Caption Max

Popular Topics:

Captioning

Subtitles

Reformatting

Technical Support

Encoding

File Types/Formats

DVD/Blue Ray

Web and Multimedia

Realtime

Video Description

Captioning

• What is offline captioning?

  • "Offline" is the common term for captioning that isn't live. It's used for prerecorded, taped TV shows like sitcoms and dramas, as well as for DVD movies and most internet video.

• What's the difference between subtitles and closed captions?

  • Closed captions are hidden in the video signal and have to be turned on, or "opened" to be seen, while subtitles are always visible.

    Well, except for DVD and Blu-ray discs. DVD and BD subtitles can be turned on and off, and a DVD can have both closed captions and subtitles. Which type of file is right for you? We can help you decide.

• What are open captions?

  • Open captions are closed captions that have already been turned on and are burned onto your tape. Open captions will be burned into the video itself and cannot be turned off. They are often used for videos that will be shown to a group or where the viewers won't have the ability to turn the captions on themselves.

• Why are there incorrect characters or dropped letters in the captions?

  • Data corruption could be a caused by a number of factors. Here are some possibilities in order of most likely to least likely:

    - Decoder issues. Some decoders are better than others. Some are much worse. If possible, view the signal on two different decoders that you know work.
    - Edits to the original master.
    - Downconversion problems.
    - Transmission error / noise in the lines / signal degradation.
    - Recompression of signal.
    - Tape / media error. Glitches here can cause small losses of captions.
    - Problems in the original file.

• Why are the captions out of sync with the audio?

  • If captions are out of sync, there's really only one reason: The master you're working with doesn't match the proxy we're working with. The quickest way to resolve this problem is to send us a new proxy.

    How does this happen? Well, perhaps the master was re-edited after we got our copy. Or the timecode base changed from non-drop-frame to drop-frame. Or it was a new downconvert. Or our file is based on an air master and your master has the commercial blacks taken out.

• Can you open caption my DVD?

  • The DVD spec doesn't permit that, but we can provide you with a DVD subtitle file instead. In your DVD authoring system, you can tell the subtitles to stay on all the time rather than allowing the user to turn them on and off. It will be the same idea as open captions but will look prettier.

• Do you archive caption files?

  • Yes. We can reformat your old captions to your new video or convert them to a different caption or subtitle format.




Subtitles

• What's the difference between subtitles and closed captions?

  • Closed captions are hidden in the video signal and have to be turned on, or "opened" to be seen, while subtitles are always visible.

    Well, except for DVD and Blu-ray discs. DVD and BD subtitles can be turned on and off, and a DVD can have both closed captions and subtitles. Which type of file is right for you? We can help you decide.

• Can you burn subtitles on my video file?

  • Sure. Give us your video and tell us your desired specs, and we can add subtitles in any language and transcode into any format.

• I have a video that has subtitles burned in. Can you edit them?

  • No. Burned-in subtitles are not editable, since they're part of the image itself. We can copy the subtitle text and timing and create a new subtitle file for you.

• What languages can you translate?

  • We can translate to or from virtually any language spoken by more than two people. The most common requests are for Latin American Spanish, European and Canadian French, Italian, German, and Simplified Mandarin Chinese, but we've provided translations for all over the world. Do you need Wolof subtitles? Will your company's annual video be shown in your Dubai office? Are you screening your film at a festival in Estonia? Are there Somali and Hmong viewers that will be downloading your web clips? We've done that.

• I already have a translation, but I need subtitles.

  • We can break your translation into subtitles and time it to your video (a process sometimes known as "spotting"). We can also take an existing frame-accurate spotting list and export it as a subtitle file.

• Can you subtitle my DVD?

  • Yes. We will need to know what authoring system will be used to put your DVD together so we can give you the appropriate type of subtitle file.




Reformatting

• I have an old caption file. Can you reformat it to match my revised video?

  • CaptionMax can accept almost all CC file formats, as well as many text-based subtitle formats.

• I have an old tape that has captions on it. Can you reformat these captions?

  • Yes. Send us your tape, and we can pull the caption data off of it.




Technical Support

• Can I edit new video into my SD captioned master without affecting the captions?

  • Yes! Caption data on SD is contained within the video of each frame. Line 21 (out of 525 lines) is reserved for caption data, which can be seen as a series of white dashes when the monitor is in underscan.

    In a linear edit suite you can insert a new video scene in pre-read mode with the switcher's wipe capability. Set a horizontal wipe of the existing master itself from the top down through line 21, and then the new video from line 22 on down to 525. This preserves the existing line 21 video but allows new video for the rest of the frame. You will be able to preview this through a CC-equipped monitor in order to verify that the captions will appear before committing to the edit. Non-linear editing systems can also be set up to do this similarly.

