Checking File For Invalid Subtitles
There is high possibility even for the best editors to make mistakes when editing subtitles. Some of these mistakes, such as grammatical errors, should be manually removed, but there are certain mistakes, which can be found automatically. SubtitleNEXT has an integrated Invalid Subtitle Checking tool. You can use it by selecting Tools | Subtitle Check…:
SubtitleNEXT can automatically find the following errors for you:
· Cue not set or Invalid Timecode. Whenever there is a subtitle with no start or end time defined, or the timecode value is not valid, this subtitle is considered to be invalid.
· Timecode Overlap. Whenever
· Interval shorter than XX frames. A good subtitling style usually does not allow for neighboring subtitles to be too close in time to each other. Moreover, there are certain hardware text devices, which have certain limits in displaying fast changing text.
· Duration shorter than XX frames. Each production house and language has its own requirements for minimal subtitle duration, so you can make sure your subtitles are in compliance with such requirements.
· Duration longer than XX seconds. It is quite unusual to have subtitles longer than several seconds. You may check this by using this simple option.
· Subtitles without text. Empty subtitles usually pass unnoticed by editors, even by viewers, but in case there is a fixed box defined, there will be a screen with a black box only, which is neither too informative, nor does it look aesthetically.
· Subtitles with more than XX lines of text. Again, many production houses and adaptation rules require you to have no more than 2 or 3 lines of subtitles, and this is an easy way to see if there are any subtitles exceeding this limit.
· Subtitles outside safe area of screen. Due to its nature, the TV signal has a completely or almost invisible area (depending on the TV receiver or video monitor), which is called “ overscan ”. It is rather pointless to display subtitles in this overscan area, since almost nobody will be able to see them or read them.
- Scene change checks. While the left side is reserved for the text related checking, right side is mostly about Scene Change Marker rules settings.
Here you can set many different dependencies related to the change of the scene (also known as the "cut"). Please note that the scene detection is an automated process, and that it cant always detect event like fade to black, cross-fade or similar scene changes containing video effects. This is also why at your disposal you have the ability to manually set the SC in such cases.
- Allowed Characters. Checking it and choosing a codepage from the menu will allow you to grant only specific Character set, in case you will not allow any strange character in your text. You can also chose Custom field and then Edit the ones of your interest.
Pressing the Check Now button will activate the search for invalid subtitles. It stops at the first invalid subtitle found and tells you what is wrong with it. When you correct it, just press F4, or select Tools | Check for next invalid. The next one will be found and shown.
