OpenSubtitles forum

I have the German Blu of The Pianist, which has no English subs. Easy enough to solve, though, just download subs from here!

Except I can't find a single file that syncs. They all drift, some by a second or so, others by several seconds or even minutes. Correcting for frame rate doesn't help.

Is the German Blu just a dramatically different cut of the film somehow, or are these files genuinely all this bad?

I have the German Blu of The Pianist, which has no English subs. Easy enough to solve, though, just download subs from here!

Except I can't find a single file that syncs. They all drift, some by a second or so, others by several seconds or even minutes. Correcting for frame rate doesn't help.

Is the German Blu just a dramatically different cut of the film somehow, or are these files genuinely all this bad?

You have to correct the sync, for that you can use programs like Subtitle workshop or subtitle edit.
As you say you have already tried some subtitles, if it is to synchronize, use the subtitle that drift by a second or so.
I think it will be the easiest to get right.

An example with the subtitle workshop, which is what I use :


Your subtitle is, for example, 2 seconds before the speech, you have to delay them. You do this by going to Edit -> Timings -> and pressing Set delay (Ctrl + D).
As the subtitle is delayed 2 seconds, you put + 00: 00: 02,000. If the subtitle is ahead, use the - instead of the +

I know how to adjust sync. They're all off by about 15 seconds at the start, which I assume is just different startup logos or whatever.

But they all drift. And if I use point sync to get the first subtitle correct and the last subtitle correct, it still drifts over the course of the film. So it's obviously not a constant drift.

I know how to adjust sync. They're all off by about 15 seconds at the start, which I assume is just different startup logos or whatever.

But they all drift. And if I use point sync to get the first subtitle correct and the last subtitle correct, it still drifts over the course of the film. So it's obviously not a constant drift.

But that of sync the first and the last line, does not always result. You will have to sync the parts that are not synchronized.
You must have one of those releases whose every change of scene/black screen, changes the timings.
You have to correct the sync over the course of the film.

The Pianist 2002 version, right?
It's got over two pages of subtitles for that movie, one would assume at least one of those subs would fit.

Try dragging your video file from your folder to the left of the search bar on the site (the folder looking icon with a cursor on it) and drop the video file on there. See if that finds a sync to your release automatically.
If there are any results by doing the above, then check them out.
Fingers crossed.

If that doesn't work, I can only assume you will have to use the "point sync" feature in more places than one. If more than 3 or 4 points are required, that sub may be more trouble than it's worth.