Closed Captions Explained
Closed Captions (CC) are text that
appears on a video, which contain dialogue and audio
cues such as music or sound effects. The purpose of
closed captions is to make video accessible to those
who are deaf or hard of hearing, for viewers whose
native language is not English, and for when the audio
cannot be heard due to noise (restaurants, public
spaces, etc.) or a need for quiet (libraries,
hospitals, etc.).
Captions
can be either open (always visible, aka "burned in")
or closed, but closed captioning is more common
because it lets each viewer decide whether they want
the captions to be turned on or off. Closed captions
are transmitted as a special coded signal sent along
with the video picture, and require a decoder in your
television or cable box to see them (almost all TVs
and cable boxes include decoders). This special signal
is what broadcasters check for to ensure that your
video is in accordance with FCC regulations.
The FCC requires the virtually all English and
Spanish programming seen on broadcast TV in the United
States to be closed captioned. The CRTC requires the
same for Canadian broadcasts. Many other countries
have their own requirements as well. ADA Section 508
regulations contain stringent captioning requirements
(including captioning for webcasts) for the Federal
government and organizations that receive funding from
the Federal government, which includes most academic
institutions. The ADA requires that videos be
accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing in public
accommodations and other public venues, such as hotels
and stadiums. Closed captioning is an ideal way to
make video accessible.
Even if your program is not being broadcast or is
otherwise exempt from the closed captioning
requirements, keep in mind that over 10% of the
population is deaf or hard of hearing. If you do not
caption, you will not reach this audience. Closed
captioning is also used by a large number of
non-native language speakers to help them better
understand the programs they watch. If you do not
caption your videos, you are missing out on a huge
portion of your potential market.
CPC has pioneered new e-Captioning software
workflows, which reduce the cost and complexity of
closed captioning. Any facility with a standard NLE
system can now lay down closed caption files created
by the CPC captioning service without needing
specialized hardware.
Traditional legacy captioning gear required
expensive and complicated setup, worked only with
tape, and caused generation loss in video quality.
CPC's e-Captioning service workflows work with your
existing non-linear editing system to caption any kind
of video, whether you work with tape, digital
delivery, webcasts, or discs.
CPC's e-Captioning saves time and money
because you do not need to print to tape and ship your
tape to our captioning service, and then wait for the
captioned tape to be shipped back. Since you're laying
the caption track that CPC provides in-house, you have
full control over quality and can inspect the results
immediately. There is no risk of losing your master or
having the project delayed due to shipping problems or
damaged tapes.
Also, if you need extremely fast turnaround
e-Captioning is the only way to go, since there are no
tapes to be shipped, since the caption files are
e-mailed. This will save a lot of money in tape stock
and shipping fees.
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