HandBrake is an open source and free video encoding software that happens to be able to burn subtitles onto videos.
Burning in this case means having to encode the original video file while adding the subtitles on top of the image, thus generating a new file. So if the subtitled video is meant to be a master file, adding the subtitles from the editing software, before generated the master, might be a more suitable solution.
In addition to that, HandBrake encodes only to H.264, MPEG-4, H.265, MPEG-2, VP8, VP9 and Theora. If one needs to burn subtitles and encode the video in a different format, one might consider using ffmpeg. Follow this link to know how to burn subtitles onto a video using ffmpeg.
And we need subtitles in the srt format (SubRip Subtitle files). If our subtitles are in a different format, we can use a software such as Subtitle Edit to convert these into a srt format.
If none of the above is an actual limitation and HandBrake is the right tool for the job; let us begin.
A video demonstration
Procedure
For the following explanation I will assume that we have a video file with the corresponding subtitle file. In my explanation I named these input.mov (for the video) and input.srt (for the subtitles).
- Start HandBrake
- Drop the input.mov file into HandBrake’s startup interface
- Once the video file scanned by the software, it opens the video into the main interface, under the Summary tab. Here we can choose the output format.
- We then press the Subtitles tab (four tabs to the right of Summary), there we press Import SRT, located below the line of tabs.
The subtitle file has to be in a srt format. - In the explorer that pops up we can select and open our input.srt file.
- Now, under the so called Subtitle tracks section we see a new line which starts with ‘Source input’ (input behind the file name of the subtitle file). Here we can choose the define the language of the subtitles, in this case it is English, but also how to encode the characters of our subtitles (Char code, character code) with UTF-8 being what we need1. And eventually, the crucial option to tick: Burn In. By ticking this box we make sure that the subtitles will be drawn onto the exported video and not simply enclosed within the video file.
Burn in: the crucial option to burn our subtitles onto the video. - Once we are happy with the other settings, we press Browse, located at the bottom right hand side of the interface, choose a location, type the name of the video we want to export, then press Save to confirm.
- Back in the main interface we can start the encoding by pressing the Start Encode button, located at the top main menu of HandBrake.
- The progress of the encoding will be shown at the very bottom of the interface, showing something like this: Encoding: Pass 1 of 1, 15,64%, FPS: 000.0, Avg FPS: 000.0 Time Remaining: -01:01:01, Elapsed: 0:00:00:01
- The completion of the encoding will be indicated by the words Queue Finished, replacing the progress text.
- Finally we can play the newly created video which will show subtitles onto it.
The End