How to change the font size of subtitles?

Have you tried changing subtitles font through edit-->preferences-->general?

Thanks Wrwrwr, that solved my question.

Sorry. I celebrated prematurely. Changing the subtitles' font in the edit-->preferences-->general dialog doesn't have any effect!

Ah yes, so you probably use xine as your backend (kubuntu's default). This would be a known bug then: http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=314123.

There was a patch a couple of months ago, so i would say it should work in gutsy. If you can provide details about your setup and maybe also some example subtitles i'll check.

I've seen some old (dapper) hacks to make it work, can't really get how to do that with a current release. Here is something if you wish to try yourself: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/totem/+bug/37587

As a workaround i can only suggest using totem-gstreamer, mplayer or some other player.

I removed libxine1. It took down totem with it. Then i installed totem-gstreamer. Now i don't see any subtitles.

I use Ubuntu 7.04 (Feisty Fawn). Below is the content of the subtitle file i'm trying to use (.srt format). The associated video is a YouTube video i downloaded to my hard-disk: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXsaDM7X0Aw . I have it in both .flv and .mpg formats (the .mpg was derived from the original .flv). The subtitles work with neither.

<code>
1
00:00:00,864 --> 00:00:03,261
Boy, i've been getting a lot of shit

2
00:00:03,257 --> 00:00:04,206
for my age:

3
00:00:04,202 --> 00:00:08,189
"Ah... You're just a kid. You don't know what you're talking about.

4
00:00:08,209 --> 00:00:11,366
When you're older, you will understand."

5
00:00:11,366 --> 00:00:14,677
When i'm older i will understand...

6
00:00:14,677 --> 00:00:18,044
Well, i can say this: I am lucky,

7
00:00:18,051 --> 00:00:21,158
'cause i have been raised in a relatively free-thinking environment.

8
00:00:21,138 --> 00:00:22,351
If i had been raised

9
00:00:22,335 --> 00:00:24,860
in a more ignorant and close-minded environment,

10
00:00:24,854 --> 00:00:28,101
i might never have become as intelligent and free-thinking

11
00:00:28,111 --> 00:00:30,447
as i am now, no matter how old i got.

12
00:00:30,427 --> 00:00:32,609
And no matter how old i will get now,

13
00:00:32,616 --> 00:00:35,094
i might never become as intelligent and free-thinking,

14
00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:36,929
as i would have been at age 18,

15
00:00:36,931 --> 00:00:39,276
if i'd grown-up in an even more free-thinking,

16
00:00:39,266 --> 00:00:41,026
and science-oriented environment.

17
00:00:41,007 --> 00:00:44,034
Most people don't ask questions. They just go with the world-views

18
00:00:44,034 --> 00:00:45,844
that are handed to them through their upbringing.

19
00:00:45,841 --> 00:00:48,526
People like these will almost never become more intelligent

20
00:00:48,537 --> 00:00:50,223
than the people who are asking questions,

21
00:00:50,219 --> 00:00:51,545
no matter the age difference.

22
00:00:51,541 --> 00:00:53,706
If you're a person, who questions thing,

23
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:56,177
who likes to... think about things,

24
00:00:56,163 --> 00:01:00,020
your intelligence will depend a lot on what environment you grow-up in,

25
00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:01,897
what influences you have around you,

26
00:01:01,894 --> 00:01:03,904
how much accurate information you have available,

27
00:01:03,901 --> 00:01:04,813
when making an opinion.

28
00:01:04,819 --> 00:01:07,215
A good example of this is my dead grandmother:

29
00:01:07,205 --> 00:01:09,185
she was a homophobic racist.

30
00:01:09,190 --> 00:01:10,587
A good example of the fact,

31
00:01:10,584 --> 00:01:11,910
that you can live a long life,

32
00:01:11,905 --> 00:01:15,681
where you look for, and find, answers in all the wrong places.

33
00:01:15,670 --> 00:01:18,064
See, that's another thing you got to be careful of:

34
00:01:18,045 --> 00:01:19,947
When your mind is done shaping itself,

35
00:01:19,944 --> 00:01:22,103
when you have made-up your opinions about things,

36
00:01:22,103 --> 00:01:25,300
the longer you keep those opinions, and theories and world-views,

37
00:01:25,289 --> 00:01:26,191
the more comfortable

38
00:01:26,181 --> 00:01:27,087
you will grow in them,

39
00:01:27,093 --> 00:01:28,993
the harder it will be to change them.

