Could someone help with how to use the closed caption files?

MST3K Central
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Hello All,

I have a few questions on how to use the closed caption files:

  1. Do they need to have weird names instead of the name of the movie?
  2. How do I use them?
  3. Is there a better video program to use when watching?
  4. Anything else that might be useful to know in order to use them?

Regards,
David

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They definitely do not need to have those weird names; you can rename them to whatever you want. The names you see are randomly-generated version numbers, guaranteed to be unique. That’s probably to insure that if the file gets updated it will get a new name and have no chance of already being in your browser cache. That’s good for online viewing, but makes local use a bit of a hassle. [Note to self: submit a request to have the downloadable caption files get renamed in transit.]

Using them depends on how you are watching your downloaded files. The program you are using would probably have an option somewhere to add a subtitle file. You’ll have to seek out a solution for what you are using (Google is your friend here). Your program of choice might even look for the presence of an SRT file that is named the same as your video file. Again, you’ll need to see what your particular situation calls for. For me personally, I have this option in Plex:
image

And in VLC I have this:
image

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When I downloaded the files, I named the caption files the same as the movie. When I play a movie and click on the CC button, it gives me a “Choose subtitle file” option and then I can just link to that file on my computer.

It looks like I have to do this every time I play a movie though. Is there a way to automatically “marry” the movie and caption files so they play together without having to go back and select the right caption file each time?

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That would depend on your particular video player. Some can do it automatically, some cannot. You’re probably going to have to go to a manual or a help forum for that particular software.

In other news, because I’m a nerd, my invention exchange this week is something that makes better names for downloaded captions (but this is just a proof of concept and I cannot guarantee you are getting the absolutely latest versions of the captions files): MST3K Captions Download Renamer

This is more a demo for Ivan, but for regular human usage I guess it would allow you to download a bunch of captions quickly and be able to tell which is which.

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Thank you so much for the help. It is always tricky to figure out when something such as file names is critical and when they are not. Your explanation made perfect sense. I’ve known some programs that freaked when the files were changed and, while I could not imagine a problem with a text file, I also think rain is wet, so who am I to judge?

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Well now you’ve got this song stuck in my head. Which is not a bad thing.

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Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! My EVIL plan is working. Soon the entire world will fall before me! For the next part of my plan:
(2914) A Song of the Weather - YouTube
Regards,
David

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