Troubleshooting
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Why AI Captions Need Better Formatting
A popular AI broadcast caption service– let’s call it Flexi– ignores a key rule of captioning. It’s captioning canon to start a new caption line after a sentence ends. AI captions don’t bother with a new caption line. After a sentence ends, AI captions start a new sentence on the same line. A human stenographer… Continue reading
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Telestream CaptionMaker- How to Offset or Ripple Timecode
I use Telestream CaptionMaker’s (for Windows) “Ripple Timecode” feature when I combine individual segments into a program or dividing a program into individual segments. _________________________________________________________________ Select the caption line where you want the timecode ripple to start. Select the new starting timecode. OPEN RIPPLE TIMECODE GUI There is a keyboard shortcut to open the Ripple… Continue reading
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NCRA Realtime Broadcast Captioning Style and Format Guides for U.S.
Live captions start a new line after sentence-ending punctuation. Continue reading
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♪ All about that VANC ♪
The Line parameter sets the VANC line on which caption data will beinserted into the HD video signal. Valid VANC insertion lines for the most common HD video formats. Many caption encoders insert closed captions on line 9 by default. *In interlaced formats, caption data will only be inserted once per frame, in the first… Continue reading
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Differences between CEA 608 and 708 Captions
608 708 Native Broadcast NTSC Analog DTV HDTV ATSC 1.0 Characters per Row 32 theta columns 42 Baud Rate 960 bps 9600 bps Mapping Grid Based Block Based Container 32 x 15 grid 8 blocks Maximum Horizontal Lines Displayed at One Time 4 Character Colors white white, multiple colors Background Colors block white, multiple colors,… Continue reading
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Monitor’s 16:10 Aspect Ratio Adds Black Letter Box Bars Across Top & Bottom of 16:9 Video

An 2010 Sony LMD-2451W broadcast monitor was diplaying closed captions in too low of a vertical line position. It lacks an internal caption decoder so it’s fed by an EEG DE-285 Decoder. The Sony LMD-2451W monitor adds a black bar at the top and bottom of 16:9 content. I toggled through every menu setting but… Continue reading
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Closed Captioning Standards: SMPTE 334 vs. SMPTE 436M Explained
MPTE 334 and SMPTE 436M are both standards related to closed captions in digital video. However, they serve different purposes and have distinct specifications. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between the two: SMPTE 334: SMPTE 334, also known as “Carriage of CEA-708 Closed Caption Data in Consumer Electronics Devices,” specifies the method for carrying… Continue reading
About Me
Hello there! My name is Vicki Kipp, and I am a closed caption maker. Making closed captions is time consuming and complicated, so this blog is a collection of all of the knowledge and experiences I have gained. I hope my collection of tips and tricks might help you with your closed caption work the way it has helped me!
Recent Posts
- FCC Website Requirement: FCC Applications Link/Page
- Engineering Perspective: Closed Captioning Broadcast Engineering Videos
- Comments on FCC Docket No. 16-142_ Authorizing Permissive Use of the Next Generation Broadcast Television Standard
- How to Replace a Transmission Line Watchband Spring
- Netflix Subtitle Style Guide 2024