Thread Subject: Re: thoughts from another discussion (related)

From: Hoffman, Allen
Date: Wed, Feb 21 2007 2:10 PM

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I'd like to suggest we get a paper assembled to address the variety of
components and standards in play for authoring, transporting, storing,
delivering to screen, and customizing captioning information. I believe
we may need to step back and consider the goal, which seems to be,
"708-like captioning content and functionality must be available for all
multimedia presentations and content".

I believe we must consider the end-to-end requirements, and allow
industry to fill any gaps. It sounds like we have large gaps due to
competing formats, and lack of functionality in some delivery devices
such as "DVD" players.

Authoring tools as mentioned are not ready for 708 authoring.

Sub-titling custom authoring is technically feasible but not an industry
practice at present.

Now, let me approach this from another perspective.

Video description is currently technically feasible, even for menu
elements, but is not an industry standard. it doesn't change the fact
that we need that functionality as a minimum requirement.

So, can we try and put these end-to-end requirements together with less
regard for the competing and inconsistent authoring, transport, storage
format, and end-user customization IT components. I think we must set
the requirements for "multimedia", and allow the industry to fill this
requirement as it can.

There may not be a "global" solution, as there are multiple global
formats in use now.

This is very similar to the web/software issues around content
authoring, format capacities, user-agent requirements, and end-to-end
functionality.

Just one note concerning sub-titling:
My understanding of captioning is that it is similar to video
description, in that if fills in the gaps the end-user has due to
physical limitation. So, can't a DVD, for example, provide a
sub-titling track selection that doesn't include such things as
background noise description, and another that does? Getting the
end-user customization features into the DVD does not sound
insurmountable to me, but then again I'm not nearly as technical as you
all may be.

For the near term we seem to be forced to be selecting the "best" method
to get the solution made available for the technology, broadcast may be
one solution imposed by history and convention, while other formats may
have other available solutions.

Hopefully this post will help focus some thinking on the end-to-end
"what do we want" and how to get that down on paper, and then fill in
technology specific items underneath.




Allen hoffman -- 202-447-0303

-----Original Message-----
From: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
[mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ] On Behalf Of Larry
Goldberg
Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:36 PM
To: TEITAC AV list
Cc: 'TEITAC Web/Software Subcommittee'
Subject: Re: [teitac-video] thoughts from another discussion (related)

A QT file with a text track can be downloaded to an iPod (or uploaded to
iTunes) - you just lose the text track in the process. Unless you burn
in the captions - open caption it.

- Larry


Gregg Vanderheiden wrote:

>
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>>> /This article states that most DVD players don't support closed
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>>> captions.
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>> Ugh.
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>> On a similar note, I learned this morning that the strict definition
>> of
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>> "podcast" doesn't allow video files to be captioned. From what I
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>> understand, if a QuickTime file includes a text track (which is how
>> you
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>> include captions for this format), then it can't be downloaded via
>
>> iTunes or played on an iPod...
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> Gregg
>
> ------------------------
>
> Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
> Professor - Depts of Ind. Engr. & BioMed Engr.
> Director - Trace R & D Center
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> < <http://trace.wisc.edu/> http://trace.wisc.edu/> FAX 608/262-8848
>
> DSS Player at http://tinyurl.com/dho6b
>
> <http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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