• What is a downconversion?

  • Downconversion is changing video from high definition to standard definition. Since the aspect ratios change, we normally add black bars to the top and bottom of the video (letterbox) to fill out the SD image. You can also request anamorphic or cropped downconversions.

• When I copy a closed captioned tape to another tape, will the captions still be there?

  • Yes. The closed captions are part of the video. Unless you interfere with line 21, any dubs will have closed captioning information. Be aware that some decks, like DV and HDCam, may need you to enable captions. Consult your manual to find the exact settings. Downconversion may also cause loss of captioning information.

• How can I put V-chip information on my program?

  • V-chip is another kind of data on line 21 that lets users restrict access to programs by rating. To create this data, a software application sends the rating information to the closed captioning encoder, and the encoder adds it to the video signal. If you need V-chip encoding, please let us know what your program rating is.

• Can captions be added in my editing software (non-linear editor)?

  • We can create a standard definition 720x486 video file with line 21 on it. The editor can bring this into their NLE and add it to their program.

• How can captions be added to my high definition program in my non-linear editor(NLE)?

  • For certain high-definition workflows, we can send a small data file which is imported into the NLE. During playout, the video card uses this track to create captions. This works with Matrox MXO2 or AJA KONA 3/LHi cards.

• How do I add timecode windowburn in Final Cut Pro before I export a proxy?

  • Timecode windowburn is a filter that is applied over your master sequence. See our handy how-to PDF and follow the instructions to add burned-in timecode quickly and easily.

• We have a closed-circuit TV system and need captions. Can you do that?

  • Most likely. Let's talk about what system you are using and what file type we can provide for you.

• How do I import this subtitle file into Final Cut Pro?

  • First you'll have to update it with the correct location of the subtitle images, then use Final Cut Pro's Import XML dialogue. Please see this guide.

• How do I use FTP?

  • CaptionMax now has an interactive upload & download feature through our website! If you still need FTP, we recommend using the FileZilla client. We have a detailed instruction sheet here.




Encoding

• What does encoding mean?

  • The word "encoding" has many meanings. Here, we use encoding to refer to the process of marrying closed caption data to a video. To avoid confusion, we use the term "compression" for the creation of digital video files.

• How are captions encoded onto high definition tapes?

  • High Definition (HD) captions, also called 708 captions, are a part of the Vertical Ancillary Data (VANC). They aren't part of the video signal as SD captions are. To encode, one sends the video signal through an HD closed captioning encoder and records the signal on another deck.

• How are captions encoded onto high definition digital files?

  • Just like a tape's video signal passes through an encoder to add closed captioning, HD files need an application to merge the caption data and the video data together. Let us know what equipment you have, and we'll see what we can do for you.

• How are captions encoded onto standard definition tapes?

  • Standard Definition (SD) captions, also called 608 captions or line 21, are part of the video signal. They are a series of white pulses on line 21. For CC1 and CC2, they are in field 1. For CC3 and CC4, they are in field 2. The process of inserting these pulses into the video signal is called encoding. Most commonly, one sends video through an SD closed captioning encoder and records the output on another deck. This can be done at CaptionMax or at some post houses.

• Why can't you encode from a DVD?

  • A DVD is intended to be an end format, ready for the consumer, not an editable master format. A true master format has minimal compression, and it has a timecode signal. Plus, DVD closed captions aren't embedded into the video signal the same way they are on a tape. If you need a captioned master and all you have is a DVD, contact us to arrange something that works for you.




File Types/Formats

• What file formats can I deliver to you?

  • We can accept anything: master tapes, mpeg-1 reference videos, .mov reference videos, or even VHS worktapes. The easiest way to send us what you have is by uploading your video on our website. A member of our production team will handle your media personally. They have the experience and education required to make sure everything turns out just like you imagined! Please be sure to contact us if you have any questions at all.

    Even though we prefer master tapes or mpeg-1 reference videos, we have the latest in software and technology so we can open just about any file type out there.

    See our master video specs or our reference video specs for more information.

    If the type of file you have doesn't appear in our PDFs, just send what you have, and we'll do our very best to make it work!

• Can my PAL video be captioned?

  • PAL video uses a different kind of captioning than the NTSC video that's used for standard definition broadcast television in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, and elsewhere. PAL captions are called Teletext, and, yes, we can provide Teletext files for use with PAL programs.

