If you use the VLC Player program to watch series or movies with subtitles, sometimes you can find problems with the synchronization of the texts, since sometimes the text and the images do not appear coordinated.
This situation can be due to several reasons: problems with the video codecs, an inadequate speed of the subtitles or even an uncoordinated start point (that is, the subtitles advance at the correct speed but are ahead or behind with respect to the image ).
Here are the steps to follow in order to adjust the speed of the subtitles and eliminate the problem of synchronization in VLC Player .
The key is on the G and H keys
To manually adjust the subtitles and avoid synchronization problems, all you have to do is use the G and H keys on the keyboard . These shortcuts allow you to delay or advance the subtitles with respect to the text: each time you press the G key you will advance the subtitles by 50 milliseconds, while with the H key you will delay them. That is to say:
- If the subtitles are showing later than they should, press the H key repeatedly until they synchronize with the image.
- If the subtitles appear before the corresponding image, you will have to press the letter G until the adjustment is complete.
Another method of adjusting subtitles
In the event that the subtitles are late (only if they are late), there is an alternative option to the G and H keys to fix the problem. From Tools , access Track Synchronization and select the Advanced Synchronization option . (Note: on Mac , look for the Window tab instead of Tools for this section.)
Start playing the video. When you get to the moment when a character speaks (in the video). Go back a bit and get ready to hit the Shift + H keys at that point. Continue playing the video until the subtitle for that intervention appears, then activate the Shift + J shortcut . Then press Shift + K and VLC will automatically calculate the offset between the two values, and display it on the screen. You may have to make more adjustments manually with the G and H keys, as we explained in the previous section.
Another method: count the seconds of difference
Another way to sync the subtitles in VLC Player is to count the seconds difference between the video sound and the text and set a certain time when the subtitle file should load.
This process can be done from Tools> Sync Track> Subtitles / Video . If subtitles are appearing on the screen before the image that corresponds to them, enter the number of seconds apart in the field Synchronization subtitle track . In the event that the subtitles are delayed, you will have to write this time in negative value, with the sign - in front.
Important details to keep in mind
VLC Player will apply these changes in real time, on the video you are watching at the moment. If not, you would have to synchronize manually, with a button that appears in the Synchronize section of the tools.
Keep in mind that the modifications will only be applied temporarily to the open file: if you close the player, the changes will be lost and you would have to resynchronize the subtitles when you open that same video again.