Download the following software and install them: 1. Virtual Dub (http://virtualdub.sourceforge.net/) and subtitler filter 2.

A subtitle converter such as (a) SRT-SSA OR (b) Subtitle Workshop (NOTE: The first one is the simplest to use but will not convert subtitle code designed to display italicised text.) 3. KLite Codec Pack (for the Xvid Codec to compress the .avi file. The simple Subtitle Converter cannot convert a subtitle file with coding. Therefore, the 1st step is to remove the coding from the subtitle file. Towards this end, Right-Click on your subtitle file and choose Open With then choose Notepad PART I

ADDING PERMANENT SUBTITLES TO YOUR .AVI FILE USING FREEWARE Create a new folder in your computer and copy your video (.avi file) and its subtitle (.srt file) into this folder.

Repeat the above two steps but type </i> (NO SPACES) instead and leave the Replace With space BLANK Click Replace All Now save this file and exit Notepad.

In the pop up box, next to Find type <i> (NO SPACES) Leave the Replace With space BLANK Click Replace All

In Notepad, choose Edit then Replace

Leave Blank

Open your subtitle converter. For this tutorial, Ill be using SRT to SSA Converter. 1. Click Browse... > locate the subtitle file > Open

PART II

2. Adjust Font size etc... (or you can leave it alone). Then click Convert

If you get this message youre done and can exit this program.

If you get an error message, I recommend trying again with another subtitle program such as Subtitle Workshop (the aim is to convert the .srt file to a .ssa file)

1. Click File > Open Video File... > locate the folder containing your video > Click on the video file > Open

PART III Now that your subtitles are converted, its time to hard code the video. Start Virtual Dub.

2. The video file opens on both sides of the split screen. 3. Click Video > Filters

4.

In the pop up box, click Add

5. Another box will pop up, scroll down. In all likelihood, the subtitler filter may not be available in the list of filters. Now click Load and load the subtitler filter from the Virtualdub Filter folder

6. Now that the subtitler filter would be available in the list, scroll down to the filter subtitler and click OK

7. The pop up box from Step 5 above will disappear and you will get a new pop up box. Click ...

9.

8. In the next pop up box, browse to the folder where your subtitles are located and click on your subtitle file > Open When done, click OK twice.

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Click Video > Compression

11. In the pop up box, click Xvid MPEG-4 Codec > Click OK

12.

Click File > Save as AVI...

13. In the pop up box, choose where you are saving your file. (It should be a different folder from where your original video file is) 14. Name your file > Click Save

This particular project will take some time to complete depending on your hardware.

Additional Notes (Questions asked on the net) Q. I want to add a .srt file with subtitles to .avi. What do I use, is it Nero Recode or Nero Vision and is it then possible to burn it to a DVD with them? A. Use Recode. Recode DVDs and Videos. You can add your subtitles and burn in Recode. If you add a subtitle to a video file, please make sure that you select Recode DVDs and Videos to Nero Digital. You can only export or burn this file with a subtitle into a Nero Digital (mpeg-4) format. Q. How can I burn .avi video with .srt subtitles? Im trying to use Nero Vision Express. Is there any way for me to input the subtitles into the movie and burn it? A. To just burn you dont need Nero Vision Express (NVE), you can just use Nero Burning ROM. To convert with subs using NVE you would have to hard encode (Hard coded means you will always see the subtitles and cant switch them off theyre burned into the video switchable meaning you can turn them on or off)since I dont think it supports subtitles streams. Just be sure that the video file & the SRT subtitle file have exactly the same base name, capitalised exactly the same, and in the same folder (good to keep everything else out of this folder as well)

If you had named your SRT as lets say My-Movie.SRT many apps wouldnt recognise it.

Example: MyMovie.AVI MyMovie.SRT

If your movie is longer than a standard DVD format (just < 4.7 GB) Nero will warn you if you want to shrink to fit. Nero doesnt always do the best job of shrinking, but its usually good enough for most uses. Finally, if the AVI video is PAL and you want NTSC, Nero will also warn you about this [again, it doesnt always do a good job of format conversion, but its good enough for most general purposed].

Also youll need to select the output format - Im assuming youll be doing a DVD to play on most standalone DVD players? If so, Nero will guide you thru this process. Otherwise, you could create an SDVCD assuming youd want this, meaning if the video is short enough itll fit onto a standard CD (700MB).

If youre not sure what youre doing, I always recommend buying a few re-writeable DVDs [DVD-RW] - only a bit more than DVD-R which cant be re-used. This way you wont be cursing yourself out if the first burn doesnt come out exactly the way you want.

Play around with the settings in Nero if you want, and you can also create some pretty nice basic menus, buttons, additional screen, etc.