Finding subtitles for ripped or downloaded videos isn't terribly complicated. About of the fourth dimension it involves a quick search at sites similar OpenSubtitles or Subscene for a particular TV show or picture show, and filtering through language options. It'due south non a lot of work but it isn't the most efficient either when dealing with a large video library.

Subtitles by Rainy Cape can shave a few seconds off the whole process by making it as simple equally dragging and dropping a video file. It'southward not the only programme of its kind but earns a few points in my book for being cantankerous-platform and for its no frills UI. Basically, yous simply need to drag a video onto information technology, and Subtitles volition query the OpenSubtitles database for a match to download onto the same directory as the video file.

Since we're already optimizing why not take information technology to the side by side level and make subtitle fetching 100% easily off? With the assistance of a couple handy tools -- AHK in Windows and Automator or Hazel in Os X -- we certainly tin.

Windows

Many of you are probably already familiar with AutoHotKey. This small and free utility lets you automate tasks and streamline your workflow. The programme is driven past a custom scripting language that's like shooting fish in a barrel to sympathize -- even for someone with piddling or no coding experience. But don't allow this perceived simplicity fool y'all. AHK can handle some circuitous stuff too and a vibrant customs behind it has made certain to unleash its potential.

A few days ago I set out to create a script that would monitor a folder inside Windows so whenever a flick file was dropped into it, AHK would automatically open said file with the Subtitles app. That's zero interaction on your side, and most of the time subtitles will already be there whenever you're ready to start playing a video.

Luckily a lot of the underlying functionality was already taken care of -- yous'll need to salvage the WatchDirectory, Struct and sizeof scripts onto the Lib folder nether your AHK installation. Once that's ready this will go the chore washed:

          #persistent WatchDirectory("C:\Users\YourUser\YourWatchedFolder*|.mkv|.avi|.mp4","OpenFileWith") render  #g:: WatchDirectory("") ExitApp Return  OpenFileWith(from, to){  static obj:=[]  if (from=""||(from&&to&&from!=to)){  obj.Insert(to)  SetTimer,launch,-1000  }  return  launch:  If f:=FileOpen(obj[obj.MaxIndex()],"w"){  f:=""  Run % """C:\Programme Files (x86)\Subtitles\Contents\Windows\Subtitles.exe"" """ obj.Remove() """"  }  if obj.MaxIndex()  SetTimer,launch,-yard  return }

Download: FetchSubtitles.ahk (Kudos to HotKeyIt for helping out with the script)

For the purpose of settings things up all y'all'll demand to sympathise and configure is that 2nd line. The offset one-half is the directory to watch so be sure to configure your own and include a * at the finish to spotter subfolders.

Right after that you can specify file extensions separated by pipe '|' and a back slash at the terminate to marking the end of a file name. In this case, "|.mkv|.avi|.mp4". Leave the residuum untouched (except maybe the Subtitles.exe directory if you installed the application someplace else). Relieve the script as a .ahk file and run it.

Now anytime you lot finish downloading a video into your watched binder, Subtitles will fetch the appropriate .srt file for it and download it into the same directory. In that location's still room for comeback -- i.eastward. making Subtitles app launch in the groundwork and quit when it's idle / done downloading subtitles -- but as a first approach, information technology works.

OS X Method 1: Automator

Things are a little easier on OS Ten and you don't need to install third-party software. Instead, you can create a folder activity with Automator and assign it to whichever directory you'll be monitoring for movies.

Create a new Automator document, for type choose Folder Activeness, and assign a folder to it from the pull down over at the summit of the right side panel. Then, drag the following actions into your workflow, in the same guild:

  1. Get Folder Contents. Tick the box that says 'Repeat for each subfolder found'.
  2. Wait for files to copy. This action isn't included past default in Automator, unfortunately, but you can download it for complimentary here. As the name suggests, what this'll do is go along the residual of the workflow from running until all files have been copied -- useful when transferring large files between disks or over the network. Enter all file types yous want to look out for in the 'Name Extensions' field (i.e. mkv, avi, mp4).
  3. Open up Finder Items. Select 'Open with Subtitles' from the pull down.

That alone will do the trick but you tin can have it a step further adding a fourth action, Run AppleScript, to make sure Subtitles runs in the background and quits after a set amount of fourth dimension. The code to practice that is as follows:

          tell awarding "Finder"  set visible of process "Subtitles" to false cease tell  delay 30 -- (set this to any yous like, in seconds)  tell application "Subtitles"  quit end tell

Os X Method 2: Hazel

Hazel is a super useful organization preference pane that lets you monitor specific folders and trigger deportment whenever files are added to it or modified. Its main duty is to keep your Mac make clean past moving files around or tagging them according to your organization strategy -- i.e. archiving old files, flagging unused applications for removal based on final open up date, automatically moving downloads to a folder based on file type, and then on.

It costs $28 but there's people that swear by it. A free xiv-day trial might help you make up one's mind if information technology's for you. If y'all're already a Hazel user here are two uncomplicated rules you can assign to a folder for automated subtitle downloads.

  1. Check subfolders. Makes sure information technology looks for files inside sub directories, not only the root.
  2. Fetch Subtitles. Watch for movie files to open with Subtitles.