Youtube-dl and subtitles

[Wildebeest]

If I'm downloading a video via youtube-dl how can I get (usable) subtitles? Even though they get frustratingly out of sync they are still useful for me.

I realise this may be different for every download source but I'm using a BBC iplayer programme as an example, as this is my main use case. As an example I'll use an episode of the drama "Clean Sweep".

• If I use --list-subs it informs me that subtitles are available in English (en) and in ttml format. So far so good - there are English subs available. Well I already knew, they appear if I watch directly on the iplayer!​
• https://wiki.hummy.tv/wiki/Custom_Firmware_Package_Notes#SRT tells me that:
  The Humax is able to play subtitles for MP4 and AVI files if the subtitle information is contained in an *.srt file, the following conditions must be met :-
  • The srt file must have the same title as the video file e.g. Fawlty-Towers-S1E3.srt for Fawlty-Towers-S1E3.avi​
  • The .srt file needs to be saved as a text file specifically with ANSI encoding to avoid using fonts that are licensed​
• I tried using the following parameters:
  --all-subs
--sub-lang "EN"
--convert-subs "srt"
  (--all-subs is probably superfluous)​
• Problem 1: This downloads a subtitle file (it seems the parameter --write-subs is not required BTW), but not quite to the file naming standards shown above, in that the filename contains the language code:
  Clean_Sweep_Series_1_Post-Mortem.en.srt
  In order to get subtitles to play I have to rename this file (using the CLI) to
  Clean_Sweep_Series_1_Post-Mortem.srt
  Clearly this isn't feasible for more than the odd file (unless I can get sweeper to do it, which I haven't looked into yet).​
• Problem 2: If I rename the file, the subtitles play, but contain and display markup language, eg
  <font color="#ffffffff">Who else? You found me.</font>​

Is there any easy solution to getting usable subs?

*** EDIT: am trying --embed-subs. Will report back when it's finished.

 

[/df]

See https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/adding-srt-subtitles-to-a-humax-video-file.10491, especially the linked https://hummy.tv/forum/threads/yout...com-or-other-video-platforms.8462/post-147408.

 

[Wildebeest]

Thanks /df. I'd forgotten all about those posts (and a search hadn't surfaced them).