Please add this feature. And also in subsequent export to SRT.
I do a lot of synchronization SRT subtitles under video (cutting, shift parts). Or dubbing films by SRT subtitles (rarely).
The problem is that almost none of the videoeditors can't import SRT on the timeline (and especially export to SRT). I found only one suitable program - Camtasia for Windows. But Camtasia is very slow.
Screens:

I dunno if you will ever get Kdenlive to do subtitles. I don't think that it is made for doing that.
Are you not better off just editing your video and then when you have the final cut add soft subtitles?
You can use a tool like http://home.gna.org/subtitleeditor/ to do this.
Why try and make Kdenlive do a job that it is not cut out to do when there other tools that already do it and do it well ?

ttguy
In the videoeditor is much easier and clearer. I see no reason why the videoeditor does not support subtitles. This is same stream as video and audio (using terminology MKV). I synchronize the ready subtitles (translation) from TVRip release to HQ WebDL (without commercials). Video editing is not necessary.

I tried SubtitleEdit for Windows. It is also has a video preview. It is difficult for me (seek delay). Maybe I just did not understand. Camtasia is ideal, but very slow.

I agree to ttguys point of view. Subtitle editing does not realy belong into the feature list of a video editor. There are specialised tools for anything - editing, effects (e.g. AfterEffects) and subtitling - adding all these features into one package will finally result in lower feature quality, as the level of specialization decreases. The devs cannot be specialists in all issues.

Your last statement post as if you want to use kdenlive - apart from cutting away commercials - as a subtitler ("video editing is not necessary") whilst kdenlive is a video editor.

One of the downsides using kdenlive only for subtitling would be, that you will have to render the result which goes along with a degration in quality. Why not cut out the commercials with ffmpeg without rendering and then use a subtitling tool?

DenisLp - are you saying that what you would like to happen is that when you cut up a .mkv file that the subtitle "stream" should also be chopped up and then reconstructed into the final rendered .mkv file ?
The video editor would keep track of where in the time code in the subtitle stream you cut the file so that when fragments were edited back into one file the subtitles would all be in their proper position ?
If this is what you are suggesting I guess this is not a completely crazy idea. I would imagine that it might take a fair bit to implement though.

DenisLp wrote:I tried SubtitleEdit for Windows. It is also has a video preview. It is difficult for me (seek delay).

But you are on linux right. So why not have a look at http://home.gna.org/subtitleeditor/ - this is subtitleeditor - different to SubtitleEdit

There is another examples of using subtitles in video editor:
1) Dubbing films by subtitles (Amateur actors dubbing experiencing an acute shortage of support SRT. They have to make hardsub.
2) Editing video, audio, subtitles (eg make cuts favorite movie or TV series with multiple audio tracks and subtitles). MKVToolnix able to do it, but there is no preview and cutting only by keyframe.

So why not have a look at http://home.gna.org/subtitleeditor/ - this is subtitleeditor - different to SubtitleEdit

I'll try it. Probably subtitle editor really would be better preferred to synchronize subtitles.

are you saying that what you would like to happen is that when you cut up a .mkv file that the subtitle "stream" should also be chopped up and then reconstructed into the final rendered .mkv file ?

Something like that. Export to SRT or SRT inside MKV, It does not matter.
See how this works in Final Cut. There used import-export XML (subtitles inside XML)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_cxumzoMJY

So I see that in final cut pro you can get the subtitles to be a track on the time line. I wonder if you can then edit that track like any other. IE could you group the subtitles, video and audio tracks and cut bits out of all three in one go and maintain the correct timing of subtitles.
I guess it probably can do that. I guess you need to buy a Mac and $300 dollars worth of Final Cut Pro. Good price that.

So this would be a feature request you would have to get into the Melt tool and into the ffmpeg tool. The former is the editing engine for kdenlive and the latter is the rendering engine. Unless these tools deal with mkv subtitle trackes already.

I wonder if you can then edit that track like any other.

Me too. At least possible to move a single subtitle.

I guess you need to buy a Mac and $300 dollars worth of Final Cut Pro

I know it's wrong. But there are torrents and OS X can be install on PC. Although for the subtitles is really stupid.
I have another idea (crutch). Burn subtitles in the black video and add as second video track on the timeline. Edit them simultaneously (group button) and export by one. Then hardsub recognize back to SRT using Subrip.
Now you know how it would be convenient if Kdenlive supported SRT.

Unless these tools deal with mkv subtitle trackes already.

Ffmpeg already support SRT in MKV.
Melt https://sourceforge.net/p/mlt/bugs/218/