Subtitle Definition: According to HTML5 documentation, a subtitle is defined as dialogue transcription or translation. It is recommended when the sound is available with the video track but usually not understood due to language barriers.

Caption Definition: HTML5 documentation defines captions as transcription or translation of every part of the soundtrack. A soundtrack basically includes dialogues, sound, musical effects, and sometimes audio that is not completely decipherable or mute. In all these cases, captions provide all the information, like “birds chirping in the background,” and then some dialogue starts.

History of Subtitles and Captions with their use

Technically, filmmaking started in 1896, and it was only possible in 1906 to release a full-feature film. It was a without sound film titled “The Story of the Kelly Gang”. This period is usually called the silent era. Before 1908 is called the early silent period, and it is when “intertitles” started appearing in films. These intertitles can be defined as a title card or a printed text which is edited into the middle of the photographed section. In the silent era, “intertitles” started getting superimposed with the “subtitles” through the use of devices to project subtitles below the intertitles. In 1909, M. N. Tropp displayed additional text called “subtitles” on the bottom of the screen below the “intertitles.”

During the late silent era of 1918-1926, language addition was possible with the use of intertitles and subtitles. When films started having audio capabilities, subtitles were widespread and used interchangeably for intertitles. In the modern era, subtitles have evolved into captions to provide more information other than a mere transcription of dialogues. The use of commercial open-captioned broadcasts began on PBS in 1972, and Closed captioning got first demonstrated in Nashville, Tennessee, the US, at the First National Conference in 1971 on Television for the Hearing Impaired. The closed captions display text as an additional layer in the video that can be turned off. This gives closed captions an advantage over open captions, which are embedded in the video itself.

Role of Subtitles and Captions in Video Experience

As we have understood through their history, subtitles were early text capabilities getting added to a film. They were majorly used to communicate long and extra text other than intertitles. After the interchangeability of intertitles to subtitles, it was majorly getting used to translating the use of language in the form of text or transcription of foreign language audio. Until the 1970s, audio transcription got commercialized and evolved into captions.

The captions are to provide additional information other than the dialogues. It includes a transcription of dialogues, sound, musical effects, and sometimes audio that is not completely decipherable or mute. This enhances the user experience for all users and not only for people requiring hearing aid.

Also, the ability to switch these text layers and turn them off is a differentiating functionality. Closed Captions and Open Captions serve only on the On and Off functionality. The role of closed captions is just their functionality of turning themselves off and not requiring any kind of text embedding into the video.

The current popularity is mostly towards handling multiple language captions and creating automated captions from videos. The use of powerful language models like GPT-3, etc., also enhances this transcription process. Ultimately, Subtitles and captions can help improve the video experience for viewers by providing them with a way to follow along with the action sounds, music, background voice, and dialogue attached to the video. They can also help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing to follow along with a video.

Subtitle or Caption – which one is better?

Subtitles and Captions both get used nowadays interchangeably. It is clear that captions contain more information than subtitles, but sometimes it is required enough one. For example, a new Hollywood release having a scene of an undecipherable alien communicating is better to be embedded into a movie video. This is because of the required ubiquity due to being an alien language and also due to the inconvenience of creating a caption or subtitle file to handle a small transcription.

Unlike the cases discussed in the above example, closed captions are more suitable than subtitles. The closed caption file contains more information about the other sounds an audio file contains. It still carries the text formatting of subtitles with a timestamp of each dialogue or sound effect. But with more information, the video experience improves for anyone requiring assistance. Also, those who don’t prefer these text overlays can easily turn off the captions in case of closed captions. We’ve also written a blog on Closed Captions vs Subtitles and covered this topic in much more detail, do check it out if you want to know more about the topic in much more detail.

How to Add Captions to Video?

Before adding subtitles or captions to your videos, it must be understood that it is possible only through attaching SRT, WebVTT, etc. files to your videos. Even the auto-captions services create a file through language models and attach the same with the video. After a closed caption file gets attached, it can be easily turned On and Off using the player functionality. It is also possible to add multiple caption files for multiple languages. All these upload options are provided by the platform on which your videos are uploaded or streamed through. As soon as the file gets attached to the video, it will be automatically fed through the iframe containing the < video > element containing the video.

Alternatively, the process is just like adding HTML attributes if you want to add captions directly to a video source URL via HTML. In this case, you will embed a video using the < video > tag and adding the required subtitles via the < track > tag within the video tag element. A compatible format for such embedding requires the captions file to be uploaded in WebVTT format. An example of the same is shown below.

