Info@capitalcaptions.com
+44 (0) 01622 746 525
Capital Captions
  • |
  • COMPANY
    • A Top UK Subtitling Company
    • Video Transcription Company
    • Corporate Testimonials
    • Individual Reviews
    • Video Transcription Layouts
    • Why Choose Us
    • Contact us
  • SUBTITLES
    • ONLINE SUBTITLE SERVICES
      • Broadcast Subtitles
      • YouTube Subtitles
      • Subtitling Services for E-Learning
      • Subtitle Writing Formats
    • SUBTITLING GUIDELINES
      • What are .SRT Subtitles?
      • EBU-TT and EBU-STL Subtitles
      • Subtitle Burning and Formatting
      • Subtitle Placement
      • All Subtitle Services
    • FOREIGN SUBTITLING AND TRANSLATION
      • French Subtitling Services
      • German Subtitling Services
      • Italian Subtitling Services
      • Spanish Subtitling Services
      • Portuguese Subtitling Services
      • Chinese Subtitling Services
  • SERVICES
    • VOICEOVERS AND DUBBING SERVICES
      • Subtitling and Video Translation Processes
      • Foreign Transcription Services
      • BSL Interpreting Services
      • Voiceovers and Dubbing Services
      • Audio Description Services
    • VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
      • TRANSCRIPTION
      • Conference Transcription
      • Legal Transcription
      • Research Transcription
      • Medical Transcription
      • Transcription Guidelines
      • All Transcription Sectors
    • TRANSLATION SERVICES
      • French Subtitling Services
      • German Subtitling Services
      • Italian Subtitling Services
      • Spanish Subtitling Services
      • Portuguese Subtitling Services
      • Greek Subtitling Services
      • Chinese Subtitling Services
      • Russian Subtitling Services
      • All Translation sectors
    • DOCUMENT SERVICES
      • Proofreading Services
      • Document Formatting Services
      • Copy Typing Services
      • Data Entry Services
      • Promote Your Business
  • CLOSED CAPTIONS
    • BROADCAST CLOSED CAPTIONS
      • Video on Demand Closed Captioning Services
      • Captions for the Deaf
    • AMAZON VIDEO CLOSED CAPTIONING
      • Closed Captions Legal Obligations
      • Closed Captioning Services – FAQs
    • STANDARD CLOSED CAPTIONING GUIDELINES
      • Video Closed Captions Formatting
      • Closed Captioning Service Categories
  • BLOG
  • QUOTE
    • Payment
    • Get a Quote
    • Upload Files
    • Our Service Rates
    • Client Area
  • CONTACT
    • Work with Capital Captions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
Capital Captions
  • COMPANY
    • A Top UK Subtitling Company
    • Video Transcription Company
    • Corporate Testimonials
    • Individual Reviews
    • Video Transcription Layouts
    • Why Choose Us
    • Contact us
  • SUBTITLES
    • ONLINE SUBTITLE SERVICES
      • Broadcast Subtitles
      • YouTube Subtitles
      • Subtitling Services for E-Learning
      • Subtitle Writing Formats
    • SUBTITLING GUIDELINES
      • What are .SRT Subtitles?
      • EBU-TT and EBU-STL Subtitles
      • Subtitle Burning and Formatting
      • Subtitle Placement
      • All Subtitle Services
    • FOREIGN SUBTITLING AND TRANSLATION
      • French Subtitling Services
      • German Subtitling Services
      • Italian Subtitling Services
      • Spanish Subtitling Services
      • Portuguese Subtitling Services
      • Chinese Subtitling Services
  • SERVICES
    • VOICEOVERS AND DUBBING SERVICES
      • Subtitling and Video Translation Processes
      • Foreign Transcription Services
      • BSL Interpreting Services
      • Voiceovers and Dubbing Services
      • Audio Description Services
    • VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION
      • TRANSCRIPTION
      • Conference Transcription
      • Legal Transcription
      • Research Transcription
      • Medical Transcription
      • Transcription Guidelines
      • All Transcription Sectors
    • TRANSLATION SERVICES
      • French Subtitling Services
      • German Subtitling Services
      • Italian Subtitling Services
      • Spanish Subtitling Services
      • Portuguese Subtitling Services
      • Greek Subtitling Services
      • Chinese Subtitling Services
      • Russian Subtitling Services
      • All Translation sectors
    • DOCUMENT SERVICES
      • Proofreading Services
      • Document Formatting Services
      • Copy Typing Services
      • Data Entry Services
      • Promote Your Business
  • CLOSED CAPTIONS
    • BROADCAST CLOSED CAPTIONS
      • Video on Demand Closed Captioning Services
      • Captions for the Deaf
    • AMAZON VIDEO CLOSED CAPTIONING
      • Closed Captions Legal Obligations
      • Closed Captioning Services – FAQs
    • STANDARD CLOSED CAPTIONING GUIDELINES
      • Video Closed Captions Formatting
      • Closed Captioning Service Categories
  • BLOG
  • QUOTE
    • Payment
    • Get a Quote
    • Upload Files
    • Our Service Rates
    • Client Area
  • CONTACT
    • Work with Capital Captions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
Info@capitalcaptions.com
+44 (0) 01622 746 525

