FAQ & Rules

Report RAPIDSHARE (AND OTHER) links here

lyliakar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:38:47 GMT

Please post a reply with a link (for example http://subscene.com/english/my-architect-a-sons-journey/subtitle-132206.aspx) to report uploads only consisting of a RAPIDSHARE or other sites link.

Your collaboration is greatly appreciated :)

Thanks.

NEW RULE - EVERYONE READ

lyliakar — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:30:38 GMT

From now on all the links to download subtitles from elsewhere will be deleted.

Too many users abused our patience posting links to stuff which has nothing to do with subtitles, and/or subtitles whose size allows a direct upload.

Hence, the necessity for a new rule, in respect for Admins and downloaders.

idx+sub can be turned to a .srt with a program called Subrip. You can ALWAYS claim your credits as a translator in the proper forum, and also ask Admins to delete stolen subtitles.

To stay here is not an obligation, if you don't like the rules you're free to go. But if you decide to stay, please respect the rules.

Thanks.

Subscene Rules open discussion

lyliakar — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:43:09 GMT

Hi everyone.

Our politics has never been to forbid or impose anything.

However the site has slowly become huge, and therefore we have decided to post some Rules.

Unfortunately, rules are necessary in every community to prevent unpleasant situations, but exactly because this is a community and not a dictatorship, we've also decided to open the discussion about the set of rules we've posted.

Please keep it polite; we'll read all of your posts and take your feedback into account.

Changes may occur at our discretion.

Thanks.

Subscene Admins Team

Subscene Rules - UPDATED on June 15th 2008

lyliakar — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:21:52 GMT

NOTE: ALL THE LINKS WILL OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW

NOTICE: The breaking of the rules will lead Admins to TAKE ACTION AGAINST YOU.

1. The site is for subtitles sharing.

ONLY SUBTITLE FILES (NO .torrent, .mp3, executable files, viruses, trojans etc.) are allowed.

Allowed filetypes are as .zip, .rar, .srt, .sub, .txt, .ssa and .smi

LINKS to Rapidshare and similar sites and IDX/SUB are NO LONGER ALLOWED !!

NO MACHINE TRANSLATIONS! (google or babelfish etc)

2. Try not to post subtitles identical to others that are already there.

CHECK BEFORE POSTING.

3. Don't upload all the subtitles for a whole SERIES separately, if the series is complete.

Put ALL THE SUBS in a single archive.

4. DON'T ADVERTISE any site for commercial purposes.

5. DON'T STEAL/REMOVE TRANSLATORS' CREDITS

Even when you upload your own resynched subtitles, you're requested to recognise the

translators' hard work.

6. Make sure to provide CORRECT INFORMATION

(movie name, fps, release name, sub format, hearing impaired, CD number, etc.).

If you aren't 100% sure of fps or filetype, you'd better not input anything.

7. No spam rating of other people's subs! No spam rating of your own subs!

NO SPAM RATING at all!

8. USE COMMENTS in addition to rating.

9. ENGLISH COMMENTS AND POSTS ONLY! The site is international.

However, if your English is really bad and one of our Admins speaks your language,

you can contact them in private.

You can find the list of our subtitle Admins with the languages they speak

on every page of the forums, at the bottom right.

10. NO sexist / racist / religion or politics related comments.

And remember: what's not offensive for you COULD BE OFFENSIVE FOR OTHERS.

11. NO OFFENSIVE AVATARS!! Avatars displaying objectively offensive images

will be deleted and their posters will be BANNED WITHOUT WARNING!

If you have doubts about the avatar you're willing to post, contact lyliakar.

12. NO PASSWORDED UPLOADS!! Unless you want to be banned without further notice.

13. Subtitles ripped for DVDs are illegal. Please upload your own translations.

Any questions/doubts? Need an explanation? ASK us.

