloaded from http://www.tvsubtitles.net/ have to be converted into a different format that works with VLC and GOM media players.

This can be done at: http://grinninggecko...itle-converter/

Just follow the simple instructions on the site and the file will be converted into a format that shows Thai script when adding Thai subtitles to a video played on GOM or VLC.

Good luck everyone...

Yes, that works, thank you very much.

I wanted to get Thai subs to "Abominable" for the GF to watch, but the srt file I downloaded from Subscene was the usual gobbledygook. I used SubtitleEdit to convert the srt file into ssa format as the website only seems to accept ssa. It did the conversion from TIF-620 to UTF-8 and let me download the new ssa file, which I then converted back to srt format (I couldn't remember if my TV will play ssa files or not) and it works perfectly.

I've bookmarked that page fro future reference.