AnimeSuki Forums

CaiSter21 · 2006-03-10, 14:02

this is just a little question that has been poking at the back of my brain for a while...

what exactly is the difference between hard subbed and soft subbed?

is one better than the other?

Kurz · 2006-03-10, 14:17

Hardsub means the subtitles are basicaly etched into the image.
Pro: Easier on the CPU
Con: It makes some distortion around the letters and the image around the letters.

SoftSub Means the subtitles hover above the image in a sort of overlay.
Pro: Cleaner look since there is no distortion, you can edit the subs easily and you can watch without those subs if you wish.

Since the video is clean of subs you can use the video however you like. Like using the video in Anime Music Videos (Since there is no subs to hide when making the video).

Con: It takes more CPU power.

anime_layer · 2006-03-10, 16:16

I have never tested it but I doubt softsubs put a significant additional load on the CPU. Decoding video uses quite some resources since you have to deal with lots of data and about 30 frames per second. Some font-rendering all couple of seconds should use so little it doesn't matter.

Hardsubs:
- Look is maintained. Wherever the video can be played, the subs (and especially the fancy effects) will look as they are intended to
- Only video decoder required
- Make video slightly harder to compress which might produce sliglty larger files
- Cannot be conveniently be copied out of the video and be modified

Softsubs:
- Look differs considerably from each method / system the video is played on
- Needs additional softsub support
- Softsubs can be customized by the enduser
- It's possible to add multiple softubs (different languages, different versions) to a video
- Softsubs can be easily modified
- Textfiles (softsubs) are very small
- The original video isn't modified at all
- Displaying non-ASCII characters (japanese) might be tricky on some systems

Potatochobit · 2006-03-10, 17:22

softsubs usually will need a program like hail media splitter to run, hardsubs can be played with just a simple codec

Tiberium Wolf · 2006-03-11, 03:09

anime_layer > You forgot to add line: Can be easily stolen!

2006-03-10, 14:02	Link #1
CaiSter21 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004	just something that has been on my mind for a while this is just a little question that has been poking at the back of my brain for a while... what exactly is the difference between hard subbed and soft subbed? is one better than the other?

2006-03-10, 16:16	Link #3
anime_layer Senior Member Graphic Designer Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Zürich, Switzerland	I have never tested it but I doubt softsubs put a significant additional load on the CPU. Decoding video uses quite some resources since you have to deal with lots of data and about 30 frames per second. Some font-rendering all couple of seconds should use so little it doesn't matter. Hardsubs: - Look is maintained. Wherever the video can be played, the subs (and especially the fancy effects) will look as they are intended to - Only video decoder required - Make video slightly harder to compress which might produce sliglty larger files - Cannot be conveniently be copied out of the video and be modified Softsubs: - Look differs considerably from each method / system the video is played on - Needs additional softsub support - Softsubs can be customized by the enduser - It's possible to add multiple softubs (different languages, different versions) to a video - Softsubs can be easily modified - Textfiles (softsubs) are very small - The original video isn't modified at all - Displaying non-ASCII characters (japanese) might be tricky on some systems __________________ MPlayer OSX Extended (en) \| nimmermehr (de) \| sttz (de) \| last.fm Life is a game whose first rule is: This is not a game, this is dead serious.

2006-03-11, 03:09	Link #5
Tiberium Wolf Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Age: 44	anime_layer > You forgot to add line: Can be easily stolen! __________________

2006-03-10, 14:17	Link #2
Kurz Gao~ a sound for the ages Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: I live in a relm of swirling of thought and emotion, Ever lost in the relm of infinite possiblities. Age: 37	Hardsub means the subtitles are basicaly etched into the image. Pro: Easier on the CPU Con: It makes some distortion around the letters and the image around the letters. SoftSub Means the subtitles hover above the image in a sort of overlay. Pro: Cleaner look since there is no distortion, you can edit the subs easily and you can watch without those subs if you wish. Since the video is clean of subs you can use the video however you like. Like using the video in Anime Music Videos (Since there is no subs to hide when making the video). Con: It takes more CPU power.

2006-03-10, 17:22	Link #4
Potatochobit Certified Organic Join Date: Dec 2005	softsubs usually will need a program like hail media splitter to run, hardsubs can be played with just a simple codec