SRT Not Displaying: How to open and use the SRT file in VLC?

VLC is a cross-platform media player application used for playing different multimedia files, like CD, DVD, VCD, and more. It also supports videos with subtitles if the preference settings is enabled. The best part of this application is that it allows users to add the subtitle file to the video.

One of the most common file format VLC supports is SRT. If you have the SRT file in your device, you can easily add the subtitles to any video through VLC. You must be wondering how to open SRT file in VLCV. If yes, read this below article to gain more knowledge.

VLC SRT subtitles not working? Fix it with Wondershare Filmora

Most often, you cannot open SRT in VLC for various reasons. For instance, sometimes, the files are corrupted or empty. In such situations, you are left with only one option- find an alternative to access the SRT file, edit the subtitles, remove the corruption, and add the same to the video once again.

While there are several apps in the market, nothing can outsmart the performance of Wondershare Filmora. Also known as one of the leading video editors, Filmora offers more leverage than its market contenders. It supports SRT files of all sizes and ensures you can edit them in a breeze.

In addition, you can easily edit the font colour and style to ensure the subtitles can be easily differentiated on the video. Adding personalized subtitles to the video is also possible with Filmora, and this feature has made this application the best on the market. One of the fantastic features is the addition of presets and animations to the text blocks for personalization and to make the video more engaging and impressive for others.

Possible causes of SRT subtitles not working correctly in VLC

Now that we have established the benefits of Wondershare Filmora in editing and adding the SRT files concerning VLC, it’s time to delve deeper into the issue at hand- unable to open SRT in VLC. It is impossible to find the best troubleshooting process without knowing the root causes of the issue. As a result, you will stagger in the dark instead of finding the best option for solving the issue.

Keeping this in kid, we have explained some of the significant reasons you can encounter this error while playing the videos with subtitles in the VLC media player.

• SRT files corrupted or empty: The SRT files are often corrupted, and the VLC media player’s internal drives fail to extract the text file stored in the SRT file. In addition, sometimes, the files can be empty, which means no data.
• The subtitles setting in the VLC media player is not turned on: Unlike other media players, VLC comes with a subtitle setting. If it is not turned on yet, you won’t be able to view the files at all.
• Doesn’t update VLC to its latest version: If you do not update the VLC media player to the latest version, you won’t be able to see the subtitles in the video, especially if the SRT file is dependent on any feature of the new version.
• Wrong encoding instead of UTF-8: Often, you can see that the encoding of the SRT file in VLC is not done correctly. If it is not encoded as UTF-8, you won’t be able to access the subtitles, regardless of whether the text is present in the original form.
• Other unknown bugs: Sometimes, there are unknown errors in the SRT file that the VLC media player fails to recognize. Therefore, it doesn’t show the subtitles while playing the concerned video files.

Get over VLC errors permanently with Filmora

Ultimate tutorial: How to open SRT files in VLC?

With the root causes now known, you can easily understand why VLC SRT files are not displayed are pretty standard and easy to troubleshoot. As you might use an array of devices, like desktop, iPhone, or Android, the troubleshooting process might differ from one device to another. Knowing the ways separately will help you ensure the files can be extracted and subtitles will be shown on the screen.

This section will describe the best ways to open subtitle files for VLC according to the devices.

How to steps open SRT files in VLC on the computer?

1. Launch the VLC media player on your computer.
2. Click the Media option from the menu bar and select the Stream option.
3. Now press the Add button on the Stream popup window and choose the concerned video from your preferred location.

• Once down, click on the Browse option to find the VLC SRT file and upload the same on the window. Ensure to check the Use a Subtitle file box.

• Now, click on Stream followed by Next.

• After this, you need to select the File and Add option. Click on Browse and save the video with a proper name and the concerned extension like MP4. Click Save and the Next button.
• A new window will open where you need to tick the checkbox to Activate Transcoding. Click Save and then Next.
• When a new window opens, click Stream and the SRT file will be added to the VLC video to be streamed.

How to steps open SRT files in VLC in Android?

1. Once you have downloaded the VLC media player in Android device, open the application.
2. There will be several options on the left hand corner of the screen. From there, right click the Player button and a new list of options will be visible.
3. Expand the Subtitles menu and click on the Select Subtitle File option.
4. From the expanded option list, click on Subtitles menu. A new option list will be shown. Here, you need to click on Select Subtitle File.
5. Once done, a popup window will open up. Here, you need to browse the .SRT file you have saved in the device. Ensure the extension is .srt and nothing else.
6. After you click on the Open button present at the extreme bottom side, the SRT file will get added to the video. You won’t see any error in the subtitles, unless there is any problem with the original SRT file you have imported.

How to steps to open SRT files in VLC on iPhone?

1. The first thing you need to do is get the application from Apple store.
2. Once you have downloaded and installed VLC media player, open it. Ensure you have the internet connection and the original SRT file you want to add to the video.
3. After you have launched the application, click on the Add File option. The browsing popup window will open up.
4. Click on the browse option and search the file from the folder where you save it initially. Remember you won’t be able to access the cloud locations like OneDrive until it is connected and synced with your iPhone.
5. Select the file and click on Open option at the bottom corner of the window. As the SRT file will get added, check if the subtitles are appropriate or not. After you have the confirmation, save the file and export the video with subtitles to your device.

Best Alternative Is To Open And Edit SRT Subtitles For Videos

You now know how to manually open the SRT file in VLC from the media streaming application. However, you often cannot edit the SRT file or change the text and font colour. As a result, you need an additional editor to set the correct format for the video and work on the addition of the file to the concerned video.

One such alternative that you can use is Wondershare Filmora. Considered one of the best options for adding subtitles to videos, it lets you edit the text, change font and colour styling options, and even easily add preset and animation to the file. Besides, you don’t have to use the VLC media player to add the subtitle file to the concerned video since Filmora has the built-in option that performs the same task.

Below we have discussed the best ways to use the SRT file with Filmora.

1. Open the Filmora app and add the video file to which you have to add the SRT vile.

• Now, right-click on the timeline and select the Advanced Edit option from the expanded menu.

• You will be allowed to edit the file in different ways. For example, you can edit the time settings, remove or merge the subtitles, and even change the font style.

• Once the edit is done, click on Ok. Now, again select the SRT file on the timeline and click on Export Subtitle File.

Conclusion

You now have the idea of adding the VLC SRT file in the easiest options. You can either do the task manually or take help from one of the leading applications, Filmora, to edit the file and then upload the same on VLC.