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Meowcal Sub 2 is a Windows desktop subtitle studio. It reads the subtitle area of your screen, follows playback against subtitle files, and shows the target language in an always-on-top strip. When a matching translation is unavailable, it can translate locally through Meowcal Core.
- Search OpenSubtitles, SubDL, and ASSRT from one studio.
- Use OCR to match the subtitles visible in your player and anchor playback.
- Present a target-language subtitle file with its own timings, overlaps, and silent gaps; use carried translations or local inference for uncovered cues.
- Prepare translations before playback and adjust subtitle timing while watching.
- Automatically order subtitle cues and remove exact duplicates during preparation; original files stay intact.
- Edit SRT/WebVTT text and timing before sync, preview drift corrections, and use corrected copies directly in the prepared session.
- Select a capture region and change subtitle appearance from the app.
OCR and matching depend on the video, subtitle release, language, and selected region. This is an early release; it does not guarantee a match for every player or title. Protected video surfaces can prevent screen capture.
| App | Workflow |
|---|---|
| Meowcal Sub | Translate visible screen subtitles directly with local OCR and inference; normal use needs no subtitle file or provider key. |
| Meowcal Sub 2 | Search subtitle providers, follow playback against source files, and present target-file cues; local translation fills missing answers. |
| MeowWatch | Watch videos together with synchronized playback and floating chat. |
Download a package from
Latest release, choosing
arm64 for Windows on ARM or x64 for Intel/AMD Windows:
- Installer:
meowcal-sub-2-v*-windows-{arm64,x64}-setup.exe. - Portable:
meowcal-sub-2-v*-windows-{arm64,x64}-portable.zip. Extract the complete archive, then open Meowcal Sub 2.exe inside its folder.
Both packages include the Python backend and Meowcal Core executable. Models are installed through Settings. SHA-256 checksums accompany the release. Versions v0.1.0 and v0.2.0 need a manual install to upgrade to the first signed release. Signed installed copies can receive later updates in the app; portable copies are updated manually. See the user guide for first-launch setup.
You need Windows, Microsoft WebView2, and an OCR language pack for the language on screen. Subtitle search requires at least one provider credential: an OpenSubtitles API key, SubDL API key, or ASSRT token. Provider availability and download quotas apply.
Open Settings to configure a source and the language pair. Search for a title, choose source and target subtitles, select the screen region containing the player's subtitles, then choose Start sync. Stop from the live dock when you are done.
Local translation uses Tencent HY-MT1.5 through Meowcal Core. Settings offers a one-time download of about 1.1 GB, plus the runtime. Sub 1 does not need to be installed. A prepared target subtitle can be used without installing the translation model, but untranslated gaps then remain unavailable.
OCR and translation inference run on the machine. Subtitle search and download contact enabled providers; optional TMDb metadata, Google Fonts, and engine/model installation also use the network. Configuration, subtitle files, and logs are stored in the user profile. Normal logs use INFO; explicit verbose mode adds detailed OCR and subtitle traces. Titles, errors, and other sensitive details can still appear in logs. Redact them before sharing.
The studio serves a local page on 127.0.0.1 and requires a per-run access
token. This is not an isolation boundary against software with access to the
same Windows account. See the security policy.
The app combines a Python backend, React studio, and Tauri shell. Setup, build, and runtime details are in the developer guide. The repository's review gate is:
.\scripts\verify.ps1The gate checks code and the served studio. Native OCR, WebView2 rendering, capture selection, and overlay placement also need a real Windows run.
Meowcal Sub 2 is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only; see LICENSE. Third-party components and downloaded models retain their own licenses. Contributions follow CONTRIBUTING.md and the submission-based Contributor License Agreement.