What the two options actually are
Burned-in captions
Also called hardcoded or open captions. The text is drawn into the video pixels during export, exactly like a logo or a sticker. Everyone sees it, nobody can turn it off, and it looks identical on every phone, laptop and TV.
Subtitle files (SRT and friends)
Also called soft or closed captions. The captions live in a separate text file with timings. The player reads that file and draws the text on top of your video. Viewers can usually switch them on or off, and platforms like YouTube can use the text for search and translation.
Side-by-side comparison
| Burned-in | SRT file | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks the same everywhere | Yes | No, depends on the player |
| Custom style and animation | Full control | Very limited |
| Viewer can turn off | No | Yes |
| Edit after publishing | No, re-export needed | Yes, upload a new file |
| Searchable text for the platform | No | Yes |
| Multiple languages on one video | One per export | One file per language |
| Tamil characters always render | Yes | Only if the device has a Tamil font |
Why Tamil changes the answer
With a subtitle file, the viewer's device draws the text using whatever fonts it has installed. Most modern phones handle Tamil fine, but older devices, some smart TVs and some web players do not have a good Tamil font. When that happens, viewers see empty boxes or broken letters instead of your captions.
Burned-in captions avoid that completely. The Tamil text is rendered once, during export, with a proper Tamil font, and then it is just part of the picture. For short-form video, where you want every single viewer to read the captions, that reliability matters.
ceyonai exports both: burned-in MP4 up to 4K, and SRT, VTT or ASS files from the same captions.
Try it free →What to use where
- Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts: burned-in. Style and readability are the point, and platform captions for Tamil are inconsistent.
- Long YouTube videos: upload an SRT. Viewers can turn captions on, YouTube can index the text, and you can add an English SRT alongside the Tamil one.
- Client and agency work: deliver the SRT (or an editable timeline) so the client's editor can restyle or correct captions without re-transcribing.
- Both at once: nothing stops you from posting a burned-in Short and uploading the long version with an SRT. Make both from the same caption track so the wording matches.
SRT, VTT and ASS explained
SRT is the most widely supported format: numbered lines, start and end times, and the text. Almost every platform and editor accepts it.
VTT (WebVTT) is similar to SRT and is the standard for web video players.
ASS supports fonts, colours, positions and animation. It is what you use when you want styled captions that an editor can still change later.
If you edit in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, an editable timeline export such as FCPXML brings your cuts and captions straight into the editor. The Tamil subtitle generator page lists every export ceyonai supports.