Is there any benefit to keeping ASS subtitles?

[crusher11 1101]

It seems like anything that can direct play ASS can also direct play PGS, so you'd be better off just not bothering. Am I missing something? I add SRTs where possible, but those obviously lose layout settings and when the speaker for SDH subtitles is indicated by the position of the subs rather than by text, SRT becomes incomprehensible. ASS would retain the layout, but doesn't seem to give me any advantage over the PGS track that's already on the disc?

[pwhodges 2012]

It's up to you.  Rips of Bluray disks will have PGS (and Vobsubs from DVD); fan-mads subs for anime in particular will often be ASS.  When fans add ASS subs alongside or instead of PGS subs, it's generally to improve the styling, especially for signs and other on-screen elements which are often treated fairly crudely in original PGS subs - but also in particular to add karaoke effects for the words of songs.

Here, for example, is an ASS fan subtitling of handwritten words in a diary - try finding any PGS subs which match the original so well!

But for words alone, in an SDH context, PGS is, of course, just fine.

Paul

[crusher11 1101]

All my media is sourced from Blu-ray discs, so I'm really just asking about creating ASS subs from the PGS subs that already exist. Doesn't seem to give me any advantage over just keeping the PGS as it will still need to transcode on most devices.

[pwhodges 2012]

No reason to do that conversion at all, in general.

Paul