<video id="video" controls preload="metadata">

<source src="video-file.mp4" type="video/mp4" />

<track label="English"
kind="subtitles"
srclang="en"
src="captions-en.vtt" default />

<track label="Deutsch"
kind="subtitles"
srclang="de"
src="captions-de.vtt" />

</video>

How to Add Different Language Subtitles to a Video?

Some online programs and software allow automatic captions by using speech-to-text language models. As a public video platform, YouTube also provides automatic captions in English, Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, Indonesian, and Spanish.

In the previous section, we discussed the addition of subtitles or captions to a video in multiple languages using HTML code. But where to add the multiple language formatted captions file is totally different for every platform, but the process remains nearly the same. For example, the following steps are followed to upload a multi-language custom subtitles or captions file to YouTube.

• Sign in to YouTube Studio.
• Select Subtitles from the left menu.
• Select the video that you’d like to add captions to.
• Click ADD LANGUAGE and select your desired language.
• Under subtitles, click ADD.

Similarly, if you are using a video hosting service for a private or subscription-based eLearning or OTT platform, only the platform changes, and the approach for attaching remains the same. For example, many eLearning solutions that use secure hosting provider like VdoCipher follows nearly the same steps as,

• Sign in to VdoCipher Dashboard.
• Click on the edit button of the video where captions/subtitles are to be added.
• Now click on the subtitles tab.
• Select your desired language and upload the respective VTT or SRT file.
• This will attach the file and can be turned On during playback for that video.

Best way to add subtitles to video for iPhone, Windows and PC

HTML5 video player is the easiest way to add subtitles and captions support to your videos with compatibility for iOS, mac, Windows, and other browsers and devices. Since HTML5 player has compatibility with most of devices and operating systems, the video can be easily attached with respective subtitle files. It not only supports a single caption file but also multi-language SRT and WebVTT files for different languages.

With an HTML5 player, you can also add the feature of illegal download protection by adding a DRM protection layer over it. Such options are also available with easy integration features through providers like VdoCipher. You can reach a global audience on Desktops, Android, IOS, and other devices. Also, through SDK Integration support for Android and IOS Native apps, HTML 5 adaptive player eases the captioning process during the playback. We’ve also written a blog on how to stream videos on iOS using AVPlayer, do check it out to know more about video streaming in iOS.

Best Online Video Player with Subtitles, Closed Captions & DRM

HTML5 players are considered the best players for supporting the latest technical advancements. Custom HTML5 players also support multi-language subtitles and captions support for global audiences. Also, they are the most secure video players when they get coupled with Video DRM Encryption.

VdoCipher HTML5 advanced player has all these features and many more customization features like,

• Enable Caption Search
• Multi-Language Subtitles
• Adaptive Bitrate Streaming
• Show Progress Bar
• Show Scrubbing Preview
• Auto Resume
• Enable Keyboard Shortcuts
• Primary Color change via Hex color code
• Show Time Text
• Show Quality Control
• Enable PiP
• Enable AirPlay
• Hide Controls on Pause
• Show Replay At the End
• Enable Lock Controls
• Enable Save Offline

With so many feature-adding options, VdoCipher HTML5 advanced player is not only the most secure but also the most customizable as per brand needs.

How to auto-generate and add subtitles to video offline using Python for free

We can use many online tools, but most are either paid, or the trial version allows limited use. That is why we have tried to use some python libraries and Mozilla deep speech open-source engine for speech-to-text conversion. The complete process can be divided into the following code steps.

Install essential libraries and models-

$ sudo apt-get install ffmpeg
$ pip install deepspeech==0.8.2
# Downloading Language Model files
$ wget https://github.com/mozilla/DeepSpeech/releases/download/v0.8.2/deepspeech-0.8.2-models.pbmm
$ wget https://github.com/mozilla/DeepSpeech/releases/download/v0.8.2/deepspeech-0.8.2-models.scorer

Extract Audio separately-

import subprocess
def extractAudio(input_file, audio_file_name):
command = “ffmpeg -hide_banner -loglevel warning -i {} -b:a 192k -ac 1 -ar 16000 -vn {}”.format(input_file, audio_file_name)
try:
ret = subprocess.call(command, shell=True)
print(“Extracted audio to audio/{}”.format(audio_file_name.split(“/”)[-1]))
except Exception as e:
print(“Error: “, str(e))
exit(1)

