Subtitles and Caption Introduction to Caption 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of closed captions (CC) compared to open captions?
- Open captions are always in color; closed captions are black and white
- Closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer; open captions are permanently burned into the video (Correct answer)
- Open captions are only for foreign-language content; closed captions are for English only
- Closed captions require a special decoder box; open captions do not
Correct answer: Closed captions can be turned on or off by the viewer; open captions are permanently burned into the video
Closed captions are optional overlays the viewer can toggle, while open captions are embedded directly into the video frame.
Question 2: Which U.S. federal law first mandated closed captioning for television broadcasts?
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
- Telecommunications Act of 1996
- Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 (Correct answer)
- Rehabilitation Act of 1973
Correct answer: Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990
The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 required all televisions 13 inches or larger sold in the U.S. to include built-in closed caption decoders.
Question 3: In captioning, what does the term 'verbatim captioning' mean?
- Captions that include only key words and phrases
- Captions that translate dialogue into a simpler vocabulary
- Captions that reproduce every spoken word exactly as said (Correct answer)
- Captions that paraphrase spoken content for clarity
Correct answer: Captions that reproduce every spoken word exactly as said
Verbatim captioning captures every spoken word, including false starts, filler words, and repetitions.
Question 4: Which caption file format stores timing information using hours, minutes, seconds, and frames (HH:MM:SS;FF)?
- SRT
- VTT
- SCC (Correct answer)
- TTML
Correct answer: SCC
SCC (Scenarist Closed Captions) uses SMPTE timecode in HH:MM:SS;FF format to sync captions to video frames.
Question 5: A caption editor notices that two lines of text appear on screen simultaneously. What is the maximum recommended number of lines per caption frame according to best practices?
- 1 line
- 2 lines (Correct answer)
- 3 lines
- 4 lines
Correct answer: 2 lines
Best practices recommend no more than two lines of text per caption frame to avoid obstructing too much of the video.
Question 6: What distinguishes subtitles from captions when both are used on the same video?
- Subtitles are larger text; captions are smaller text
- Subtitles translate dialogue for hearing viewers; captions also convey non-speech audio for deaf viewers (Correct answer)
- Subtitles are only used online; captions are only used on broadcast TV
- Subtitles appear at the top of the screen; captions appear at the bottom
Correct answer: Subtitles translate dialogue for hearing viewers; captions also convey non-speech audio for deaf viewers
Subtitles assume the viewer can hear and translate language, while captions also describe sound effects and speaker identification for viewers who cannot hear.
Question 7: Which organization publishes the most widely used style guidelines for closed captioning in the United States?
- Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Caption Action 2
- Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) (Correct answer)
- National Captioning Institute (NCI)
Correct answer: Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP)
The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) publishes the Captioning Key, a comprehensive style guide widely adopted across the industry.
Subtitles and Caption Introduction to Caption 2
What is the primary purpose of closed captions (CC) compared to open captions?