One of the number-one questions I get from prospective clients or even friends is the question: What is the difference between roll-up captioning, pop-on captioning, and subtitling? Also, people often think that captioning is the same thing as subtitling, which it isn't. To take this question even further, I will explain in what cases each one is ideally used.*
Captioning VS. Subtitling
Captioning was created so deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers could read along to TV shows. A technology needed to be created that was accessible to the deaf viewer, but not obligatory for hearing viewers. So today, closed captioning is decoded by a decoder chip in the television and it must be activated to view. Captions are white letters with a black background. The font looks similar to Courier New.
Subtitling, on the other hand, was originally created so viewers of programming in a language other than their own could read along in their own language. Unlike captions, subtitles cannot be turned on or off through a TV decoder chip. They are burned on the video. If you are watching subtitles on a DVD or Blu-ray Disc, they can be turned on or off through the menu. Subtitles can be different fonts or colors and usually do not have a black or transparent background.
Roll-up Captioning
What is it?
Roll-up captions scroll up the screen line by line usually two to three lines at a time. It is the most basic form of captioning, as it usually does not include extensive sound effect description nor speaker identification.
When is it used?
Roll-up captioning is mainly used for ALL live programming and for post-production broadcast programming that only has one speaker (not very common).
For an example of roll-up captioning, view the video on this page: roll-up video
Pop-On Captioning
What is it?
Pop-on captions pop on and off the screen one caption at a time. They typically look like a square box and each caption usually consists of two to three lines. Pop-on captions should include sound effect descriptions as well as movement for speaker identification.
When is it used?
Pop-on captions should be used for pre-recorded broadcast programming with multiple speakers.
For an example of pop-on captioning view the video on this page: pop-on video
Subtitling
What is it?
Subtitles pop on and off the screen just like pop-on captions but they typically do not have a black background and can be any font and color.
When is it used?
Subtitles should always be used for DVD and Blu-ray Discs as they can be turned on and off through the menu. They should also be used for broadcasts in countries where the programming is of a language other than the country's primary language.
For an example of subtitles view the video on this page: subtitling video
*Please note that this article's aim is to be a general explanation for the person that has no prior knowledge of the topic. It does not go into depth on the technical differences between captioning and subtitling. I specifically talk about captions for broadcasting and not other purposes like online video, et cetera. When I speak about captioning, I am referring to Line 21 (analog) captioning, not captioning for HD.
Since Blu-ray has largely become accepted as the new HD disc format standard, there have been many inquiries about closed captioning and subtitling for Blu-ray Discs (BD).
To set the record straight, Blu-ray does not support traditional closed captioning. This is for a practical reason: subtitles on Blu-ray can be easily turned on and off through the disc's menu, just like with standard DVDs. Consequently, BD does not support Line 21, the traditional format for analog closed captions, because it adheres to modern High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specifications. These specs were designed to replace older digital and analog standards.
Converting SD Captions to HD Subtitles
If you're looking to transfer a DVD or any other standard-definition video to Blu-ray Disc, you might be concerned about the need to recreate subtitles. Fortunately, your closed captioning company can convert your existing caption files into Blu-ray-compatible subtitles for your authoring system. This might require some reformatting depending on the original captioning method used.
Enhanced Features of Blu-ray Subtitles
Blu-ray subtitles offer several advanced features compared to standard SD subtitles. Unlike SD subtitles, which are limited to a single font type, size, and color, Blu-ray allows for much greater flexibility. With Blu-ray, it’s possible to create multiple layers of subtitles, incorporating up to six different colors, fonts, and sizes. This means you can vary the appearance of subtitles for on-screen signs or dialogue, enhancing speaker identification and enriching the viewer’s experience. It’s even possible to make sound effects stand out from dialogue, turning basic subtitles into a visually engaging component of your media.
File Types for Blu-ray Subtitling
The file type for Blu-ray subtitles is an XML-based textual format accompanied by images (JPEG) of each subtitle. This is similar to the system used in DVD authoring, where the XML file serves as a directory, dictating the placement and timing of each subtitle image on the screen.
It's an Art.
A first-rate translation requires the know-how that cannot be rated by a translation program or a computer-assisted translation tool. Accuracy is not the only point of measurement. It's about immersing in another culture and offering words that wholly speak to the viewer.
What's fascinating about audio-visual translation is the creative authority the translator has. You must adapt the original dialogue to another culture through language. The translation turns into a new creation. This being said, the translator usually adheres to the original narration, but sometimes the translator will actually create their own dialogue to convey the same message in a better way. This new creation communicates more effectively than if the text were translated literally. If drastic changes are to be made, the translator will usually ensure to get authorization. For audio-visual translators, they usually find enjoyment in conjuring up the best way to adapt a song, a pun, or a joke into another culture, and another language.
