Today I’d like to write about added signature in subtitle files. It is common, that other subtitle sites do this and now we do this too. We thought about this long long time ago, but there was one problem – if someone downloaded subtitles from opensubtitles.org with this signature and he will try upload same subtitles, upload was successful and that leads for duplicates.
Now we discovered a way, how to put signature to subtitles, and also fix this small problem. So now, in every sub or srt file at end (and maybe on start also) you can see something like:
-= Downloaded from www.opensubtitles.org =-
in same language as subtitles are – if it is translated. We hope this will lead to better knowledge of our subtitle site.
Start the discussion at forum.opensubtitles.com
Nice. This is a fantastic idea. I would put more information but I can understand if you decide not to. I would also put internal OS information (like IMDB ID).
One question: How are you knowing if the subtitle is the same when the hash isn’t? Won’t this affect the APIs? Shouldn’t they be changed to reflect this? Otherwise it’d be impossible to know if a subtitle being downloaded is the same as the one on disc.
I guess you’re storing in the database the original hash along the new hash.
Nice to hear, you like that. Also I completely forgot about IMDB, this is must. Ok, so what you like to have there ?
I think there should be (everything at end): IMDB link, FPS, MovieSize, Release…what else ? If I will code that, let it be final version.
Also, yes – I am storing all new hashes to new table, and thats that brilliant idea 🙂 So easy.
also it seems we need another web server to handle this, because unpacking, packing and everythong of this takes a lot CPU. I have to order next server thou…
what a great idea
but another server ? 🙁 is it worth it ?
I thought about another server, now, when there are online more than 1300 people, load of webservers is around 20, which is really high. But before, when I order that, I will code caching of subtitle downloads, so maybe it will be OK.
find the idea not so good… all these info are present on the site… why bother adding all this ? there is no point. When you download, you have all the info… That woud be redundant.
I’m wondering how fair it would be to do this, considering the subtitles themselves may be pulled from another site. I’m guessing the OS lines would be added to whatever is already there.
I wish there was an actual emerging standard to include tags in subtitles (as comments in the subtitle, at least) in the same way there is for MP3 and JPG. Metadata is always a good thing.
I agree with the 2 last comments. I am sure that most subtitles were not “made” for opensubtitles.org but copied from other sites. I find it unfair to get the credit from copied stuff…. This signature is stealing the work of others and faulsly implies that all the subs are opensubtitles.org’s subs. Many people actually generating subtitles do not include their site signature in the subtitles to prevent “messy” subtitles (I am one of them). Their only way to get rewarded is having people coming on their site. Now, imagine how they feel when they see that all their work is signed “downloaded from opensubtitles.org” because some moron uploaded them there. I find this unfair. PLEASE, do not do that or you will end up with less and less subtitles…. I can talk only for myself (but I belong to a group generating about 500 subs a month) : we will stop generating subtitles for the community if I see that your site takes part of the credit for our work… Having our subtitles on your site is bad enough (meaning that people do not get them from us but from you) but having you sign them and even mess them with all the info is too much.
Riton, you really really wrote what I think !!! Most of our subtitles, we upload them to moviesandsubtitles.net since we have an understanding with the admins of this site and seeing them on opensubtitles.org is really bad for us. Having these subtitles signed by you (even if this is only a download address) is giving undeserved credit to your site. As riton, we do not include our site address in the subtitles to keep them clean. I hate to see that you do that.
to eduo: I agree for metadata, we can design and create some, to make some “standard” – I imagein it can be something like “//md:imdb http://imdb.com…”, where // means comment, md means metadata, imdb means imdb site and there should be imdb site. What do you think ? Maybe there already exists some “comments” for subtitles, but I cant find any.
for paul: yes, it is available on the site, but those subtitles should be uploaded somewhere else, and other people don’t know opensubtitles.org. Also it is easier put there direct imdb link, so man just copy and paste that link without searching.
for riton and zion: I accept your notes as translators. Without translators we will not have any subtitles. But I don’t understand, why are you angry, when yours subtitles are uploaded to opensubtitles.org site (ok, we are not talking of signature right now). I mean, subtitles should be for free for everyone, and they should be spreaded as much as possible.
Also, I don’t understand, why you don’t put credits for you and your site in subtitles, I really don’t see anything bad on that.
Next thing, I realise you can see putting signature “downloaded from opensubtitles.org” to your subtitles as offensive thing. But it is truth 🙂 I don’t want take your users from your site, I want you will continue in your hard work, so I offer:
– you upload your original subtitles to our site, and in subtitles you specify original www site, so it subtitles _before_ our signature will be yours: “Original source: http://www.yoursite.com“. This should be possible do also for your profile, where will be default source site, so all subtitles uploaded by you will get this credit, if you did not specify that for subtitles. This info will be also available on subtitle details site with direct backlink to your site.
We want do better place for translators, because we care of them, but also for our users.
I strongly object to your including that line. Not so much as an ‘authorship’ issue as an aesthetics one. These ad lines show right after the last line in the subs, which completely ruins the movie experience for me and every real movie buff out there. There are even classic movies that don’t have final credits (usually ‘The End’ is all you get), and all you see in the frozen final frame is an advertising line! Argh!
If you insist on doing such a blatant stunt —ironic, coming from a site that started off leeching upon other sites, as indicated by all those ‘nick-bots’ with the tag (a)—, at least make them appear five minutes after the last line, for Pete’s sake.
Otherwise, I, for one, I’m not uploading any more subs here only to have them debased.
Please, think about it.
ok, you have really strong arguments…so I will don’t put anything to those subtitles, it is easier for me anyway, so subtitles will be still original 🙂 and I understand, how could be angry translators for that. Maybe for users it is +2 points, but for translator -10 points. I am disabling that right now.
I know many sites doing this, and maybe, it is one of the reason why they are not so popular.
Thanks for making things clear to me.
Thank you. 🙂
Thanks, that’s a wise decision. Saves me time removing them everytime I use a subtitle downloaded here 🙂
Hi 2ge,
Must be tough pleasing everyone. Thanks for the extra effort.
Well, as for myself, most of the time, i would already have put in “—www.opensubtitles.org— ” when i created the subs myself for uploading to this site. hence having the additional signatures could be pretty redundant.
See no issues in letting users know that these subs were made & downloaded from opensubtitles.org.
If subs were downloaded from other sites/authors, their signatures shall remain and no additional signatures will be added. Guess that should be fair to original site/authors.
Many occasions, i have to edit lots of subs before i upload them, as these subs were really bad and have lots of missing subs, timing overlapped, spacing problem and grammer errors.
Despite extensive editing, i will even leave the original authors’ name in the subs (so now… is it fair to the people that edit without credits? haha).
Anyhow, I reckoned it does not matter who puts in the effort. Afterall, subtitles are made and meant to be shared among users, guess it should not matter where its downloaded from & uploaded to. The aim is to share among the whole subtitles community and to reach out & benefit all users.
2ge, keep up the good work done to this site!
thank you!
cheers
Hi! My coment has nothing to do what i just read. I’m very curiose about something concerne subtitles, so i have this question:- After download and add the subtitles to the movie, is it possible to increase the size of them? I mean, if u put them in a dvd player and watch the movie by your tv, the subs are so small. So, can we increase them before copy to cd or dvd? Tanks for your time! Zeca
Hi, I have big problem with your site! I can not open your home page (www.opensubtitles.org)!!!
Can you help me.
Thank you,
Igor
now everything works, I am really sorry, but my text editor adds some weird headers to text xslt files, so website didnt work for a some hours, I am sorry…:(