Caption Max

Popular Topics:

Caption Appearance

TV Programs/Movies

Technical Support

Devices

Video Description

Employment

Most Commonly-Asked Questions:

• How do I turn off closed captions?
• How do I turn off video description?
• Why are there missing or totally wrong letters in the captions?

  • We're sorry that you have had to deal with captions of poor quality. Yes, we do spellcheck! Our caption files are fully proofed before they are sent to the networks. Unfortunately, in broadcasting the satellite feed from the network or the cable provider, captions can be affected. This can result in the missing sections, mistimed captions, or meaningless strings of letters you are experiencing.

    For live programs such as news shows or sporting events, captioning is done by a trained court reporter. Of course, since they are captioning live, there is no time for them to correct mistakes or they would miss part of the program.

    Often your broadcaster is unaware that anything is wrong. You can help them resolve the issue by giving them specific information, including the show's air-date and time, whether you were watching over cable, satellite, or off-air, what city and time zone you are viewing the show, and the exact nature of the problem.

    If you've tried everything else, you can file a complaint with the FCC.

• I can't get captions on my HDTV.

  • You may need to inspect your cable/satellite receiver box or your cabling system. If you use satellite or cable TV, the most common HD cable connecting your network box to the TV is called an HDMI cable. The HDMI cable cannot transfer closed caption data. Usually this is not a problem because you're managing the TV through a cable or satellite box, which should decode the captions before it goes through the cable to the TV. Check to make sure that the cable or satellite box enables closed captions. If you cannot turn on captions on the cable/satellite box then call your service provider and ask them to replace the box with one that will enable closed captions.




Caption Appearance

• Why do the captions appear after the words are spoken?

  • Realtime captions will always be delayed a few seconds. The network sends a live feed out to the caption writer, who creates the captions using stenography machines and sophisticated software. The captions are then sent back to the network to be added to the video signal and broadcast to the viewer. Because the writer is listening and then typing, there is an inevitable delay.

    Offline captions for pre-recorded TV shows are created with frame accuracy and should be synchronized with the dialogue as it is spoken. However, the video signal passes through many devices on its way to your eyeballs, and each one is capable of delaying the captions a few frames. And if the program is edited before the captions are synchronized with the master tape, that can throw off the caption timing. If there is a repeated issue, contact the network or cable provider and ask them to look into it.

• Why do captions sometimes stay on the screen through a commercial break?

  • At a commercial break, the captioner places a signal in the file to clear the captions off the screen, but sometimes the network will start the commercial before the "clear captions" signal gets transmitted.

• Why does the font look so bad?

  • The font used for closed captions is determined by the decoder built into the TV set, receiver, or player. Different manufacturers use different fonts, though most standard definition sets use a fixed-width font and a black box around the caption text. Digital televisions can have more options, allowing the user to select from several fonts and remove the black box or make it semitransparent. Check your TV's settings menu.

• Why are there mistakes in live captioning?

  • TV programs that are broadcast live are also captioned live, which is called realtime captioning. In order to keep up with the speed of speech, realtime captioners use a stenotype machine rather than a regular keyboard. They type in shorthand, using combinations of keystrokes that represent sounds rather than individual letters. Computer software then translates the keystrokes into full words.

    This software references a huge dictionary of both general words and specific terms such as proper names, sports vocabulary, and vocabulary related to current events. Realtime writers constantly update their dictionaries with new words, but there will always be new names that must be spelled out phonetically.

    If a keystroke is entered incorrectly, the software will expand it out into a different word. More often, though, the sound was typed in correctly, but the software mistranslates it into a homophone, such as "reign" instead of "rain."

    These mistranslations, while sometimes humorous, are comparatively uncommon. Realtime captions get it right far more often than they get it wrong, which is why you don't see captions like this: Reel thyme righters our vary skilled at what they due.




TV Programs/Movies

• What programs do you caption or describe?

  • Lots of programs that you watch! Please see our client list.