Generating segment limits-

def silenceRemoval(input_file, smoothing_window = 1.0, weight = 0.2):
[fs, x] = read_audio_file(input_file)
segmentLimits = silence_removal(x, fs, 0.05, 0.05, smoothing_window, weight)

for i, s in enumerate(segmentLimits):
strOut = “{0:s}_{1:.3f}-{2:.3f}.wav”.format(input_file[0:-4], s[0], s[1])
wavfile.write(strOut, fs, x[int(fs * s[0]):int(fs * s[1])])

Producing a SRT file-

import numpy as np
from deepspeech import Model

def ds_process_audio(audio_file, file_handle):
ds = Model(ds_model)
ds.enableExternalScorer(ds_scorer)

fin = wave.open(audio_file, ‘rb’)
audio = np.frombuffer(fin.readframes(fin.getnframes()), np.int16)
fin.close()

# Perform inference on audio segment
infered_text = ds.stt(audio)

# File name contains start and end times in seconds. Extract that
limits = audio_file.split(“/”)[-1][:-4].split(“_”)[-1].split(“-“)

if len(infered_text) != 0:
line_count += 1
write_to_file(file_handle, infered_text, line_count, limits)

Note: If you need to convert SRT to WebVTT file, there are multiple free online converters to do so.

FAQs

What handles subtitles during playback?

The player handling the playback handles the subtitles or closed captions through the supported format file. In the case of embedded subtitles or open captions, it is handled via a video editor placing the text layer during production.

Do subtitles and captions cause any security issues?

No, they do not create any security issues as they are fed as separate files to be attached to the main video file. The video security issues are generally handled via DRM security for video content encryption and dynamic and encrypted playback.

Which is better, WebVTT or SRT file?

A WebVTT file is identical to the SRT subtitle file but contains additional styling, rendering, text formatting, and position options. It needs UTF-8 encoding and is highly compatible with HTML5 video players.

How to handle srt player online playback issues?

A player issue in such cases gets resolved through a reload, but if there is an issue with the SRT or WebVTT file, it needs to be addressed through re-upload or error rectification in the respective file.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post Online Video Player with Subtitles & add captions to video appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Many even think subtitles and closed captions are the same things, but there is a difference. Captions are designed to provide access to persons who are hard of hearing or deaf, while subtitles translate foreign language dialogues. The blog presents a deeper understanding of closed captions, their types, subtitles, and the difference between them.

What are Captions?

Captions are the textual representation of the audio content of a video, television broadcast, live event, or production about everything, whether it is eCommerce in Australia or else. The dialogue and all associated sound effects are displayed on the screen along with the video in real time. Captioning helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing get the complete essence of what is happening in the video. In the 1970s, captions were introduced for television and were later made mandatory under the law.

Types of Captions

Commonly, captions are of two types, Open Captions, and Closed Captions.

Open captions were used in the initial years of captioning. The open captions were ‘burned-in’ or hard-coded or embedded directly into the video and cannot be turned off. These captions are mostly used when it’s an absolute necessity, limiting the viewer’s choice. A movie theatre is an example where open captioning might be used; otherwise, those having hearing problems can miss out on the dialogue. In the 1970s, open captioning in broadcasts began with PBS’s The French Chef. Commonly used in social media videos or offline videos.

The most popular type of captioning is closed captioning. Here, the captions can be turned on and off as per viewer’s discretion. The captions are not visible until the user turns them on. Some remote controls have a caption button for better control.

The symbol for the closed caption is two C’s – [CC] which you find in the lower bottom of the video screen.

How Do Closed Captions Work?

The closed captions are embedded in the video signal and in line 21 of the vertical blanking interval. It is the section of the television signal that tells the electron gun to shoot back up to the upper screen’s left corner to start painting the next frame. Line 21 in the blanking interval region is assigned to captioning and also V-chip and time information. The closed captions are visible to the viewer when decoded by a decoder, built into the television, or using separate decoder.

During live events like the broadcast of live news on television, closed captioning becomes somewhat more challenging. After the words have been spoken, closed captioning is delivered within seconds delay. This is done by excellent stenographers who listen to the live broadcast and put down the words which are captioned to the television screen.

What are Subtitles?

Simply put, subtitles are transcription or translation of the video dialogue when sound is available but not understood by the viewer. An example is a video played in a foreign language. Although subtitles look similar to closed captions, the former provides a text form of the video dialogue with the assumption that the viewer can hear. They are categorized as intralingual subtitles (same language) and interlingual subtitles (different language).

Nowadays, many platforms combine closed captions and subtitles under the category ‘Subtitles for the deaf or hard-of-hearing (SDH).’