About Subtitles and Closed Captions Terminology

about subtitles and closed captions
by JodeneAntoniou May 30, 2017 in  General posts, Subtitles and captioning closed captioning, closed captions, foreign subtitles, subtitle services, subtitling, Video transcription 0

There are so many terms and definitions floating around in the subtitling and closed captioning industry. For clients or professionals new to the sector, the complexity can seem overwhelming but it’s not all as complicated as it sounds. This blog explores terminology about subtitles and closed captions, to help you understand just what the hell it is we’re all talking about!

About Subtitles and Closed Captions – Basic Terms

Subtitles – Onscreen text that displays on a video, which includes speech.

Open Subtitles – Open subtitles are burned onto a video. They cannot be turned on or off but rather display on a video as an image.

Closed/Teletext Subtitles – Closed subtitles for broadcast are sent as a stream of characters encoded in the broadcast feed. Closed subtitles are often provided in foreign languages. The display of closed subtitles can be turned on or off and if applicable, different languages can be selected.

Closed Captions – Closed captions are similar to subtitles but rather than being burned on, are accessible through a decoder. Television closed captions for broadcast have been typically encoded into Line-21 and actually broadcast separately to the video feed. 

Closed Captions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing – Pretty much what it says on the tin! Closed captions of this nature include sound effects, indication of music, vocal sounds and speaker identification where required.

SDH – The American term for closed captions for the deaf. SDH stands for Subtitles for Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Foreign subtitles – Subtitles which are in a different language to the source video.

Forced Subtitles – Forced subtitles display on portions of a video and cannot be turned off. They are typically used when the language changes in a video to which a viewer will need access. For instance, subtitles in Elvish during the Lord of the Rings movies.

Narrative Captions – Used frequently in documentaries, narrative captions are burned on and cannot be removed. They outline important information, names, dates or titles in a movie or programme.

Localisation – In-depth translation which take into account cultural or regional differences. In terms of subtitles, localisation can also relate to changing the encoding of a foreign subtitle file in order to display foreign characters correctly.

Closed Caption and Subtitle Timing Related Terms

Reading Speed – The rate at which text displays in relation to length of text divided by time. Reading speed can be calculated as words per minute or characters per second. It ensures there is sufficient time for viewers to read any given subtitle or closed caption.

Sync – The process of aligning time exactly with the appearance and disappearance of each caption.

Offset – Shifting the timing of a subtitle to be before or after its current position, (without changing the amount of time displayed) in order to achieve better sync.

Logging Rushes – Time coded transcription with notation of shot changes and other important information around filming which is then used for video editing, prior to creating subtitles or closed captions.

In/Show time – The time at which a caption appears onscreen.

Out/Hide time – The time at which a caption disappears off-screen.

Helper files – Automatic files created for a video which outline information on shot changes, audio stream and timings.

Closed Caption and Subtitle Formatting Terms

Alignment – The positioning of captions horizontally on a video, for instance, centre, left aligned or right aligned.