Many subtitle viewers often complain that portions are missing in subtitles. The truth is, everything cannot be translated as subtitles are limited to around 40 characters per line. It doesn't matter how much is written in the subtitles if the viewer doesn't have time to read them. The subtitler's job is to shorten what is being said. This creates some tough decisions. They must decide which parts of the dialogue are important and which parts can be left out. If everything seems important, the extremely creative and challenging part is determining how to fit three ideas into one sentence.
I talk to people often about what kind of work I do. The general public has no idea what translation subtitles are all about. Typically, they say something like, "Isn't that for free" or "I thought that just happened by the TV or a computer." The people behind them (if they are good subtitlers like Aberdeen Captioning's team), are highly educated and markedly cultured individuals. They are usually people who have parents from two different countries or who have grown up in two or more countries. In addition to being multi-cultural, they are linguistic superstars. They have not only been brought up in a multi-cultural, multi-lingual environment, but they are extremely gifted and highly trained in writing. Take if from me, a person who bilingual in Spanish and English, but is not a translator: It takes much more than knowing a language to create a subtitled masterpiece.
Many companies in need of translation usually do not understand what they need. Given this ignorance, they may come up with the idea of getting translations done automatically by a computer software. Once this is tried and tested for the first time, it is usually the last time, because the translation does not serve its original purpose: to communicate effectively with its target audience.
Consider the following before you decide to purchase an automated translation software:
I will give you the example of Spanish, as this is a language that I am fluent in. Think first about the register the language is using. In Spanish, there are two ways of addressing people, formal and informal. In English, there is only one. Not only do pronouns change depending upon the register being used, but verbs and other words change too. The software does not know what kind of register the people are using, and therefore poorly communicates entire sentences.
Then there is the word choice from the software. Imagine a newscaster. The language and the choice of words would be completely different than if the same words were being used while a father speaks to his son. This is because the software does not recognize who the speaker is, who he is addressing, if there is a difference in rank, social status, or the like. Think of English. Imagine kids playing soccer in the street in a low-class neighborhood. These children would not use the same vocabulary as a headmaster would who is addressing a teacher. All this is not taken into consideration by software that translates word-by-word.
Think of grammar differences between languages. In English the second person of the personal pronoun takes the same form for singular and plural: "you." In Spanish, there are four forms, two for singular (formal and informal) and two for plural (formal and informal). The software does not recognize this difference, making the conjugation of the verb that accompany the pronoun incorrect, because the verb in English almost always remains the same. Automated software does not know these nuances.
Your audience will most likely be from a given region of the target language. For example, in South America each country uses a different variant of Spanish. The nouns vary completely from one country to another. Just think of the differences between Australian, Canadian, British, and American English. Even though you still understand each other, every country has its own linguistic nuances.
Try it for yourself. Go to a website in a different language and copy some text. Go to Google translate. Paste the foreign language text and translate into English. Read the translation, and you will see my point exactly.
A good translation depends completely on the translator's ability to capture the essence of the text by using creativity--something only the human brain can achieve. Translating is an art. Software just puts words together, leaving much to be desired.
No peer pressure, but producers and broadcasters alike are seeing the importance of Spanish captioning to reach a broader audience.
Why all the hype?
Think of the statistics in the U.S.: Spanish is the second most common language in the United States after English, and the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. is growing each year. As of 2007, according to the United States Census Bureau, Spanish is the primary language spoken at home by over 34 million people. An unbelievable fact is that the United States, with 45 million Hispanics, is the world's second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the entire world! Mexico is the first, but the U.S. has more Spanish-speaking people than Spain, Argentina, and Colombia! Why would you want to miss out on such a huge market? No matter what the content of your programming is, I can assume one of your main goals is to reach as many viewers as possible, and with Spanish captioning, your viewership will automatically be on the rise.
English Programming with Spanish Captions
If you are broadcasting in English, you already must broadcast your content with English captions. So you are probably wondering how you can also broadcast with Spanish captions. English captions are usually decoded through CC1 and Spanish captions are typically decoded on CC2. On your TV menu, you can select CC1 or CC2. If the viewer is used to watching TV with Spanish captions, they probably always have CC2 selected. With this option, you are reaching the Spanish-speaking community in your broadcast area. If you are debating if captioning your English programming in Spanish is worth it, do an online search for the number of Spanish speakers there are in the area that you broadcast.
Spanish-language Programming with Spanish Captions
Broadcasting your Spanish-language programming with Spanish captions is now being mandated by the FCC: In the United States, all Spanish-language programming that was first shown after January 1, 1998, must be captioned by 2010. I know it may seem like another burden, but the good thing is, by captioning your Spanish-language programming, you will reach the Hispanic deaf and hard of hearing community, and once again, broadening your viewership. As you can imagine, the deaf and hard of hearing community is not limited to the English language--there is a considerable number of deaf and hard of hearing in the U.S. Hispanic community that want access to your programming.
