At Transcription City, we offer an extensive range of services to suit the needs of our clients. An increasingly useful service is captioning and it comes in two different forms: open captioning and closed captioning. Read on to discover a little more about the options available with our closed captioning services, open captioning services and subtitling services. Find out how captions can be used creatively in media, both audio and visual.
What is the difference between Open and Closed Captioning?
Open Captioning refers to the transcription of text which is permanently embedded to video, seen automatically by all viewers. If used correctly, open captions appear in a timely manner, essentially replicating the sound of the audio recording or video. An important feature of this form of captioning service is that the use of special software for playback is not necessary. This is a much simpler method and is incredibly easy to use, therefore it is the most commonly used form of captioning. The ease of use means the service is suitable for use by the general public.
Conversely, Closed Captioning appears only when selected by the viewer; controlled through a menu option or by remote device, text is stored as an entirely separate file which can be integrated into a software programme. Users can switch the captions on and off, depending on their specific requirements, therefore making closed captions particularly versatile to use. Further benefits are that time stamps can be added to these captions, plus when videos are searched for on YouTube, the videos are more easily found.
Which forms of media use Captioning Services?
Captioning, open or closed, can be applied to a broad range of media including, web-based content, television shows, film, and music videos. Where background noise is at an increased level, captions can also be used on publicly displayed videos, such as in airports, restaurants, and health and fitness facilities.
With the ever-increasing expansion of the internet, online content commonly utilises open and closed captioning. Add to this the world of computer gaming and apps and you can see how far-reaching captioning services can be.
What does captioning mean in terms of accessibility for viewers?
Using captions instantly opens up the range of audience you can reach. Open captioning in particular, with its permanent on-screen presence, provides a viewable narrative or commentary on the action taking place. For those viewers who are deaf of hard of hearing, it includes them in the process by tailoring the videos to suit their needs. This valuable inclusion facilitates a greater understanding of the content, broadening the appeal to beyond viewers without any hearing issues.
Captioning and subtitling services are a means of displaying text on screen to reflect spoken words on video, along with any accompanying sounds. Did you know there are several types of widely used subtitling services and captioning services available?
Let’s take a look at some examples:
Live Captioning and Subtitling Services
This type of captioning is used predominantly in live television programming. Such as news and sports coverage, and also for educational events. Live captions are created in real time, replicated on screen within seconds of being spoken. In order to achieve optimum accuracy, captions are typed on a keyboard, or produced via stenocaptioning or through re-speaking software. Particularly useful in lectures or webinars, re-speaking involves highly-skilled users repeating the spoken dialogue. Plus grammar and punctuation into a specialist system. The system then converts the speech to text and subsequently streams directly to live devices.
Closed Captioning and Subtitling Services
The most common form of captioning, the closed variety is made available on videos to be opened by the viewer whilst accessing a broadcast. There is an option to close the captions in order to view without text on screen. This method is used on DVDs, providing visual reference to programming. Utilising this type of captioning allows for inclusion of viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The captions can also be produced in any foreign language, meaning a programme can be universally watched by an even greater audience.
Open Captioning and Subtitling Services
Open captions are a fixed type of captioning method. Also referred to as hardcoded’ or burned in’ captioning, the text is a permanent addition to videos and can be seen by everyone who views it. Areas in which open captioning is most frequently used include foreign films, videos at public events and YouTube. Unlike closed captions, the viewer does not have the option to remove the text display; therefore this is a particularly useful tool in terms of promoting advertisements.
Verbatim Captioning and Court Reporting Services
Unlike other methods of captioning, whereby dialogue might be summarised or compacted, verbatim captioning requires all speech and sound to be recorded word for word, and sound for sound. This type of captioning requires skilled captioners to be able to replicate with precision and accuracy, in order to provide an exact replica of what is happening on screen.
Offline Captioning and Multilingual Subtitling Services
Captioning can be prepared ahead of broadcasting and added to video prior to airing; additionally, offline captions can be organised before the mass production of corporate training tapes. Whereas live captioning requires a quicker real time pace, these captions can be worked on in advance, resulting in more time for proof-reading, editing and quality control. Time can be taken to individualise each speaker’s dialogue and to include crucial background sound effects.
As you can see, closed captioning services, transcription services, subtitling services and translation services are versatile and can be suited to your specific needs and requirements.
Transcription City, can offer to help you meet your business needs. If you are interested in finding out more, please check out our website.
For more information or a competitive quote for transcription services, typing services, closed captioning services, multilingual subtitling services or translation services, please contact Transcription City for assistance.
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