Placement – Caption position changes in order to aid ease of reading where there are forced subtitles, text, or a busy background. Placement can be top, bottom, central or specified exactly by the subtitle editor.

Subtitle background – A coloured box that displays behind subtitle or closed caption text in order to help ease of reading. This colour is typically black but can also display as a shadow.

Pop-on Subtitles – Traditional subtitles which appear and disappear off screen in a set position. 

Roll-up Subtitles – Subtitles that appear one line at a time, rolling down to the next. These typically display up to three lines at a time and are often used for online or live closed captioning.

Paint-on Subtitles – Paint-on subtitles appear in incremental stages from left to right as dialogue is spoken.

Aspect Ratio – The ratio size of the video display, which can differ in terms of the input as well as output video format and resolution.

Burning – A video editing process which includes converting a subtitle to an image format which is then permanently ‘burned’ to display on the video.

Encoding – The process of attaching subtitles or closed captions as text to a video file, broadcast or feed so that a viewer can turn them on or off. 

That’s our comprehensive guide to terminology about subtitles and closed captions. Do check back for more updates and useful terms and we’ll continue to ensure this information is up to date. 

Get a Quote

Check out our most

Recent Posts

Subtitles for Education

by JodeneAntoniou0

Current global events have exponentially ramped up the use of online video content…

Read more

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

by JodeneAntoniou0

In today’s global economy, many businesses need to translate their videos, audio files…

Read more

Caption Services for Home Learning and Remote Working

by JodeneAntoniou0

During the coronavirus pandemic, many businesses have been spreading their messages and keeping…

Read more

Translation Services During Lockdowns and Reliable Subtitle Burning

by JodeneAntoniou0

The world seems to be in a spin right now. With the coronavirus…

Read more

Translating Video for Broadcast and VoD

by JodeneAntoniou0

When translating video for broadcast and VoD, it’s vitally important that the translation…

Read more

Working with Subtitle Companies to Boost SEO

by JodeneAntoniou0

In today’s digital world, online video content often plays a key role within…

Read more

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Previous Post

Professional Video Transcription and the Skills Involved

professional video transcription

General posts, Transcription services

Next Post

Transcription Services - Better Software for Better Results

Transcription-Services-Software

General posts, Transcription services

Comments are closed.

Latest Posts

Subtitles for education

Subtitles for Education

January 12, 2021

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

July 31, 2020

Caption Services for home learning and remote working

Caption Services for Home Learning and Remote Working

July 8, 2020

Categories

  • General posts
  • Subtitles and captioning
  • Transcription services
  • Translation
  • Voiceover and Dubbing

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

About Capital Captions

Capital Captions specialise in high quality subtitling, closed captioning, video transcription, translation, and voiceover services. Our flexible approach to working with video content means we can effectively provide a one-stop-shop for clients wanting to turn their audio into text.

Latest Posts

Subtitles for education

Subtitles for Education

January 12, 2021

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

July 31, 2020

Useful Links

About Us 

Our Services 

Contact 

Privacy Policy 

Terms and Conditions

Contact Info

01622 746 525
info@capitalcaptions.com
5 Rose Court, Vanity Lane, Linton, Maidstone, Kent ME17 4BP
Monday - Saturday: 8am - 9pm

Sunday 8am-5pm

© Capital Captions Typing Services 2020 | Registered Office: 5 Rose Court, Linton, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4BP, GBR. | Company Reg No: 1225097437 | VAT reg no: 345 4248 01

About Us

Capital Captions specialise in high quality subtitling, closed captioning, video transcription, translation, and voiceover services. Our flexible approach to working with video content means we can effectively provide a one-stop-shop for clients wanting to turn their audio into text.

Latest Posts

Subtitles for education

Subtitles for Education

January 12, 2021

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

Voiceover Services and Translation for Business

July 31, 2020

Caption Services for home learning and remote working

Caption Services for Home Learning and Remote Working

July 8, 2020

Contact Info

01622 746 525
Info@capitalcaptions.com
Monday - Saturday 8AM - 9PM