Spanish Subtitles for DVD and Blu-ray
If you are putting out a DVD or Blu-ray Disc for distribution, you can reach your target audience with Spanish subtitles, as opposed to captions. Subtitles are burned on the video and can be turned on and off through the viewer's DVD menu, so they don't need to be decoded through a decoder chip in their TV. You should choose subtitles instead of captioning when authoring your disc because they look much nicer and are easier to read.
I usually don’t write about specific projects we work on, but the “Hearing Everett” project was particularly moving. One of the most unique aspects of the film for me, working for a closed-captioning company, is that the film illustrates a family helping the deaf in Mexico. Throughout the closed captioning and the subtitling of the project we worked through five different phases: transcription, caption editing, translation, subtitle editing, and quality assurance. Each person involved in creating the “words” for the film was extremely moved to say the least. While I was reviewing the subtitling, I caught myself reaching for the tissue box to wipe the tears from my cheeks pretty much throughout the entire review process. See what our Spanish translator, Enrico, had to say about his experience with the film:
Without a doubt, it is a remarkable, touching documentary.
I was blessed with the opportunity to translate this powerful testimony and I am certain it will greatly impact the people that get to see it the way it impacted us (I shared it with my wife) while working on it.
It made us realize once again the power and grace of our Omnipotent Lord. We truly believe God gave the old Everett and his family the grace and strength to keep on going after so many setbacks. He just took up the cross and followed while others (as me) just stand by and see in awe.
Best regards,
Enrico
Aberdeen was blessed to work on this project because James-Kirk Johnson, the Executive Producer of the film and Director of Operations for Strong Tower Ministries, contacted us after discovering our company through mutual contacts. Before we got involved in the project I visited one of James’ projects in Tijuana, Mexico, The Purple Palace, and was moved by the orphanage they had built and by the hearts of the children. Working on this project and seeing other things their ministry is doing helped me realize how much I can do to contribute, and the many opportunities there are right in my own backyard. Find out how you can help by visiting: strongtowerministries.info or hearingeverett.com
This past week, I felt how important time code was when authoring captions and subtitles to DVD and Blu-ray Disc authoring systems. Consistency is the name of the game. As a producer, editor, DVD authoring person, et cetera, you must be sure that the video your captioning company receives from the onset of the project, has the final time code.
Ask yourself some questions: Is the first frame of the video the same timecode on all video versions? Does the first spoken word start at the same time code? Does the last frame of the video end at the same time code? Am I authoring in drop, non-drop, FILM, et cetera? Pick one and stick with it for the entire project. The standard time code for authoring systems is drop (29.97 fps) and I recommend that you use this from the onset of the process. Your editing system may have a different default time code than your authoring system, so make sure they are the same. Have any edits been made from the initial video you gave your captioning company? Minor edits will affect the captioning or subtitling in a major way.
You may be wondering what the big deal is and why it isn’t simple for the captioning company to adjust. It’s just simply trying to coordinate changes, especially if we don’t know what is differences are between files. Sometimes it is an easy re-ripple of time code or a conversion from drop to non-drop time code. Sometimes, the final videos are so different that the time spent re-sending new captioning and subtitle files can be as laborious as actually creating them in the first place. The time it takes for the authoring person to re-render and check new files over and over again is time taken away from the final delivery of the authored DVD or Blu-ray Disc. The bottom line is this—send your captioning company the real deal the first time around.
Subtitles differ from closed captions by the way they are presented on the screen. Words appear in upper and lower case letters and can appear in various colors and fonts. Subtitles may be in English or any other language. On tape, subtitles are burned into the video and appear at all times. On a DVD, subtitles are able to be turned on or off through the DVD menu.
Translated subtitles require a skilled blend of translation and editing supported by state-of-the-art technology.
To ensure accurate translations, subtitling providers should employ native speakers who either live in or regularly return to their country of origin to maintain fluency in the respective languages. Be sure to ask the company you are contracting with if they always use native speakers.
It takes far longer to read than to listen, therefore each translation should be carefully edited, providing a comfortable reading speed for the viewer while maintaining the meaning and impact of the programming. There are many different subtitling guidelines out there, but at a bare minimum proper names, technical jargon and industry terms should be researched by the translator to ensure proper spelling and connotation. If you need something subtitled, be sure to provide the subtitling company with a list of technical jargon, terms, scripts, lexicon, et cetera, to ensure that the translator has the needed information to create an errorless translation conveying your program's meaning to its target audience.
