Thread Subject: Re: Definition of captions

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From: Karen Peltz Strauss
Date: Wed, Feb 20 2008 6:15 AM

Please delete the word "important." The consumer community is going to be justifiably upset with a definition that says that only non-dialog that is "important" should be captioned. It is not clear who would decide what was important and how that decision would be made. If it can be heard by hearing people, there should be a corresponding caption for the sound. Saying that only "important" sounds should be captioned is a dangerous area to get into. Use of the words "needed to understand" would be an improvement. I would revise as follows:

Captions
Synchronized visual or text equivalents for audio information including both dialog and non-dialog audio information.

NOTE: Captions are similar to dialog-only subtitles except captions convey not only the content of spoken dialog, but also equivalents for other (non-spoken) audio information needed to understand the program content, including sound effects, music, laughter, speaker identification and location.

NOTE: Captions can be supplemental visual or text equivalents that can be turned on and off (closed captions) or images of text and embedded in video (open captions).

NOTE: Captions should not obscure or obstruct relevant or key information.

NOTE: In some countries captions are called subtitles.




Karen

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