You can discuss these rules here

Subscene FAQ

lyliakar — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 19:16:42 GMT

NOTE: ALL THE LINKS WILL OPEN IN A NEW WINDOW

Please, also have a look at the site RULES

MISCELLANEOUS

Q. Why should I waste my time reading these FAQs?

A. Because it isn't a waste of time at all, since it'll spare you a lot of hassle for not respecting the site rules :)

Q. What if I have a question which isn't listed here?

A. Feel free to use our forums, but make sure no one has asked the same questions before, in which case you should use existing threads for your posts. Moreover, make sure to ask politely and never to be offensive. Remember that what isn't offensive for you may be for others.

If you have any doubts about what you can say contact one of the Admins to avoid that your posts are deleted without notice.

Q. Can I use the forums to report a bug or make a suggestion to the site owners?

A. Of course, provided that it's polite, site-related and constructive. Useless or offensive criticism, on the other hand, won't be tolerated.

Please use this Forum Thread.

Q. Can I make a post or add a comment in my own language?

A. The site is international, therefore the official language is English.

Don't worry if your English isn't too good, but notice that all the non-English posts and comments will eventually be deleted.

However, if one of our Admins speaks your language, you can contact them in private.

You can find a list of our subtitles Adimns and of the languages they speak in the forums main page.

NOTICE: NO sexist/racist/religion or politics related comments are allowed. And remember: what's not offensive for you COULD BE offensive for others.

Q. Can I advertise other subtitle websites?

A. Only if they're free sites for free download. All other kinds of advertising will result in a warning and eventually in permanent ban.

Q. Can I add my e-mail address and/or personal data to my subtitles?

A. That's up to you, since we can't be considered responsible for the consequences which that may have.

Q. What if I wanted to help with the Subtitle Administration?

A. Please have a look at this post and then contact lyliakar explaining what your skills and spoken languages are. If you're serious and willing to spend some time on the site more or less constantly you may become one of us, since help is always appreciated :)

Q. Will the Anonymous status hide me from the site Admins?

A. No, we always know who you are and where to reach you, so please behave and follow the site rules :)

FILM TITLES

Q. How do I add a new title to your database?

A. Click here and input the required information (Title, Date, imdb link and ASIN), then click 'Post Film Title'. Before adding a new title, however, search for it since it may already be in our database.

Q. I don't know what 'imdb' and 'ASIN' mean. And then why do I have to input such information?

A. imdb is the Internet Movie DataBase, where many films are catalogued and reviewed.

When adding a title you can use the 'Find Imdb Number' option but you'll need to manually input the numbers included in the url which refers to the title you want to add.

Example: Imdb: http://imdb.com/title/tt0133093

The imdb number is required in order to make a film title distinctive, since different films with the same title have been made in time.

The 'ASIN' is part of an url which links to Amazon.com products

Example: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JMQZ/

Such information allows pictures to be displayed with film titles.

Q. There's no link to imdb and/or Amazon.com for the film title I'd like to add. What can I do?

A. If only one of the two links is missing you can add a title all the same. If both links can't be found, please contact us.

Q. I made a mistake adding a film title, how can I fix that?

A. All the titles are pending for approval, therefore your mistake will be rectified by an Admin. However, if you want to notify it all the same, feel free to contact us.

Q. What's the correct way to post the title of a non-English film?

A. First input the international title as reported on imdb, then the original title in brackets. If the film has an alternate title, you can add it to the official title.

Example of the correct way to post a film title:

The Passionate Life of Edith Piaf AKA La Vie en Rose (Môme, La)

EXPLANATION:

The Passionate Life of Edith Piaf (= International Title)

AKA (=Also Known As)

La Vie en Rose (= Alternate Title)

(Môme, La) (= Original French Title)

imdb reference for this title: http://imdb.com/title/tt0450188/

UPLOADS

Q. What filetypes are allowed?

A. Filetypes .zip, .rar, .srt, .sub, .txt, .ssa and .smi are allowed. Maximum file size is 512 KB. Archived files can be larger as long as the size of every single file within the archive is smaller than 256Kbs.

Q. Can I upload .exe, .mp3 and/or video files?

A. Absolutely NO.

Q. Can I attach a .torrent file to my subtitles?

A. That's strictly forbidden. You can search for torrents elsewhere, and remember NEVER to use this site to distribute them, unless you want to be warned by an Admin and eventually banned. Thanks.

