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There is no doubt that services such as closed captioning has made a dramatic difference to the television experience of people who are deaf or hard of hearing. However, the insistence from law makers that programming both on television and internet broadcasts carry this service reflects the essential nature it is recognised as having. There are, of course, other ways to provide aid to viewers, with tv audio description serving those who are visually impaired specifically. And, while traditionally, the teletext editor oversaw the provision of captioning services through the Subtitle 888 service, new technology in the digital age has meant that captioning duties are a separate entity. The range of uses for closed captions is quite vast, and is not just limited to viewers with hearing difficulties. In fact, broadcasts in any public place where the ability to hear dialogue is limited can prompt the use of captioning. There are two specific types of captioning types, the pop up and the scroll up types. These are rather self explanatory, with the names revealing the only real difference between the two. The first involves individual dialogue popping up, usually extending to no more than two lines and to a maximum of 32 characters per line. This is most commonly found on prerecorded programming, such as in DVD films, television series and documentaries. The second involves lines, also with a 32 character maximum, moving progressively upwards to a maximum of three lines. Viewers can read the text from the bottom line as the new lines appear. The text moves at intervals of only two or three seconds. Because of the nature of this option, it is particularly popular when providing captioning for live events, such as political debates, news services, and live conferences. The significance of closed caption services has been underlined in recent years, with the US in particular making the availability of the services obligatory for Spanish language video programming since January, 2010. Meanwhile, in October, 2010, the provision of a button on HDTV set top box remotes to allow users to activate or deactivate closed caption capabilities was signed into law. The issue with HDTV related to the incompatibility that existed between HD technology and either the DVD player or the cable box. The technology involved is high tech, with specifically designed software handling every step in the process, from creating the captions themselves through the encoding, transcoding, insertion and transmission stages. They can also handle the numerous file formats that make it possible to provide captions, not only on traditional or digital television but also on the internet and on mobile phone technologies, and can play them in several languages at a multinational viewership. Binding captioning to broadcast content can occur at one of three different periods. Early binding is accomplished for prerecorded programming, near to air binding occurs a short time ahead of broadcasting and, finally, live binding occurs when captioning must be produced, encoded and transmitted in real time as the broadcast is taking place. There are other viewer aids available, with audio description services allowing the blind or those with visual impairments the opportunity to hear more than just the dialogue in programming. This involves descriptions of scenes, of the facial expressions of characters, and other details that broadcasters and film makers would generally present only in a visual way. Imagine a sports commentator on radio who describes events as they happen to listeners during in a live game. The idea of tv audio description is the same. While television experiences have changed for everyone with the development of digital services, HD television imaging, digital teletext services, and on demand and interactive television advertising, it is no less true of the experience for people with sight and hearing impairments through the closed captioning capabilities so readily accessible today. Captioning and audio descriptions have meant broadcasters now have a larger market to broadcast to, and the fact that legislation exists to ensure the provision of such aids to those who need them, means that they are essential aspects of modern broadcasting as a whole. For the teletext editor, once the overseer of captioning for programming that was available via the 888 service, the service is now in the domain of more capable technology. Kathryn Dawson writes articles for Softel, a leading United Kingdom supplier of TV graphics, interactive TV, and teletext, closed captioning and subtitling technology to TV broadcasters, network operators, and professional video facilities, across the globe. Their full range of products, professional services and bespoke development, enable broadcasters across the world to reach as many viewers as possible. Find out about their tv audio description and teletext editor software today.
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