Find the SRT error before your player does.

Start with the structure

An SRT file is a sequence of blocks separated by an empty line. A block normally has a number, a start and end timestamp, and one or more lines of text. A misplaced empty line can split one subtitle into two blocks. A missing separator can attach the next timestamp to the previous caption. Both are easy to miss in a long transcript.

Open your file in the workbench. Errors prevent export, because quietly skipping an unreadable block would lose text. Use Edit source to correct a malformed block, then replace from source and review again. Keep the original file until the result has been checked in your player.

1
00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:04,800
The doors open at nine.

2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,000
Please bring your ticket.

Read errors and warnings differently

An end time at or before the start cannot produce a normal positive-duration cue. An empty caption has no visible text to deliver. These are export-blocking errors in Arbray. A reading-speed warning is different: it marks a cue for editorial review and does not stop the download.

Overlaps are also review findings. Two speakers or a sign and dialogue can intentionally be shown together. Do not shorten every overlap merely to get a clean report. Compare it with the scene first. The tool does not inspect your video or recognize speech.

When the text looks corrupted

Arbray accepts UTF-8 text, including a UTF-8 byte-order mark. It normalizes Windows and Unix line endings. If decoding fails, open the original in a text editor that can identify its encoding and save a UTF-8 copy. Guessing a legacy encoding can replace letters without an obvious error, so this tool does not do it automatically.

If an importer still rejects a file with no structural errors, check its supported formats and formatting features. A passing local review is not certification for every video platform. Test a short section in the actual player, especially captions with italics, multiple lines or non-Latin text.

A repeatable delivery check

Keep a source copy. Review export-blocking errors first. Then inspect warnings in context. Export the intended format, reopen that exported file and check the first, middle and last captions against your video. The JSON review report records findings and thresholds; it is not an accessibility certificate.