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Poll: Subtitle Technology


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purple_monkey



Joined: 20 Oct 2005
Posts: 48
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:06 pm Reply with quote
Hmm, I was going to ask Answerman something like this. Though I was going to ask why some signs and such weren't translated, or why they don't put in small translator's notes in the show. I would like a quick blurb about a cultural reference in the middle of the show rather than have to go pause and read on the booklet what it was (or worse, have to wiki it).
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ladholyman



Joined: 12 Feb 2004
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:45 pm Reply with quote
Are standard subtitles the piss-yellow font?
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The Xenos



Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Posts: 1519
Location: Boston
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 4:55 pm Reply with quote
Nothing wrong with plain standard subtitles. Anything more, like fancy fonts, is just fanwank. Plus, sometimes fansubbers try to get fancy and they just end up messy looking or unreadable. Though I am interested in what BluRay or HD Discs can do for subtitle features, I'm in no rush to change to those formats.

Also, I find it hilarious when fans complain about hard subs used on DVDs for signs and the like, but are totally fine with hard coded subs for all their fansubs. Plus hard coded fansubs help produce crappy AMVs which have distrcting subtitles on them because people are too damn lazy to wait for the DVD or find a copy of the raw.
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Iwatch2muchanime



Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 1291
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:01 pm Reply with quote
Well. All of these are fine too me if they're still tranlated right.

However, for some shows, the crazy animated fonts work very well, like One Piece by the fansubbers (Japanese for pirate)-fansubs For all of their attacks they each have their own animated font and I think that really adds somewhat to the show. And for Pani Poni Dash! by (Japanese for Goodnight)- fansubs The some-what gimicky font (although didn't make it easier to read, because there was so much on the screen at once.) was funny and was good that way.

And I always loved the different colored fonts for different characters. (Normally the color of their hair.)
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Deltakiral



Joined: 07 Oct 2004
Posts: 3338
Location: Glendora, CA (Avatar Hei from Darker than BLACK)
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:13 pm Reply with quote
Personally all I want is to be able to read the subtitles, although I am interested in how Blue Ray/HD-DVD will do with the multiple color each for their own character. Specifically for shows that have lots of dialog in them.
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Josh7289



Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Posts: 1252
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:26 pm Reply with quote
Answerman spawned a poll.

Since I don't know what can be done on the HD formats, I'll hold off on this poll until I do some research...
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WristBandMan



Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 22
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:38 pm Reply with quote
seems like the poll maker is biased against fansubs, because "gimmicky" doesn't sound like a neutral choice of word.
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NimbusRain



Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 148
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 5:57 pm Reply with quote
Iwatch2muchanime wrote:

However, for some shows, the crazy animated fonts work very well, like One Piece by the fansubbers (Japanese for pirate)-fansubs For all of their attacks they each have their own animated font and I think that really adds somewhat to the show.


I love those fonts that they use in One Piece. Although it would annoy me if the whole show was done in a font like that, it works great for the attack sequences. I don't want anything too crazy, but I'm not particularly fond of the standard yellow subtitles that most DVDs use.
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Mylene



Joined: 07 Feb 2006
Posts: 2792
Location: Indiana
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:04 pm Reply with quote
I like good, standard subtitles. I detest the karaoke done on fansubs during theme songs. Mainly because a lot of them like to use the "don't put the syllable up until it's being said" or "take it off immediately after it's said" style, which I can't sing along with. I prefer it like the R1 DVDs the put up the romanji and leave it, switching as necessary. I also prefer the R1 habit of every other episode switching between romanji and the translated lyrics. It helps me learn the songs better, because even if I can't remember the Japanese lyric immediately, as long as I think of the English lyric, I can translate it in my head and come up with the Japanese (better for memorization for me).

Anyway, while I do rather like the higher level subtitles with white filled with a color (easier to see), I still prefer the subtitles to be as bland and unobtrusive as possible. It's just a personal preference, although I think having different colors to match characters' hair, etc, would be kind of garish and tacky. But that's just me.
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DragonsRevenge



Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 1150
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:07 pm Reply with quote
I like the fansub titles the best. They're easiest to read. Grainy yellow subs infront of a bright picture can be hard to read sometimes. Anyone see Disney's Howls moving castle? What were they thinking using WHITE subtitles? Most of the movie is very bright, especially the beginning when they're flying in the clouds? You can't read a damn thing.
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TakinawaTonfa



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 96
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:19 pm Reply with quote
If I can read 'em, I like 'em.

I think this poll should have a "it doesn't matter to me" option, or something along those lines.
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gravityrules



Joined: 16 Jun 2006
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:39 pm Reply with quote
I don't think I've ever had a problem with DVD subtitles, but I actually really enjoy the karaoke thing fansubbers do, if it's done well. Like Mylene wrote, it sucks if they come up only when the sound is sung or disappear right after. Other than that I really like being able to associate kanji with various sounds and it helps me learn the kanji, hiragana, and katakana. If I wanted to see the actual animation on a DVD hopefully there would be a clean OP and ED.
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scortia



Joined: 27 Mar 2006
Posts: 174
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 6:42 pm Reply with quote
I'm not a fan of the subs changing colors when different characters talk and whatnot... but when fansubbers use different fonts I enjoy it typically. I sure know when I was a wee youngin' and my Fushigi Yuugi Tomodachi fansubs went into an ancient Chinese-esque font I thought it added a nice touch and I still feel that way when it's done tastefully. Anime smile
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Ragebot



Joined: 15 Feb 2006
Posts: 42
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:04 pm Reply with quote
Er...what fancy HD-DVD/Blu-Ray subtitles? Yeah, I know that many different subtitle options are possible in the spec. But absolutely nothing of the sort has been utilized in the current discs now released. Heck, foreign language films don't even offer the option of positioning subs in or out of the widescreen frame.
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Pyoko



Joined: 13 Apr 2005
Posts: 56
PostPosted: Sat Jan 20, 2007 7:30 pm Reply with quote
I like standard, uniform subtitles, but DVD subtitles are simply far too low-res and limited technically, and that's the truth. From what I've seen in screenshots, the subtitles on the HD formats are perfect.

The subtitle colour (white vs. yellow) seems to be an issue with quite a few people so hopefully when anime companies do get around to the new formats they will give us an option.
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