MPSub File Format (.mpsub)
An MPSub file is MPlayer's native subtitle script, opening with a FORMAT line that declares whether the lines that follow are timed in seconds or in frames, with each subtitle giving its gap since the previous line and its own duration rather than an absolute start and end time.
MPSub at a glance#
| Full name | MPlayer subtitle |
|---|---|
| File extension | .mpsub |
| Category | Subtitles |
| Developer | MPlayer project |
| Compression | Uncompressed |
| FileFlip support | FileFlip reads this format but does not write it |
What a .mpsub file can hold#
These are the things a MPSub file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.
| Selectable text | Yes |
|---|---|
| Human readable | Yes |
Strengths and limitations of MPSub#
What MPSub does well
- Offset-based timing keeps the file compact, since each line only needs a gap and a duration rather than two absolute timestamps
- Can declare either time-based or frame-based timing in the same FORMAT line syntax
Where MPSub falls short
- Tied to MPlayer's own ecosystem and rarely produced by anything else
- Offset-based timing means a single wrong duration shifts every subtitle that follows it
- When authored in frame-based mode, it inherits the same frame-rate dependency as other frame-based formats
Recognize MPSub if it turns up as MPlayer's own subtitle export; there's little reason to author new subtitles in it outside that ecosystem.
Convert MPSub to SRT to get absolute, frame-rate-independent timecodes that any player can read.
How to open a .mpsub file#
A .mpsub file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts MPSub into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.
| Platform | Programs that open it |
|---|---|
| Windows | MPlayer, Subtitle Edit |
| macOS | MPlayer |
| Linux | MPlayer, mpv |
| Web | FileFlip |
MPSub questions people ask#
What is an MPSub file?
An MPSub file is MPlayer's own subtitle format, where each line is timed by its offset from the previous line's end and its own duration, rather than by an absolute start and end timecode. A FORMAT line at the top of the file declares whether those offsets are measured in seconds or in frames.
Does MPSub timing break if the video's frame rate changes?
It depends on how the file was authored. An MPSub file with FORMAT=TIME is timed in seconds and stays in sync at any frame rate, but one authored in frame mode times its offsets in frame counts and drifts out of sync the same way MicroDVD does when the frame rate changes.
Can I convert an MPSub file to another format?
An MPSub file can be read and converted into a format like SRT that uses absolute, frame-rate-independent timecodes. Producing MPSub as an output is uncommon, since it's a format MPlayer exports rather than one other tools generate.
Converting MPSub files#
Convert MPSub to another format
FileFlip does not write .mpsub files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.
Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.