4 file types use the .sub file extension.

What is a SUB file?

A SUB file is a MicroDVD subtitle file, which is meant to be used to play subtitles over an accompanying video file. It includes subtitle text and cue points for when each subtitle should be displayed. SUB files can be used as subtitle files in a variety of media players.

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How to open a SUB file

Category: Video Files

CloneCD Subchannel File

A SUB file may also be a disk image file saved in the CloneCD Subchannel format. It contains multiplexed audio data extracted from a disc. To create a usable disk image, SUB files must be combined with an .IMG and .CCD file. Related CloneCD IMG, CCD, and SUB files typically have the same filenames.

SlySoft CloneCD was a CD and DVD burning application that could be used to make exact copies of music, video, and data discs, regardless of Digital Rights Management ( DRM ) restrictions. When CloneCD created a disk image from a disc, it saved the disk image data across a number of files. The disk image's main data was saved in an IMG file, its control data was saved in a CCD file, and its subchannel data was saved in a SUB file.

When creating a new disc using CloneCD, users needed to supply the IMG, CCD, and SUB files CloneCD created from the original disc. While CloneCD is now discontinued, other disc-burning applications can still be used to combine CloneCD IMG, CCD, and SUB files into usable discs.

You can use a SUB file and its corresponding IMG and CCD files to create discs in several Windows programs, including:

Linux users can use the program ccd2iso to transform a CloneCD disc image into an .ISO file.

Programs that open SUB files

Updated: February 22, 2021

SubTerra Level File

Game level for SubTerra, a 2D puzzle game that requires players to use thoughtful planning to collect gems and complete each level; contains level layout information as well as objects and events included in the the level.

Programs that open or reference SUB files

Updated: March 11, 2008

VobSub Subtitles File

A SUB file may also be a subtitles file created and used by VobSub, a program that allows users to extract subtitles from DVDs. It contains a series of images that are meant to serve as a movie's subtitles. SUB files are always paired with accompanying .IDX files.

VobSub is a free program that allows users to extract and play the subtitles stored on DVDs. When VobSub extracts subtitles from a DVD, it creates two subtitles files: a SUB file and an IDX file. The SUB file contains images that are shown as subtitle text. The IDX file contains metadata that tells a media player what color the subtitle text should appear in, where the subtitles should appear on-screen, and when and in what order to show the images the SUB file contains.

Using VobSub's DirectVobSub component or a media player that supports the SUB / IDX subtitle format, users can play back DVD-format subtitles alongside the movie they were meant to be used with. This can be useful if, for example, you acquire an .MP4 copy of a movie and want to watch the movie with subtitles. If you can locate a SUB and IDX file for the movie, you can load and play them as subtitles. SUB and IDX files can also be used to embed subtitles in .MKV files.

You can use DirectVobSub (Windows) or VideoLAN VLC media player (cross-platform) to play the subtitles a SUB file contains alongside a movie. Remember, you must possess the SUB file's accompanying IDX file to play the subtitles it contains.

To use a SUB file as a subtitles file in VLC media player:

The .SRT subtitle format is more common than the SUB format. Therefore, you might want to convert your SUB subtitles to the SRT format so you can use them more easily. SubtitleTools.com has a SUB / IDX to SRT converter, called Convert Sub/Idx to Srt, that you can use to convert SUB-based subtitles to the SRT format. Note that you must possess the SUB file's accompanying IDX file to convert its subtitles to the SRT format.

Programs that open SUB files

Updated: April 27, 2022