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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.

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.