• A program I want to watch is not captioned. What do I do?

  • Contact the network and local affiliate on which the program airs. There's strength in numbers, so be sure to enlist your friends to help. And let us know what series you're interested in so we can help too.

• Why is my local news captioning so bad or nonexistent?

  • The FCC requires national news produced by ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, as well as local news in the top 25 markets, to use standard realtime captioning. Other local newscasts, however, are permitted to use Electronic Newsroom Technique (ENT), which creates captions automatically from the prompter. Unscripted content - such as breaking news, weather updates, live field reports, and the newscasters' banter - will not be captioned at all using this method. If the captions on your local news are bad, contact the station to complain.

• Are there movies with captions in the movie theater?

  • Many theaters have special showings of closed captioned movies. Check the website of your local theater for times, or try the search engine Fomdi to find captioned movies.

• Why are my DVDs not captioned?

  • There are several possible reasons why you would not be able to see captions when playing a DVD. Not all producers caption their DVDs. Be sure to check for the "CC" symbol on the box.

    Some DVDs use subtitles instead of captions. Sometimes these are just English subtitles of the dialogue, but on other DVDs you can find "SDH" subtitles, which are optimized for the deaf and hard of hearing audience. These subtitles will include sound effects, music descriptions, and speaker identification, just like captions.

    Even if a DVD has closed captions, not all DVD players can display them. Some older players and cheaper players strip out the CC signal. Players connected with an HDMI cable will not pass through captions.

    And most software players do not have closed caption decoders. Windows Media Player and Apple DVD Player, as well as certain versions of WinDVD and PowerDVD, can decode some types of DVD closed captions. Test your player by playing a DVD that you are certain has closed captions.

• I bought a DVD, and it's not captioned. Can you caption it for me?

  • Unfortunately, no. Only the distributor or the producer has the rights to make modifications to the product. Your best bet is to contact the companies involved in releasing the DVD and inform them that their lack of captioning has lost a customer.

• Can you caption my wedding video or home movies?

  • We usually work with professionally produced television and corporate video, but we might be able to help you out. Please contact us for a cost request.




Technical Support

• How do I turn on captions on my digital TV?

  • Look for the "Services" menu. In digital television, the "Services" options replace the old "CC" choices:

    - Service 1: Captioning in the program's language, such as English. This was called CC1 in analog televisions
    - Service 2: Captioning in Spanish (previously CC2 or CC3)
    - Services 3 through 6: Captions in other languages, edited captions, and other uses to be determined later.

• How do I turn on Spanish captions?

  • Captioning is conventionally broadcast in the CC1 channel. If a show is broadcasting both English and Spanish captions, the alternate language is usually placed in the channel called CC3, although you will occasionally find it on CC2. Unfortunately, some televisions only display CC1 and CC2. If you tend to watch a lot of Spanish captioning, be sure to test that your TV supports CC3 before you buy.

• What if I want Spanish AND English closed captions at the same time?

  • Most TVs do not let you watch multiple caption channels at the same time.

• How do I turn on the captions in Windows Media Player?

  • Ctrl+Shift+C toggles the captions on and off in Windows Media Player. For more information, see these handy instructions.

• How can I find captioned videos on YouTube?

  • When you search, choose "Closed Captions" under "Type" to filter out uncaptioned videos. If you are using the Advanced Options for your YouTube search, check the "Closed Captions" option under "Show only videos with these features." For more information, see YouTube's captioning overview.




Devices

• Do any DVD recorders or DVRs record closed captioning?

  • Some models of recorder can, and others can't. The issue exists for both consumer and professional quality recorders. Usually the owner's manual will not address this question, and the folks at the big-box stores typically will not know either. The best thing to do is to contact the manufacturer directly, or go to an electronics store that is willing to work with you and test it out before you buy.

• Do small portable DVD players display closed captioning?

  • A few players can, but most do not. We recommend renting the player or testing it before you buy.