• Can I send my program to you on hard drive?

  • Yes, we can accept some types of video on hard drive. Contact us, and we can give you a quote and more information.

• What's an .scc file, and how do I use it?

  • An .scc file is the most common format used for DVD closed captions and is now being used for other captioning applications as well. It's a small data file that can be brought into many DVD authoring systems. Here are instructions for importing a .scc file into DVD Studio Pro.

• Why doesn't this .scc work?

  • It could be a monitoring problem (the captions are there, but your player won't play them), or it could be a discrepancy between the timecode of your M2V and the timing of the .scc file. We have a detailed explanation here.

• How do I caption my Flash movie?

  • We will send you an XML caption file that you can incorporate into your Flash project.

• What do I do with this SAMI file?

  • A SAMI file (pronounced "Sammy") is a caption file for use with Windows Media Player. To test your captions locally, make sure the video and the .smi file have the same name and are both in the same directory. Open the video in Windows Media Player, and you should be able to turn captions on and off using ctrl+shift+C. For more information on playing captions in Windows Media Player, look here.

• What do I do with a SMIL file?

  • A SMIL file (pronounced "smile") is a metafile used by Quicktime and RealPlayer to combine the video file and the caption text file. When putting the video on your web page, link to the .smil file instead of directly to the .mov or .rm, and the video will open with a black box underneath it that displays captions.

• Can you send my captions as an .mov file?

  • We can create a standard definition 720x486 .mov file with line 21 on it. The editor can bring this into their NLE and add it to their program.

• My show isn't finished. Can I send you a rough cut?

  • Sure. Please speak with your project manager to arrange this.




DVD/Blue Ray

• Why can't you encode from a DVD?

  • A DVD is intended to be an end format, ready for the consumer, not an editable master format. A true master format has minimal compression, and it has a timecode signal. Plus, DVD closed captions aren't embedded into the video signal the same way they are on a tape. If you need a captioned master and all you have is a DVD, contact us to arrange something that works for you.

• Can you make my DVD for me?

  • Yes, we can. We can design your menus, create assets, and add closed captions and up to 32 subtitle streams. We can even provide you with advanced features such as spoken menus, annotated subtitles, slideshows, or interactive quizzes and easter eggs.

• Can you open caption my DVD?

  • The DVD spec doesn't permit that, but we can provide you with a DVD subtitle file instead. In your DVD authoring system, you can tell the subtitles to stay on all the time rather than allowing the user to turn them on and off. It will be the same idea as open captions but will look prettier.

• Can you subtitle my DVD?

  • Yes. We will need to know what authoring system will be used to put your DVD together so we can give you the appropriate type of subtitle file.

• What do I do with this DVD subtitle file?

  • Different DVD authoring systems use different types of files. In general, if you have a subtitle script file, which is a simple text file that contains the subtitle words and times, you set the subtitle formatting (such as font size and the position of the titles on the screen) within the authoring software before you import the file.

    If you are using a set of graphic subtitles - an image file for each subtitle plus one timing file – all you have to set is the color mapping. Here's our quick guide to using subtitle graphics in DVD Studio Pro.

• Can I get Spanish captions on my DVD?

  • We recommend using subtitles to put Spanish text on your DVD instead of closed captions. Few DVD players can display multiple streams of closed captions.

• Why can't I see captions on the DVD I'm authoring?

  • The previewing function in DVD authoring software does not have a closed caption decoder. You'll need to build the project and play it in a player that you know can handle captions. Try a commercial DVD that you know has CC first.

• Why can't I see captions on the DVD I'm playing?

  • Some DVD players cannot handle closed captions. Cheaper or older hardware players sometimes strip out the closed caption data. Players that have a progressive scan mode sometimes block captions when in this mode. And anything that's connected with an HDMI cable can't pass through captions.

    Most software players that you use when you play a DVD on your computer don't have any way to decode the captions. Windows Media Player can display DVD captions, and Apple DVD Player can display pop-on captions but not roll-up style captions. Certain paid versions of WinDVD and PowerDVD have CC capability. Look in your player's preferences to see if there are any closed caption options.

• Can I have captions on my Blu-ray disc?

  • The Blu-ray spec does not include closed captioning capabilities. We can give you a Blu-ray subtitle file instead that provides the same information to the deaf and hard of hearing audience that CC would.

• Can you make me a Blu-ray?

  • Shazam, you're a Blu-ray! Actually, we don't do Blu-ray Disc authoring here, but we do provide subtitles for users of the Sony Blu-print and Sonic Scenarist systems.




Web and Multimedia

• How do I caption my Flash movie?