• SDH subtitles are intended for deaf or hard-of-hearing viewers, unlike subtitles. SDH includes additional information, such as speaker tags, sound effects, and other elements outside of the speech. They usually appear centered in the lower bottom third of the screen.
• For example, SDH subtitles will indicate audio elements such as music, sneezing or laughter. Similar to subtitles, SDH also runs simultaneously with the audio or video file.
• SDH subtitles support encoding through HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) as they are encoded as a series of pixels. Closed Captions do not support HDMI encoding as encoded in text and commands.

Difference Between Closed Captions and Subtitles

Usually, people consider closed captions and subtitles as the same, but there is a distinction.

Both closed captions and subtitles are the text versions of the audio spoken in the video. Closed captions are created for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Hence, closed captions include all the audio sounds, including background sound, sound effects, speaker changes, and all relevant sounds.

Subtitles, unlike closed captions, are created to translate the video audio into an alternate language the viewer understands. For example, a viewer who does not understand Spanish can easily watch the video with English subtitles. You may have seen movies shot in French and screened in a Hindi-speaking country with subtitles.

Closed captions more accurately convey what is going on on-screen, while subtitles are a meaningful way to translate the dialogue into another language. In both of them, the text on the screen is synchronized with the words spoken in the video.

How Closed Captions vs Subtitles Terminology varies with Countries

The meaning of subtitles and captions changes with countries. In the regions of Canada and the United States, both terms have different meanings. Subtitles are for those who can hear but cannot understand the language or when the audio is not clearly audible. Closed captions, on the other hand, are for those who are deaf and hard of hearing and include spoken dialogues and music, and sound effects.

In the UK, Ireland, and many other countries, both terms are collectively called subtitles. While for those hard of hearing, captioning becomes ‘subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH).’

In New Zealand, an ear icon with a line represents subtitles for the hard of hearing, now referred to as captions.

Importance of Multi-Language Captions and Subtitles

The global Captioning and Subtitling Solution market size is projected to reach US$ 476.9 million by 2028, from US$ 282 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 7.7% during 2022-2028.

The key drivers of the increase in the growing demand are the surging popularity of video content and the rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime with multi-lingual subtitle support. These platforms, media, and all video production-related industries use multi-language subtitles and captions to reach wider audiences and make content accessible across the globe irrespective of language barriers.

Not only captions and subtitles are for those hard of hearing or non-native speakers, but they also help those who have slow-paced verbal communication or have a noisy background. Viewers can choose their language and multilingual subtitles make the content go global, breaking the language constraints.

Internet penetration has allowed worldwide access to videos on various channels. Everything from social platforms to eLearning courses is readily available in video format. Creators cannot create videos multiple times in different languages instead, videos have subtitles attached to them. Search engines like Google and YouTube use accompanying text with the video to index them.

Parasite director Bong Joon-ho in 2020 Golden Globes acceptance speech – ‘Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films’

Need for Captions and Subtitles

Improves Accessibility for people

According to the World Health Organization, by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people are projected to have some sort of hearing disability. Currently, more than 5% of the global population has a hearing loss disability. With such a growing population of hard-of-hearing and deaf individuals, adding captions and subtitles increases accessibility. The people will leave the video or website where it is hosted if the video content is not accessible to them.

According to The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), civil rights law prohibits discrimination against persons with disability. Although ADA does not explicitly mention online video captioning, numerous lawsuits set legal clauses on video accessibility. The 2012 lawsuit, National Association of the Deaf v. Netflix, categorizes Netflix as a ‘place of public accommodation’ and hence requires closed captioning.

Language barrier

Providing subtitles is considerably beneficial to reach wider audiences all over the world. According to Statista, in 2022, nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide will have English as their native or second language, just more than 1.1 billion Mandarin Chinese speakers. Being multicultural, Spanish is the second most common language spoken in the United States. With such a diversity of languages, you are most likely to utilize the full potential of your content with subtitling.

Retains Viewership

Closed captioning helps to watch videos in sound-sensitive environments. In today’s time, whether commuting on public transport or keeping the content volume restricted, closed captioning is of great importance. Even when people are watching videos, they are likely to read captions if the speech rate is high or some words are unclear or unknown. It makes the video meaningful even with no sounds. It increases the retention rate and the average watch time.

Improve seo

When you host videos on Google, YouTube, or Facebook, the algorithm indexes them through the text associated with them. Also, search engines treat each language as a separate result, hence videos with SRT (SubRip Subtitle file) translations have higher search rankings. The plain-text SRT files contain important information about subtitles, (timecodes of your text to check the compatibility match of subtitles with your audio), and the sequential number of subtitles.