• My TV is too old to display closed captions. What can I do?

  • If your TV is that old, you have probably purchased a digital converter box in order to keep watching over-the-air television after 2009's digital conversion. The converter boxes have caption decoders built in. Look for the "CC" button on the front.

    You may be able to find old closed caption decoder boxes on eBay or Craigslist, or look in TV repair shops for low-cost TV sets. TVs made after 1993 with screens of 13 inches or larger are required by law to have closed captioning capabilities built in.

• Does HDMI carry closed captioning?

  • No, HDMI cables strip out closed caption data. We recommend using a different type of connection. However, your cable box might be able to decode and display your captions before they are sent to your television through an HDMI cable.

• What is CC3? What is Service 2?

  • Many TVs can display multiple streams of captions, though you can only watch one caption channel at a time. Captioning is conventionally broadcast in the CC1 or Service 1 channel. Other channels might be used for captions in a different language or edited captions. Unfortunately, some televisions do not offer CC3 or CC4.

    You can change the caption stream by going to the caption menu settings on your television set, TV receiver, or cable/satellite box.




Video Description

• How do I turn on video description?

  • In general, video description will be in the audio setup menu of your TV and called "MTS" or "SAP." Only stereo TVs can have SAP. Since televisions vary widely, it's best to consult the owner's manual for more information.

    If you have a cable or satellite receiver, you will probably need to turn on the description using the audio settings in your receiver rather than your television. Look for "alternate audio" or "audio 2." On some receiver boxes, you might need to change the audio language to Spanish to access the SAP.

• How can I find described programs?

  • It can be difficult to know which TV shows are described because that information is generally not included in the listings. The AFB website has a great search that helps you find described programs based on your zip code.

• Are there movies or plays with description?

  • Many movie theaters and live theaters, and even some museums, have special showings that are described. The theater will loan you special headphones that play either prerecorded or live description. Check the website of your local theater for showtimes, or give the theater a call.

• What do I do when a program is supposed to be described but it isn't?

  • Occasionally, even though video description is included in a program by the network, the cable/satellite company or local broadcast affiliate lacks the technical capabilities to pass through the secondary audio (SAP), or can only pass through one additional digital audio channel and is using it to transmit Spanish audio instead of video description. The FCC recommends that you contact your TV service provider and let them know you wish to use SAP.




Employment

• How can I become a captioner?

  • We look for people who demonstrate competency in spelling, punctuation, and grammar; have excellent typing skills (50 wpm or faster); are proficient with computers; and have research abilities. Our offline captioners are trained in-house to work with our specialized software and to conform to our house style.

    Due to the nature of the equipment we use and the need for confidentiality, offline caption editors must work in our Minneapolis or Burbank offices. Our offline captioners work in either English or Spanish or both. Spanish caption writers must be native Spanish speakers and have an excellent command of the English language as well.

    All job openings for offline captioning and realtime captioning positions will be posted on our website. You can send us your resume here if you see a job opening listed.

• Do you work with foreign language translators or subtitlers?

  • We do sometimes hire foreign language translators and subtitlers. Please look here for potential job openings.

• How can I become a realtime caption writer? What are the qualifications I need?

  • Realtime writers should attend a court reporting school. Like court reporters, realtime captioners use a steno machine. CaptionMax looks for realtime writers with a minimum of an A.A. or B.S. in Court and Conference Reporting or satisfactory completion of other 2-year equivalent program. They must be certified as a Registered Professional Reporter (RPR) or Certified Broadcast Captioner (CBC). Independent contractors must possess their own equipment, preferably Total Eclipse Accucap or CATalyst BCS. Our independent realtime writers are usually contractors working via satellite or modem uplink. Realtime captioners work in the language of their expertise.

    All job openings for offline captioning and realtime captioning positions will be posted on our website. You can send us your resume here if you see a job opening listed.

• Is Max a real person?

  • Yes. Shown here. Gerald, on the other hand, is an android.

Back to Top

Locations