hardsubbed

Hard-subbed (hardsubbed) refers to subtitles that are permanently embedded into the video image. The text becomes part of the picture itself, so the subtitles cannot be turned off or removed by the viewer. Hardsubs are applied during the encoding process and are present in every playback instance.

Hard subtitles differ from soft subtitles, which are stored as separate subtitle streams or files and can be toggled on or off by the player. Soft subtitles can be extracted, translated, or edited without altering the video track. Some players also support closed captions as separate tracks.

They are often used for compatibility on devices or platforms that do not support external subtitle files, or when a single file must be distributed without additional subtitle assets. They are common in broadcast workflows, theatrical releases, and fan-subbed release pipelines, where a guaranteed display is desired.

Advantages include universal display across devices, guaranteed readability in varied environments, and independence from subtitle file availability. They ensure accessibility for audiences without appropriate subtitle support.

Disadvantages include the impossibility of turning off or editing the subtitles, fixed font and styling, and the need for re-encoding to change translations. For flexibility, soft subtitles or open captions are preferred when selectable or editable subtitling is desired. The term burned-in is often used synonymously with hard-subbed.