Improves language learning

For most of us, watching foreign language videos helps us get insight into the language. It helps gain proficiency in learning words, conversations and colloquialisms. Subtitles displayed on the screen along with the video further improve your vocabulary. In addition to the words, you get a visual element associated with them which makes you learn and remember them for long.

Subtitle and Caption File Formats

The file format of captions and subtitles depends on the website your videos are hosted on. SubRip Video Subtitle Script (*.srt) , WebVTT (*.vtt), Sonic Scenarist Closed Caption (*.SCC), Flash XML in Timed Text Authoring Format DFXP (*.xml) or (*.dfxp), PBS COVE (*.sami) and many more. The most popularly used formats for video streaming are .srt and .vtt.

SRT File Format

SRT stands for SubRip Text and is the most basic and easy-to-use subtitle format. It was initially used to extract captions and subtitles from media files using DVD-ripping software, hence the name. It contains a sequential number of subtitles, start and end timestamps, and subtitle text. Before the SRT Text format, caption files used XML-based code, which was clunky.

1. A numeric counter indicating the number or position of the subtitles
2. The start and end time of the subtitle separated by –> characters
3. Subtitle text in one or more lines.
4. A blank line indicating the end of the subtitle.

VTT File Format

The next most popular caption and subtitle file format is Web Video Text Tracks (WebVTT). The main differentiating factor between vtt file format and srt is that the former can include metadata while srt can’t. The metadata in your subtitle helps promote online visibility. VTT format was initially created in 2010 with the idea of having srt as the base and enabling HTML5 code functionalities. The features include font, coloring, text formatting, and movements across the video.

1. Chapters for content navigation
2. Text video descriptions
3. Other metadata aligned with audio or video content

How to Upload your Subtitles and Captions for Hosted Videos

According to multiple Video Hosting providers, content creators are nowadays more focussed towards the security of their video content and advanced player integration. An advanced player is the only medium through which your content can be synchronized with the attached captions. Thus it is the responsibility of the hosting provider to provide necessary functionality with the player to search and attach multiple language subtitles and captions.

Advanced hosting providers not only provide you with dashboard and APIs to attach subtitles and captions files but also DRM encryption. For example, VdoCipher provides APIs and plugins for easy integration and also you get a fully versatile dashboard for manual attachment of subtitles and captions files. The dashboard also contains security, access management, player customization, analytics and other important features required for a professional video creator.

To add single or multi language subtitles or captions through VdoCipher dashboard, you can follow the following steps.

• Sign in to VdoCipher Dashboard.
• Click on the edit button of the video where captions/subtitles are to be added.
• Now click on the subtitles tab.
• Select your desired language and upload the respective VTT or SRT file.

• This will attach the file and can be turned On during playback for that video.

Note: other video platforms like YouTube also have similar steps for uploading captions with minor differences in selection via dashboard.

You can read more about how to add subtitles to a video on one of our other blogs in more detail.

Closed Captions vs Subtitles

Closed captions and subtitles are two types of text that can be added to video content to help viewers understand what is being said on-screen. Closed captions are designed to provide a complete textual representation of the audio, including background sounds and speaker changes, making them ideal for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. Subtitles, on the other hand, assume that the viewer can hear the audio and only provide a textual representation of the spoken dialogue. As a result, subtitles may not include important contextual information like sound effects or speaker identification. Both closed captions and subtitles can be useful for viewers who are not fluent in the language of the video, but closed captions are typically preferred for accessibility purposes.

FAQs

How to turn off closed captions on Android?

• • There are two ways of turning off closed captions on Android.
  • Go to the watch page of any video.
  • Tap the video player once to show options, then tap cc to turn on Captions.
  • To turn off Captions, tap cc again.

Or

• On an Android device, go to settings.
• Additional settings<Accessibility<Caption preferences (under hearing) – toggle
• There are even options to change caption size, style, and language preferences.

Can Captions and subtitles be downloaded on YouTube?

Yes, YouTube videos with subtitles attached to them can be downloaded as text. It could help in offline viewing, research or studying.

How to put closed captions on Netflix?

Open Netflix. Select the Audio & Subtitles icon at either the bottom or top of the screen. Choose from the languages or select Other to see all language options based on location and language settings.

Jyoti

Jyoti began her career as a software engineer in HCL with UNHCR as a client. She started evolving her technical and documentation writing skills to become a full-time Content Marketer at VdoCipher.

The post Closed Captions vs Subtitles differences, formatting and working appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.