Q. Can I advertise myself as a translator?

A. Yes you can. Either add such info IN ENGLISH to your uploaded subtitles or to your comments, or even post it here.

Q. I have uploaded a wrong subtitle or I have provided the wrong information for it. Can you edit/delete it for me?

A. You can do it yourself! The 'My subtitles' link which is on top right of the page allows you to edit and delete your own uploaded subtitles.

Q. I have made an improved version of a subtitle which is in your database. Can you delete the previous versions of it?

A. If the previous subtitles are yours and you wish to delete them, you can do it yourself. If the previous subtitles aren't yours, on the other hand, it's not our policy to delete them unless they get many bad ratings or unless you provide a very good reason for that (for example they're incomplete or badly translated).

Please, use this Forum Thread

Q. Help! My subtitles have disappeared from the site!

A. Most likely they had many bad ratings and therefore they were deleted by an Admin, or they were for the wrong film and so they were moved, or, in the end, there was already an identical file on the site. We usually delete redundant files, therefore make sure no one has already uploaded a subtitle which is identical to yours.

Subtitles which are identical in text but which differ in timing are considered as different, provided that you give credit to original translator, otherwise they'll be deleted.

Please notice that AUTOMATICALLY TRANSLATED SUBTITLES will be deleted in any case, even if they weren't rated "bad" by other users. There's absolutely no point in nonsensical subtitles.

Please also notice note that LINKS TO SITES SUCH AS RAPIDSHARE AND SIMILAR, ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED.

Q. Someone keeps stealing my subs replacing my credits with their own. What can I do?

A. Remember never to use the forums to settle private questions (for flaming or for offending other users for example), since that's not how we deal with issues here. At least you can use public forums to ask for advice about what to do, but the best way is to PM an Admin providing all the necessary info and links to the subtitles whose credits were stolen, so they can be deleted.

Action may also be taken against 'stealers', but only at Admins' discretion. A useful thing you can always do, on the other hand, is to add a comment IN ENGLISH where you state you're the translator of the subtitles you've uploaded.

Q. What kinds of comments are NOT allowed?

A. Offensive comments are not allowed. If you add such comments to your uploads they will be erased immediately, and action against you will be taken.

Remember that what isn't offencsive for you may be for others. If you have any doubts about what you can say contact one of the Admins to avoid that your comments are deleted without notice.

DOWNLOADS

Q. I cannot find the movies to download.

A. There are no movies on this site, only subtitles. Please don't ask for movies in the forums. Thanks.

Q. I have downloaded a subtitle but it's fake/faulty, what can I do?

A. You can rate it as 'bad' and also post its link here for an Admin to delete, explaining what's wrong with it.

Q. I'm looking for a subtitle that's not on your site. Can I request for it?

A. If the subtitle you're looking for is brand new, most likely it's still not available. However, you can request it here according to the language. Please make sure to read the thread rules before posting any request.

Q. I want to download all the subtitles available for a single language, how do I do that?

A. You can go click "ALL SUBTITLES" and sort them by language, or also use our "Language Filter"

Q. I downloaded a forbidden file from your site. What should I do?

A. First of all don't open it unless you have an updated Antivirus and/or a Spyware checker installed. Then, contact an Admin providing links and information as soon as possible.

HOW TO USE SUBTITLES

Q. How do I open the files I download?

A. For the subtitles which are in .rar or .zip format, you need to install the latest version of WinZip or WinRAR and unpack the file. That's not necessary for other filetypes (.srt, .sub, .txt, .ssa and .smi).

Q. I unpacked the subtitle, but how do I watch it alongside my movie?

A. First of all you should make sure the subtitle and the video have the same name. Example: Video.srt and Video.avi Then you should place both in the same folder.

If you use Window Media Player you should also install DirectVobsub, while other players such as BSplayer or VLC, for example, don't need it.

Please check/use the Subtitles Forum as well as the Software section on DivxStation for further help.

