MicroDVD Subtitle (.SUB)
SUB (MicroDVD Subtitle) is a frame-based subtitle format that uses frame numbers rather than timestamps for timing synchronization. Each line contains start and end frame numbers enclosed in curly braces followed by the subtitle text, with pipe characters separating multiple display lines. SUB requires knowing the video frame rate to correctly synchronize subtitle display timing.
Advantages of MicroDVD Subtitle
What the SUB format does well, and why you might choose it.
- Frame-accurate timing that precisely matches video frame boundaries
- Simple format that is easy to parse and generate programmatically
- Supported by many popular media players including VLC
Limitations of MicroDVD Subtitle
What the SUBformat doesn't do well, and when to choose another format.
- Frame-based timing requires knowledge of video frame rate for correct display
- Changing the video frame rate misaligns all subtitle timing
- Less intuitive than timestamp-based formats for manual editing
What SUB files are used for
- Legacy subtitle files for video content
- Frame-accurate subtitle synchronization for specific video encodes
- Subtitle conversion source for timestamp-based format output
Convert to SUB
The most common formats people convert to SUB, ready to convert in seconds.
Convert SUB to other formats
Convert MicroDVD Subtitle files into the format you actually need.
Frequently asked questions about SUB
What is a .SUB file?
SUB (MicroDVD Subtitle) is a frame-based subtitle format that uses frame numbers rather than timestamps for timing synchronization. Each line contains start and end frame numbers enclosed in curly braces followed by the subtitle text, with pipe characters separating multiple display lines. SUB requires knowing the video frame rate to correctly synchronize subtitle display timing.
What is the MIME type of SUB?
The official MIME type for SUB files is text/x-sub. This is the value web servers and applications use to identify the format when transferring files.
What category does SUB belong to?
SUB is a Subtitle Converter format. Files in this category share common conversion paths and use cases.
How do I open a .SUB file?
SUB files are typically opened by software that natively supports the MicroDVD Subtitleformat. If you don't have a compatible application, the most reliable approach is to convert the file to a more universal format using the converters listed above. Most MicroDVD Subtitle files convert to widely-supported alternatives in seconds.
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Convert SUB to SRT