  • We will send you an XML caption file that you can incorporate into your Flash project.

• What do I do with this SAMI file?

  • A SAMI file (pronounced "Sammy") is a caption file for use with Windows Media Player. To test your captions locally, make sure the video and the .smi file have the same name and are both in the same directory. Open the video in Windows Media Player, and you should be able to turn captions on and off using ctrl+shift+C. For more information on playing captions in Windows Media Player, look here.

• What do I do with a SMIL file?

  • A SMIL file (pronounced "smile") is a metafile used by Quicktime and RealPlayer to combine the video file and the caption text file. When putting the video on your web page, link to the .smil file instead of directly to the .mov or .rm, and the video will open with a black box underneath it that displays captions.

• Can you caption my web video?

  • All signs point to yes. Let's talk about what player you're using and what your options are.

• Can you make video files I can use on my website?

  • Yes. Just give us the details about what kind of video you need. We'll ask you about codecs, resolutions, bit rate... but if you don't know what we're talking about, we're happy to make suggestions.

• Can you caption my YouTube video?

  • Most definitely! Check out our YouTube Captioning.

• I'm putting my program on Hulu. Can you caption it?

  • Yes, we can provide caption files for Hulu. We can create the video files for you too.

• Can you caption for iPod or iTunes?

  • Yes. If you give us your mpeg-4, we can embed captions into the video that can be played by Quicktime version 7.1.6 or higher, iTunes v7.4+, and AppleTV.

• I have a document with pictures in it. How can I make sure it's accessible?

  • Our professional describers can write alt-text that concisely describes your still images (photos, drawings, graphs, maps, or slideshows) in your PDF documents, web pages, or Digital Talking Books.




Realtime

• What is realtime captioning?

  • Realtime captions are typed live as a program is airing. Yes, realtime writers do have to type very fast! No, their fingers don't generally catch fire.

• What equipment do I need if I want to hire CaptionMax for realtime captioning?

  • You will need an SD and/or HD caption encoder with a phone line connected to the encoder's modem. You will also need an audio coupler to provide program audio over a phone line. We recommend encoders manufactured by EEG and Evertz.

• Do you provide live captioning for meetings and classrooms?

  • Live classroom captioning is known as Computer Assisted Real Time, or CART. A stenotypist or court reporter provides a live transcript of a meeting or event that can be viewed on a monitor or projector. The National Court Reporters Association can help you locate a CART provider in your area.




Video Description

• What is video description?

  • Video description uses precisely-timed voiceover narration to convey visual information that the blind and low vision television audience needs to fully understand and appreciate a program. Also known as video description, descriptive video, descriptive narration, DVS, AD, and probably several other terms we haven't come across yet.

• How do I put video description on my DVD?

  • We can provide you or your DVD author with a described master. Channels 1 and 2 are the main program audio, and Channel 3 will contain a mix of both the program audio and the video description. Channel 3 should be captured separately from 1 and 2 and exported as a separate Dolby Digital or LPCM audio file. We can also provide you with such a file, but in that scenario, there can be synchronization issues with your other DVD assets.

    In the DVD authoring software, set this audio asset as the A2 audio stream. Be sure to include buttons on the DVD menu that allow the user to choose the second audio stream. For true accessibility for blind and low vision users, we suggest including spoken menus (the menu buttons should be read aloud as they are selected).

• How do blind people turn on the description on a DVD?

  • One of the services we can provide is Spoken Menus. As the user selects each button in a DVD menu with their remote control or keyboard, the button text is read aloud. Handy!

    If a DVD does not have spoken menus but does have video description, you can try pressing the "Audio" key on your remote, which will cycle through the different audio tracks. Not all DVD players have an audio key, however, and it can be difficult to determine which audio stream you are listening to. So ask for spoken menus!




Miscellaneous

• Why does it take so much longer to produce an as-broadcast script if you're already producing a caption file?

  • As-broadcast scripts are a lot more detailed and complex than caption files and we use different software to create them. We also must wait until we have the final, locked video before we start working on an as-broadcast script, though we can start captioning as soon as the audio is locked.

• Where can I find the CC and AD symbols?

  • Right here.

• What's the difference between hot dish and casserole?

  • With our world headquarters in Minnesota, CaptionMax is uniquely qualified to answer that question. "Hot dish" is what we call a baked pile of canned soup and other stuff here in the frozen north. People in our California, New York, and Washington, D.C. offices would call this same dish a "casserole"... if they ate things like this in their fancy coastal cities.

• Why am I?

  • Because media accessibility.

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