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Fix subtitle encoding and convert to UTF-8

Strange characters like é, пр or question marks mean the file was saved in an old code page and read as another one. The tool detects the real encoding (Windows-1250 to 1258, ISO-8859, KOI8-R, GBK, Big5, Shift_JIS, EUC-KR...) and saves a clean UTF-8 file.

How to use it

1

Load the subtitle file with broken characters.

2

Check the preview. If it still looks wrong, pick another encoding in the list until the text reads correctly.

3

Download the UTF-8 file, which every modern player reads.

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Questions and answers

Why do my subtitles show strange characters?

Older subtitles were saved in a regional code page such as Windows-1252 (Western Europe), Windows-1251 (Cyrillic) or GBK (Chinese). A player that expects UTF-8 or another code page shows the wrong letters.

Which encoding should I choose?

Usually none: the most likely one is chosen for you. If the preview still looks wrong, try the code page of the language: Windows-1250 for Central European languages, 1251 Russian, 1253 Greek, 1254 Turkish, 1256 Arabic, 1258 Vietnamese, GBK or Big5 Chinese, Shift_JIS Japanese, EUC-KR Korean.

My file is already UTF-8 but shows question marks.

Then the letters were lost when the file was saved and no tool can bring them back. Download the subtitles again, or make new ones from the video with our AI subtitle generator.

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Convert formats

Subtitle converterAny format to any other: SRT, VTT, ASS, SSA, SBV, SUB, TXT, CSV.

Fix the timing

Shift subtitle timingSubtitles too early or too late? Move them all by a few seconds.Change frame rateFix subtitles that drift more and more: 23.976, 25 or 29.97 fps.Sync subtitlesSet the right time of two lines; every line in between follows.

Clean, merge and repair

Merge subtitlesJoin the subtitles of CD1 and CD2 into one file.Split subtitlesCut one file in two at any time, for CD1/CD2 or a trimmed video.Remove hearing-impaired textDelete [sounds], (descriptions), speaker names and song lyrics.Remove formatting tagsStrip italic, colour and position codes that players show as text.Fix overlapping subtitlesMake each line end before the next one starts.Bilingual subtitlesTwo languages in one subtitle file, one above the other.Subtitle StudioEdit lines and timing next to your video, then translate them (free account).