Play a Subtitled Movie with Windows Media Player

You can easily create Subtitled QuickTime Movies directly in InqScribe, and in general we recommend using QuickTime with InqScribe. However, there is another method to play a subtitled movie by combining your video with an exported subtitle track in Windows Media Player. How you ask? Windows Media Player doesn’t natively support subtitle importation, so we’ll be using the DirectVobSub add-on.

Before proceeding, note that you’ll need to download and install the freeware DirectVobSub media codec, hosted by free-codecs here: http://www.free-codecs.com/DirectVobSub_download.htm. DirectVobSub is an unofficial add-on that allows Windows Media Player to read external subtitles files such as subrip .srt, which you can create through InqScribe. Be aware that, depending on your version of Windows, adding subtitles with DirectVobSub is limited to .avi files (see below for more info).

This option isn’t for everyone, and we’d like to point out that DirectVobSub is a third-party, unofficial add-on. We don’t support it, and your mileage may vary. That said, it is a quick and easy way to display subtitles without installing an additional media player.

Here’s what to do:

1. Prepare your transcript in InqScribe
2. Export your transcript as a Subrip .srt file by selecting “File > Export > Subrip Format…”
3. You’ll see the Export Settings menu. In the Target section, you’ll have the option to name your .srt file. It is important to give this .srt file the same title as the video you’re subtitling. For example, if your video is titled “My Subtitled Movie_123.avi” you should name your exported .srt file “My Subtitled Movie_123.srt” It is also important to save your .srt file in the same folder as the video you’re subtitling. You can specify the file’s location with the “Choose…” button in the same Export Settings menu. So, if your video file is located in a folder called “My Favorite Videos” make sure to save the .srt file in the same place.
4. Download the DirectVobSub media codec, hosted for free by free-codecs here: http://www.free-codecs.com/DirectVobSub_download.htm
5. Install DirectVobSub by double clicking on the .exe file you downloaded. It should be called something like: “VSFilter_2.41.322.exe”
6. Once it’s finished installing, open up the video file you wish to subtitle in Windows Media Player. Bring up the menu by pressing the “Alt” key, and select “Play > Lyrics, captions, and subtitles > On if available”
7. Your video will now display the subtitles you created in InqScribe!

Note that there are a few restrictions to using DirectVobSub and Windows Media Player for subtitle display:

• Although this method will work with .avi video files, it won’t work with the common mp4 file type on Windows 7 and up. This is because DirectVobSub relies on DirectShow to display subtitles, but later versions of Windows use Media Foundation, rather than DirectShow, to decode mp4 files. On Windows Vista and lower, however, mp4 files are decoded with DirectShow. So, on earlier versions of Windows you should be able to use DirectVobSub to add in your subtitle track to mp4 files.
• Be aware that you won’t have any control over the appearance of your subtitles. They will appear “flush with bottom” (near the bottom of the screen), centered, and white with black outlines and drop shadow. In other words, they will look close to how it would look in a film.

Do you have experience using DirectVobSub with other file types? Do you use an entirely different method to add subtitles to video with Windows Media Player? Let us know! Contact us at support@inqscribe.com.