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Subtitle utility

Subtitle Encoding Fixer

Fix garbled subtitles online by converting SRT, VTT, ASS, SSA, and SMI files to clean UTF-8 text.

Free No signup Browser-local

Subtitle input

No signup. No server upload. Browser-only processing.

Drop a subtitle file here or choose one manually

Supports SRT, VTT, and ASS where relevant to the tool.

Selected file: sample.srt

If the output still looks garbled, try a different source encoding and upload the file again.

UTF-8 subtitle output

Runs locally in your browser

Selected file: sample.srt

Workflow notes

How to use this Encoding fixer tool

Encoding problems usually show up as mojibake, broken accents, or unreadable non-English text. Choose the likely source encoding, then export a UTF-8 file for modern editors and video platforms.

  1. Add a supported subtitle file. Upload or paste a supported subtitle file (.srt, .vtt, .ass, .ssa, .smi, .txt), or load the sample input to see the expected structure.
  2. Run the Encoding fixer tool. Use the browser-based converter or repair action to process the subtitle file locally on your device.
  3. Review and download the output. Check the first few cues, the middle of the file, and the final cue before copying or downloading the result.

Input and output checklist

  • Use a complete subtitle file with valid cue timing when possible.
  • Keep a copy of the original file before replacing it in your workflow.
  • Review the first few cues, the middle of the file, and the final cue after export.
  • Test the downloaded output in the destination player, editor, or upload form.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Choosing UTF-8 as the source when the file was saved as Windows-1252 or another legacy encoding.
  • Re-saving garbled text instead of reopening from the original file.
  • Confusing encoding problems with missing fonts in a player.

All processing runs in your browser, so the subtitle or video file does not need to be uploaded to a server. That is useful for client review files, unreleased videos, internal training material, and other caption workflows where the text should stay on your device.

When to use this tool

Use this free subtitle encoding fixer when an SRT, VTT, ASS, SSA, or SMI file opens with broken characters because it was saved with the wrong text encoding.

  • Fix garbled SRT subtitles before sharing or uploading them.
  • Fix garbled subtitles before uploading them to a video platform.
  • Convert legacy subtitle files into UTF-8 for modern editors.
  • Repair broken accents and non-English characters when the source encoding is known.

FAQ

Is this subtitle encoding fixer free? +

Yes. You can fix garbled subtitle text and export UTF-8 output for free in your browser.

Does this upload my subtitle file? +

No. The file is decoded and exported locally in your browser.

Which source encodings can I try? +

The tool supports common encodings such as UTF-8, Windows-1252, ISO-8859-1, GB18030, Big5, Shift JIS, EUC-KR, and Windows-1250.

Will the subtitle timing change? +

No. The tool only changes how text is decoded and saved. Subtitle timing and cue order stay the same.

What should I try if the output is still garbled? +

Try another source encoding such as Windows-1252, ISO-8859-1, GB18030, Big5, Shift JIS, or EUC-KR, then export again.