Convert SRT to MicroDVD SUB
Turn SRT subtitles into MicroDVD .sub files for older DivX players and set-top boxes. Choose the framerate, keep the timing, nothing leaves your device.
MicroDVD is the format that older hardware understands: DivX-era set-top players, cheap USB media players and a surprising number of TVs read .sub happily while ignoring the .srt sitting next to it. Converting means turning each timestamp into a frame number, which is only correct for one framerate — so this tool asks for it and writes it into the file, giving the next player a fighting chance of getting it right.
Worth knowing
- The output starts with {1}{1}23.976 (or whichever rate you chose). That header line is what stops the next player from guessing, and guessing wrong is what causes gradual drift.
- Times are rounded to whole frames, so a cue starting at 1.020s on a 25fps target lands on frame 26 — 1.040s. Nothing visible moves, but the numbers are not reversible to the millisecond.
- MicroDVD has no cue numbers and no blank-line separators: one line of the file is one subtitle, with the pipe character standing in for a line break.
- Italic tags survive as the {y:i} control code. Bold, colour and positioning have no reliable MicroDVD equivalent across players, so they are dropped rather than written in a dialect only one player reads.
FAQ
Which framerate should I choose when converting to .sub?
The framerate of the video you will play it against, not the one the subtitles were made for. If the SRT is already in sync with that video, converting at its rate keeps it in sync. Most film-sourced files are 23.976 and most PAL broadcast material is 25.
Why would I use MicroDVD in 2026 at all?
Compatibility with hardware that predates SRT support, mostly. If your player shows subtitles for some files and not others, or shows them only when the file is named exactly like the video, a MicroDVD .sub is worth trying before giving up on the player.