| Feature | True Video Format (e.g., MKV, MP4) | SSA Subtitle Format | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Contains pixel frames | Yes (e.g., H.264, AV1 bitstreams) | No | | Contains audio streams | Yes (e.g., AAC, MP3) | No | | Timestamp resolution | Frame-accurate (milliseconds) | Centisecond-accurate (cs) | | Graphical primitives | Raster images | Vector text + drawn shapes (via \p) | | Hardware decoding | Supported via GPU | Requires software rendering |
The vernacular phrase ".ssa video format" represents a category error: SSA files contain no video frames, timecode tracks, or keyframe data. Instead, they are sidecar files designed to overlay text and vector graphics onto existing video streams. However, within peer-to-peer distribution communities (1998–2008), the presence of an SSA file was considered as essential as the video itself, leading to the colloquial misnomer. This paper repositions SSA as a domain-specific language for temporal typography. .ssa video format
[Events] Format: Marked, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.00,0:00:10.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is \b1SSA\b0, not video. | Feature | True Video Format (e