SRT tools

The purpose of these tools is easing the use of SRT files (video subtitles in plain text files) by language students, automating certain tasks that can be very useful, and which are usually beyond their technical expertise:

Adjust subtitles to appear at a different time:
- To move subtitles forward so pronunciation can be checked after reading them (obviously requires the ability to speed read).
- Delay the subtitles to use them to check what has been heard without being distracted while watching the video.
- Resynchronize subtitles and video. This is usually necessary if videos and subtitles come from different sources (like http://www.opensubtitles.org/), and especially if subtitles are less synchronized as the video advances.
Create readable transcriptions that can be used by human beings: no marks but timestamps for every subtitle, printable, etc. A transcription is useful for taking notes, mark unknown words while watching videos, etc. If used on a computer, it is also possible to link every word to an online dictionary to automate dictionary searches.

File

Obviously, the first thing that is needed is a subtitles file to convert and/or adjust as desired. Push the "browse" button to pick a file from your computer.

Subtitles file:

Synchronization

If needed, we can re-synchronize subtitles and video now. To do so, you must watch the beginning and the end of the video and write down the precise time when the first and last subtitles must appear. Comparing with the real moments when they appear according to the SRT file (under Windows: click on the file with the second mouse button, "Open with", "Notepad"), now we know how much to delay (or put forward) each one. In the form, a positive value means "delay", and a negative one "put forward". Of course, fractionary values like "-1.5" can be used.

Delay first subtitle seconds.
Delay last subtitle seconds.

On-line dictionary

If subtitles will be transformed into a transcription file to be used on a computer, it is very convenient to insert links into it that automate searching for the less frequent words.

In the following textfield you can specify the URL address of an on-line dictionary to look up words in; the first instance of every word is turned into a link to look up the word just by clicking on it. For such links to work, the dictionary URL must include the text "{word}", that will be replaced with each word in every link..

The most frequent words —conjunctions, articles, etc.—, will be ignored if a minimal glossary to take them from (the one for the language the subtitles are in) is specified.

Also, students that have a personal glossary with the words they already know, can upload using the "browse" button. Words appearing in that glossary won't be linked to be looked up in the dictionary.

Both "glossaries" must be text files containing one word per line.

Link words to external dictionary to ease look-ups
Dictionary:
Minimum glossary
Personal glossary

Linked words

While creating a transcription, a list or words linked for look-up cen be included, complete with frequencies. This can be useful to make annotations or vocabulary analysis.

Include word list in the transcription
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