Which file format is commonly used for external subtitles?

Which file format is commonly used for external subtitles?

• A. WAV
• B. SRT
• C. MP3
• D. TXT

Answer: (B)

Subtitles need timing information so text appears precisely with the video. SRT, short for SubRip Subtitles, uses a simple plain‑text format that includes an index, a start and end time, and the subtitle text for each line. This structure is easy to create and edit, and it’s supported by nearly every video player and editor, making external subtitle files widely compatible. Because it explicitly encodes when each line should appear, SRT files can be added separately from the video track and synced reliably, which is why they’re the common choice for external subtitles. WAV and MP3 are audio formats and don’t carry text or timing for on-screen display, so they aren’t used for subtitles. TXT is just plain text without timing data, so it wouldn’t tell a player when to show the text.

Subtitles need timing information so text appears precisely with the video. SRT, short for SubRip Subtitles, uses a simple plain‑text format that includes an index, a start and end time, and the subtitle text for each line. This structure is easy to create and edit, and it’s supported by nearly every video player and editor, making external subtitle files widely compatible. Because it explicitly encodes when each line should appear, SRT files can be added separately from the video track and synced reliably, which is why they’re the common choice for external subtitles.

WAV and MP3 are audio formats and don’t carry text or timing for on-screen display, so they aren’t used for subtitles. TXT is just plain text without timing data, so it wouldn’t tell a player when to show the text.