Q. When I open a subtitle with SubtitleWorkshop I get an error. Is that subtitle bad?

A. Not necessarily, because some filetypes aren't supported by SubtitleWorkshop, such as, for example, Vobsub files. That, on the other hand, doesn't mean such files are bad since you may still be able to view them.

Q. My standalone player does not support subtitles. What can I do?

A. You can add a subtitle to an .avi file permanently; please read this article to find out how to do it. You can also turn .avi files into DVDs and therefore add multiple and selectable subtitles to them.

Both methods require encoding skills; if you need further help, please search the Subtitles Forum on DivxStation or also visit Doom9 and VideoHelp.

As a last resort, if you have a question which was never asked before you can make a post in our forums.

Q. Why are some subtitles for the "Hearing Impaired"? What does that mean?

A. The Hearing Impaired are those people who can't hear well or at all. The subtitles made specifically for them include information about who's speaking when their lips cannot be seen, background noise, dialogues spoken by narrators and song lyrics.

Q. What does IDX mean, and why do some users upload IDX+SUB files to other sites?

A. Many users rate IDX+SUB files as bad, maybe because they don't know how to use them. Such files, however, aren't bad at all! They're just non-text files, since they are made of single images that overlay the video-picture, and therefore they cannot be edited as they are, and maybe that's why many translators prefer to make their own subtitles as IDX+SUB.

In order to be edited, the subtitles included in an IDX+SUB file should be ripped and saved as a text file such as .srt, .txt, .sub etc, with applications like 'SubResynch' or 'Subrip'. Such programs, however, don't support all the existing fonts (for example, only some modified versions of Subrip support the Arabic fonts).

An advantage of these files is they can include more than a single language, among which you can choose. IDX are index files which tell what languages are included in the correspondent SUB file.

A SUB file can work without the IDX, even if its languages won't be recognised, but an IDX only is useless, since the subs are actually included in the SUB file. Therefore if you find an IDX only file, please contact an Admin for it to be deleted.

On the other hand, IDX+SUB files are often too big to be uploaded to our site, and therefore some users place them on file hosting sites and only upload a txt with a link to them here. THAT'S NO LONGER ALLOWED.

Q. What's the difference between the other subtitle filetypes?

A. Non IDX+SUB files are text files (that's why they can be easily edited); everything else you need to know about them is explained in this article.

RATINGS

Q. Can I rate my own subs?

A. Yes, if you think your subtitles are good, but ONLY ONCE

Q. Can I rate the same subtitles many times?

A. Technically it's possible, however such behaviour will be considered as spam and action will be taken against it.

Q. Someone keeps rating my subtitles as 'bad', while I'm 100% certain they're good.

A. Please contact one of the Admins providing the necessary info and links.

TECH STUFF

Q. What's 'fps'?

A. A video is made of single frames which are displayed in a sequence. 'fps' means 'Frames Per Second' and it's referred to the number of frames which are displayed in a second.

Different Broadcast Television Systems are used worldwide, but the most common are NTSC (23.976 or 29.976 fps) and PAL (25 or 30 fps). You can find further information here.

Q. I have downloaded a subtitle which is out of synch (too fast, too slow, appears in wrong places, etc.). Can I fix that?

A. Yes. Subtitles can always be resynched, there are many free tools for that purpose and that's why out of synch subtitles shouldn't be rated as 'bad'.

To resynch subtitles, if your OS is Windows, we suggest "Timeadjuster" or "SubtitleWorkshop" for advanced users (Please, visit our Software section to learn more about such programs and eventually download them), "Miyu" for Mac users and "SubtitleEditor" for Linux users. You can find all this freeware through Google as well.

As regards SubtitleWorkshop, also feel free to read this very well done guide.

Q. How can I make/translate subtitles?

A. There are many useful tools you can use. Please visit our Software and Articles sections on DivxStation, and have a look at the Subtitles Forum there, since many users have posted topics related to that.

If you're a Windows user our advice is for SubtitleWorkshop, since it's the most complete tool available.