SAMI Subtitle
Subtitles & CaptionsSMI commonly names SAMI captions, though other uses exist. SAMI is HTML-like text with millisecond synchronization and language classes. Static browser rendering differs from timed captions. Select the intended language and check cue endings during conversion.
- What it is used for
- Selectable-language captions, with other uses possible
- What the file contains
- Producer-dependent
All sections, questions and sources
Content reviewed： · Editor：Kai
Opening steps
Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.
Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.
Troubleshooting by symptom
- Wrong language: inspect/select SAMI language classes.
- Large timing error: SYNC values use milliseconds.
- Browser shows plain text: timed display needs a compatible player.
- Mixed languages: inspect selected language class and conversion target.
- Previous cue persists: inspect SYNC boundaries and ending handling.
- HTML rename is insufficient: page rendering differs from subtitle loading.
Selected SAMI language → SRT / VTT
- Choose the intended language in a SAMI-capable subtitle app.
- Export separately and verify starts/ends, blanks and line breaks against the video.
- Verify the intended language and both start/end timings.
One SRT may not retain all languages/styles; these steps do not apply to other SMI formats.
Inspect language classes and timing
Plain text extraction can mix languages or lose timings; inspect class/SYNC relationships.
Source for these steps：Microsoft · Understanding SAMI 1.0 / Subtitle Edit · Subtitle Edit project / VideoLAN · Subtitles — VLC desktop user documentation
Validate migration from the legacy format
Destination formats may treat styles/cue display differently; retain SMI for comparison.
Validate language, breaks, cue starts and endings against the matched edition.
Source for these steps：Microsoft · Understanding SAMI 1.0 / Subtitle Edit · Subtitle Edit project / VideoLAN · Subtitles — VLC desktop user documentation
Related-format differences
| Format | Main role | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| SMI / SAMI | Timed markup captions | Language classes/milliseconds |
| SRT | Basic captions | Convert start/end timing |
| VTT | Web timed text | Different structure |
Handling and security
Inspect unknown HTML-like files in an editor first and review external links/requests.
Questions and answers
Always subtitles?
No; establish provenance and content.
Can it contain multiple languages?
Yes; inspect the classes.
Does SYNC 1000 mean 1000 seconds?
Normally one second, since it uses milliseconds.
Is SMI ordinary HTML?
SAMI combines HTML-like markup with timing and needs subtitle-aware processing.
Can I make SRT by stripping SAMI tags?
Convert language selection and timing as well as text and validate supported export.
Format facts: name, steward and MIME type
- Formal name
- Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange (SAMI)
- Steward / specification
- Microsoft
- MIME type
- Depends on the producer or server; an extension alone does not establish a MIME type.
Primary and official sources
- Official documentationUnderstanding SAMI 1.0
Defines SMI captions, language classes and millisecond synchronization.
Microsoft · Link checked： - Project documentationSubtitle Edit project
Official project for subtitle conversion and image-subtitle OCR.
Subtitle Edit · Link checked： - Official documentationSubtitles — VLC desktop user documentation
Load subtitles and select a subtitle track.
VideoLAN · Link checked：