SubShiftly

Guides

Practical explainers on subtitle formats, sync and readability from the people who build the editor.

An old film projector with its lens, reels and a strip of film threaded past the gate

SRT vs VTT vs SBV: subtitle formats

Four formats, one job. What is actually inside an .srt, why the web needed WebVTT, where SBV and ASS come from, and what survives a conversion.

8 min read
A camera operator filming over open water, seen from behind the viewfinder

Fixing subtitle sync: offset, drift and FPS

Subtitles late by the same amount all film need one number. Subtitles that slowly walk away from the dialogue need two. How to tell which you have.

9 min read
A bright living room with a large flat television facing a blue sofa

Subtitle readability: CPS and line length

42 characters, two lines, one to seven seconds. Where those numbers come from, what broadcasters require, and how to check a file against them.

8 min read