40
00:01:28,993 --> 00:01:31,226
Then again, you might just block out all arguments

41
00:01:31,223 --> 00:01:32,501
against what you stand for,

42
00:01:32,519 --> 00:01:33,667
no matter how good they are,

43
00:01:33,665 --> 00:01:36,515
because it's too tiresome to start questioning things again:

44
00:01:36,505 --> 00:01:39,986
to "enter the unknown", to start changing the thinking patterns,

45
00:01:39,983 --> 00:01:41,609
your brain has gotten so used to.

46
00:01:41,615 --> 00:01:42,853
It's a lot harder

47
00:01:42,840 --> 00:01:44,555
to convert an 80 year old Christian,

48
00:01:44,552 --> 00:01:47,070
than it is to convert a 20 year old Christian.

49
00:01:47,067 --> 00:01:49,141
Our science is advancing more and more,

50
00:01:49,138 --> 00:01:51,034
and we are getting less and less ignorant.

51
00:01:51,021 --> 00:01:52,697
So old people are more likely

52
00:01:52,695 --> 00:01:54,098
to have wrong opinions about things,

53
00:01:54,082 --> 00:01:56,151
because their minds and opinions were shaped

54
00:01:56,154 --> 00:01:59,155
in a more ignorant and close-minded time period than now.

55
00:01:59,149 --> 00:02:02,253
So no, i don't automatically respect someone, who's older than me.

56
00:02:02,266 --> 00:02:04,798
I respect people, who never stop asking questions,

57
00:02:04,796 --> 00:02:07,465
people, who never grow too comfortable in their beliefs,

58
00:02:07,455 --> 00:02:10,599
who can change their minds, no matter how uncomfortable it feels,

59
00:02:10,599 --> 00:02:13,242
if presented with better, more logical, more accurate

60
00:02:13,230 --> 00:02:15,081
theories and evidence than the old.

61
00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,033
Age or life experience will only have any value,

62
00:02:18,027 --> 00:02:19,584
when you have that ability.

63
00:02:19,577 --> 00:02:21,405
So when i'm older, i will know better?

64
00:02:21,393 --> 00:02:25,798
Yes, because i believe that i have that ability. At least i try my best.

65
00:02:25,811 --> 00:02:29,282
Let me ask you this: Do you believe that you have that ability?

66
00:02:29,289 --> 00:02:30,785
Of course you do.

67
00:02:30,792 --> 00:02:33,172
Everyone would like to believe that they have that ability,

68
00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:36,086
but only a minority of people really do.

69
00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:42,496
Everybody talks the talk, but only a few people walks the walk

70
00:02:43,263 --> 00:02:45,399
... Nigga ;-)
</code>

Of course that type of subtitles is an open task for totem-gstreamer...: http://gstreamer.freedesktop.org/tasks/gstreamer.html; doesn't work on gutsy too.

But the new version of totem-xine can scale those subtitles properly (at least for this flash video).
$ totem --version
GNOME totem 2.20.0

No new version in backports, so you'll have wait for Gutsy (18th October), or manually update just totem (might be a bit tricky).

OK, then. I'll wait for Gutsy. By the way, does the new version of totem-xine know how to render subtitles written in right-to-left languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew?

Not really, too much font/encoding problems. I got it to show hebrew once (with gstreamer) can't reproduce this however :)

Totem doesn't have the option of changing the subtitle font color.
Can this option be introduced?

Changing the font size of subtitles typically involves adjusting the settings within the software or application you are using to display the subtitles. The specific steps can vary depending on the software or platform you're using. Here's a general guide on how to change the font size of subtitles:

Media Player Settings: If you're watching a video with subtitles using a media player like VLC, you can usually adjust subtitle settings. Open the video, right-click to access the menu, and navigate to the subtitle settings. There, you should find options to change the font size.

Streaming Services: Streaming platforms like Netflix or YouTube often allow customization of subtitle appearance. Look for settings or options while playing the video, which may include font size adjustment.

Operating System Settings: Some devices allow you to set a default subtitle size at the system level. On Windows, for example, you can adjust subtitle settings through the Control Panel. On macOS, it's in System Preferences under Accessibility.

Subtitle Files: If you're using external subtitle files (e.g., .srt), you can manually edit the subtitle file using a text editor. Locate the font size settings within the file and adjust them as needed. Be cautious when editing subtitle files, as errors can affect subtitle synchronization.

Subtitle Editor Software: There are dedicated subtitle editing tools like Subtitle Edit or Aegisub that allow you to customize subtitles, including font size. https://www.empireworks.com

Remember to save your changes after adjusting the font size to ensure that they take effect. Keep in mind that not all media players or platforms offer subtitle customization options, so you may need to explore different software or platforms to find the level of control you desire over subtitle appearance.