Subtitling?
14 messages in this thread
I'm a Mac user who doesn't know beans about the Amiga, but I'm trying to
find a way to subtitle foreign-language video, and several people have
mentioned Amiga as an easy and (comparatively) inexpensive option.
Can anyone tell me more about this? What would I need to get started?
Where would I look for a used Amiga that could do the job?
Many thanks in advance,
Matt Thorn
You'll need a device that can overlay the computer's graphics over the video
signal. This is commonly called a "genlock". There were several models
available for the Amiga over the years. As for sub-titling programs, I'm not
sure if there's a commercial one available… perhaps someone else can jump in
here.
John,
Thanks for the info (and sorry for the delay–I was a way for a couple of
days). Wayne gave me some info about subtitling software.
Matt
Matt,
The cheapest way would be to look for an Amiga 1200 with a Hard disk
add-on, and get a Digital Creations Supergen or SupergenSX genlock, and a
titling program like Broadcast Titler or a MM program like Scala. The
advantage of Scala is there are add-ons that can control video decks so
that you can play designated video sequences while playing designated
titles and layering them together with the genlock while recording the
results on another video deck connected to the genlock.
wmc – via Autopilot!
Wayne,
Thanks for the info (and sorry for the delay in resonding–I was away for a
couple of days). I'll look into the possibility of a bying an Amiga and
genlock card.
Matt
You need an Amiga, Titling Software such as Broadcast Titler and a Genlock
as a minimum setup. Oh yeah and a Monitor of course.
Yes, there is a commercial program that is specifically for subtitling. It's
called EUROTITLER (because I couldn't think of a better name at the time) and I
can send you more details and even a demo-version if you require.
It was developed for broadcast use (driving an Aston CapGen for high quality
text) whilst I was working for Granada TV (UK ITV network), but it also
produces near-broadcast quality output direct from the Amiga's own video.
It allows the creation of more or less unlimited numbers of subtitles, each
with a timecode in and out cue. The timecode can come from VITC or LTC on the
videotape (via external or internal readers), or via a software pseudo-timecode
which counts frames. Each subtitle can occupy one or two lines and use any
Amiga font, including our anti-aliased colorfonts. There are extensive editing
facilites for both the text and the in and out cues (something you won't find
on general purpose titling programs). Once prepared, you can run the tape and
add the entire subtitle script in one pass. (I've had over 500 subtitles in a
half hour.)
I would recomend either an A2/3/4000 system with HD, 2-4 M RAM, a genlock and
ideally a timecode reader. The software supports a number of hardware options,
including MIDI Timecode. Software price is L180.
Let me know if require further details.
Regards, Martin Kay
Martin,
Wow! Sounds like a great program. Pardon my ignorance, but would
"A2/3/4000" be shorthand for "Amiga 2000," "Amiga 3000," and "Amiga 4000"? And
would I be right in assuming those are models of Amiga computers? (As I
mentioned in my original message, I don't know beans about Amiga.)
Now the burning question is, where would I buy an Amiga? They're not made
anymore, are they?
Matt
Matt,
You're quite right about the shorthand, and I shouldn't think you'd have
much trouble buying an AMIGA. I'm not 100% sure what's actually happening with
Commodore, but there's still new unsold models with the distributors here in
the UK, and many thousands on the second-hand market. And don't worry about
spares. There's still parts around for the old C64, and that officially "died"
some years ago.
The model I'd recommend is the Amiga 3000. It is faster and smaller than the
A2000 and has built in SCSI (so you can attach MAC SyQuest drives, for example)
and most importantly has two video outputs (both the same picture, but one is
31 KHz non-interlaced VGA style, the other 15KHz interlaced video which can be
genlocked over an incoming video picture).
Hope this helps.
Regards, Martin
Martin,
<The model I'd recommend is the Amiga 3000.>
Do you or anyone else have any idea how much that model would cost, either
new or used (in dollars, in the States)? And does anyone know any American
magazines that would carry reseller advertisements for Amigas?
<…most importantly has two video outputs (both the same picture, but one is
31 KHz non-interlaced VGA style, the other 15KHz interlaced video which can be
genlocked over an incoming video picture).>
I'm not sure what that means. Does that mean I wouldn't need a third-party
genlock card?
Thanks again for the info.
Matt
Matt,
Can't help you with a dollar price for second hand A3000s in the US, but I've
seen them here for around L500 ($750). You will still need a genlock to do your
subtitle overlays, but the 31KHz o/p gives you a computer-only preview o/p
which you can simultaneously connect to a VGA-style monitor.
Martin
Martin,
Thanks for the info.
Matt
I know there are a couple of A3000s for sale in the AmigaUser forum and
they are about $450 and $550.
These are about as fast as a 386. The A4000 is about as fast as a slow
486. In case you needed to know.
<<< Tony D. Tracer >>>
(Any render time >0 needs acceleration.)
Tony,
<I know there are a couple of A3000s for sale in the AmigaUser forum and they
are about $450 and $550.>
Thanks for the info. If I'd be paying that much (not to mention the cost
of a monitor, software, etc.) in order to go the Amiga route, I think I might
be better off going with a stand-alone device, such as Videonics TitleMaker,
which I'm told goes for between $500-$550 (though the Amiga does sound like a
fun machine for working with video).
Thanks to everyone who offered advice and information.
Matt Thorn