services

faq

What’s the difference between Subtitling and Closed Captioning?
Closed Captioning (CC) is a standardized method of encoding text into a video. The text can be displayed by a TV with a built-in decoder or by a separate decoder. All TVs larger than 13 inches sold in the US since 1993 have Closed Captions decoders. Closed Captions can be carried on DVD, videotape, broadcast TV, cable TV, Internet videos and so on.
Even though the terms caption and subtitle have similar definitions, captions commonly refer to on-screen text specifically designed for deaf and hard of hearing viewers, while subtitles are translations of the dialogue. Captions should allow the viewer to identify the person who is speaking, and they include descriptions of sounds (such as gunshots or closing doors) and music. Closed captions are not visible until the viewer activates them. Open captions are always visible, such as subtitles on foreign videotapes.

How much time should I calculate for my program to be subtitled or captioned and delivered?
Our standard turnaround is five business days, but this time may vary according to the specifics of your project. Please contact our Customer Service to get a more accurate turnaround for your program.

How are closed captions incorporated into my TV program?
Closed captions are hidden in Line 21 of the Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI). The VBI is not visible on the television screen, yet it can contain video information which can be read by a caption decoder, allowing captions to appear on your screen.

How do I know if a TV program is closed captioned?
Most commonly, a program will be identified with a "CC", a "CC" inside a television shape image or the image of a small TV screen with a small tail at the bottom.

What are the different styles of closed captions?
There are two major styles of captions: pop-on and roll-up.

In pop-on captions, the caption appears on the screen all at once, stays there for a few seconds and then disappears.
Roll-up captions feature 2 to 4 lines of text that "roll up" on to the screen one line at a time. As each new line rolls up, the top line disappears.

Who benefits from captioned programming?
Everyone can benefit from captions. The deaf and hard of hearing will be able to enjoy televised programming like never before. While those learning English or watching programs in public places will be able to easily understand the show’s content.

How are sound effects and music identified in a captioned program?
Descriptions of non-verbal sound effects and music are generally in brackets, parentheses or music symbols ♪ (eighth note with stem facing up).

If a captioned program is copied will the captions remain?
Yes, with the adequate equipment and settings, captions are retained when copying your program.

How do I order?
Please contact us or follow the instructions on our Quote Request page.

What formats can I deliver to you?
We accept tapes, mpeg-1 reference videos, .mov reference videos, or VHS tapes. You can find a more detailed list of formats accepted here.

What is off-line captioning?
Off-line captions are prepared and encoded to the video on prerecorded programing, prior to airing the program.
Off-line captions are commonly used for TV shows, DVD movies and Internet videos.

I have an old caption file. Can you reformat it to match my new CC encoder?
We accept virtually all CC and subtitle file formats. Please see here for accepted formats.

I have an old tape that has captions on it. Can you reformat these captions?
Absolutely! Send us the tape, and we can pull the caption data off of it.
Please see here for accepted formats.

Can you burn subtitles on my video file?
Yes, we can burn subtitles to many video file formats. Please see here for accepted formats.

What languages do you work with?
We mainly translate to or from Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English.

Can my PAL video be captioned?
Sorry, but we currently don’t work with PAL programs.

What does encoding mean?
Encoding is inserting closed caption data into a video.

Can I edit new video into my SD captioned master without affecting the captions?
Yes you can, with the adequate equipment and settings.

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.

Can I send my program to you on hard drive?
Yes, we can accept many types of video on hard drive. Please see here for accepted formats.

Can captions be added to my NTSC program in my non-linear editor (non-linear (NLE)?
We can provide you with a standard definition 720x486 video file with line 21 on it that you can add to your video on your NLE.

How can captions be added to my high definition program in my non-linear editor (NLE)?
For certain high-definition workflows, we can provide you with 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 time code window burn in Final Cut Pro before I export a proxy?
Apply the Time code window burn filter over your master sequence.

Can you caption my YouTube video?
Yes we can.

Can you send my captions as an .mov file?
Yes we can.

How do I import a subtitle file into Final Cut Pro?
We can provide you with an XLM file that you can import into Final Cut Pro.

Do you store caption files?
Yes, we keep the caption files we produce for up to six months. If you want your file to be stored for longer periods, please contact our Customer Service.

Why do the real-time, live or on-line captions appear after the words are spoken?
It takes a few seconds from the time the network sends the live feed out to the caption writer, who then creates the captions using stenography machines and sophisticated software. The captions then go back to the network to be added to the video signal and broadcasted to the viewer.

Why does the font look so bad on my TV?
We cannot set the font on standard definition TVs, the font is determined by the TV decoder. With new flat panel digital TVs, you can set the font from the setup menu.

Does HDMI carry closed captioning?
No, HDMI cables strip out closed caption data.

How do I turn on the captions in Windows Media Player?
You can toggle the captions on and off in Windows Media Player with Ctrl+Shift+C.