How to add closed captioning to video?

[jackfalbey]

Is there a way to add closed captioning from within CS3, or if not is there a plug-in to do it? And if not, can someone recommend reasonably-priced software or hardware that can do it? I have the opportunity to take over production of a local TV show but they need CC, and I'd like to keep it in-house rather than outsource if possible. The meeting is tomorrow (last-minute!) so a fast response is greatly appreciated!

[Bob]

Jack,

Are you talking about creating the closed caption files or merely incorporating existing closed caption files into an Encore project? It's my understanding that specialized equipment is used to create the line 21 Closed Caption files and that work is typically outsourced. I believe that Encore CS3 can incorporate scc (Scenarist Closed Caption) files but it cannot create them.

[jackfalbey]

I guess I'm talking about the whole ball of wax... I haven't given any research to CC before tonight, but what they're looking for is for me to take over production from taping to delivery for broadcast on our local NBC affiliate, so FCC requires the line 21 encoding. I guess I'll have to generate the transcript, then create the CC file, and finally master it to tape for the TV station. The client has been outsourcing to Virginia (from SW Florida!) but wants a faster turnaround, so I'm trying to figure out if I can do it in-house or if I'll just have find a CC shop closer to home.

[RJ Johnston]

Who is going to do the transcription, or has that already been done? Court stenographers are the people that would do that sort of stuff. I've added closed caption -- about 5 seconds worth -- to a video and didn't find it very fun. I did it with free programs that I found, which I have since lost to the wind since I reinstalled the operating system. I believe Sony Vegas and DVD Lab Pro have provisions for CC. A good place to look is at www.videohelp.com for tutorials.

[Bill Hunt]

Jack,

Encore handles both CC and subtitles. There is an entire Encore sub-forum on Subtitles (including CC). Other than a bit playing around with it, I really know nothing, though have read most of the posts. There are many ins-and-outs to it. One the forum, there are many recs. on how to do it, plus additional programs that will help with the importation of the text files.

Wish I had a bunch of hard answers, but I do not.

Good luck,

Hunt

[RJ Johnston]

CC must be a new feature in the latest version of Encore, at least it wasn't in version 1.5

[jackfalbey]

I have to be able to deliver the master on tape to the station, so I don't want to compress the video by encoding to DVD. If I use Encore to do the CC, can I somehow add it to the project & AVIs for export to tape without encoding?

[jackfalbey]

I answered my own question. I opened Encore and looked at the output options: DVD, Blu-Ray, & Flash. So any CC done in Encore would have to be compressed to one of those formats, then converted back to DVCAM or Betamax SP for tape masters.

[RJ Johnston]

I didn't do anything with tape, so I don't know what goes on there. The CC is inserted into the GOP (group of pictures) "I" sections, which is about every 15 frames. There shouldn't be any reencoding of video.

[jackfalbey]

To get the video out of Encore with the embedded CC stream I'd have to output it to DVD/BR or Flash, which means compression to a certain degree, unless I'm not seeing another option there. As this is for broadcast, less compression is better.

[RJ Johnston]

If you supply Encore with an MPEG 2 file that is DVD compliant, then there shouldn't be another encode when you mux in the CC. If you supply Encore with an uncompressed AVI file, then Encore has to encode that to MPEG-2. All I know about is the CC for DVD, which is what Encore is about, I thought.

[Bob]

Closed Captioning for broadcast isn't handled the same as closed captioning on a dvd. Before I retired, I had a lot of contact with the recording engineers of a broadcast studio for one of my projects. That was before digital and thus analog and I haven't had need to keep up with the changes that resulted from that change. It's been a while, and my memory is fading rapidly, but I think they had a steno entering the closed captioning into a device which produced the line 21 content and the output from that was mixed with the program content and recorded to Betamax tape. They did pre-recorded captioning in-house but contracted out for live broadcast transcription -- the outsourcing company received a live program feed and the returned line 21 feed was mixed with the program in the studio and broadcast and recorded on Betamax simultaneously. That's about all I know about it. That wasn't an aspect that related to my project and most of what I know about it I learned on a studio walk-through with the engineers where they give me a behind the scene technical overview of their operation. I don't know anything about the equipment or how they did the mixing.

It's not as simple as entering a text file and recording a sub-title track, it's a shame you didn't have time to research this more thoroughly before your meeting. If you could, it would be instructive to talk to the station engineers about what's necessary. Good luck and best wishes!!

[jackfalbey]

I found a CC house nearby that will do a 30-minute show for $125, Beta SP tape included. Seems like the easiest way to do it.

[Chuck Engels]

That sounds like a great deal to me Jack.