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Thread: audio-only alternatives for video?

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From: Carol Foster
Date: Tue, Oct 23 2001 2:51PM
Subject: audio-only alternatives for video?
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Hello,
We are looking at our first attempt to add audio descriptions of visual
information to a video clip. The question came up about whether or not
it would be okay to make a separate audio-only version of the clip and
add the extra descriptions to that, rather than having to combine
everything and have to pause the video to fit in all the extra words.
The only drawback I could think of off the top of my head would be for
people with low vision who would need the enhanced audio but may want to
also see the synchronized video. I have never seen any examples of this
being done. I think the only examples I've seen of audio descriptions
are the WGBH ones where everything is combined, including the Pivot
project where the video is stopped. Our multimedia person thought it
might be easier to edit just the audio on its own, but we are all pretty
new to making multimedia accessible.
What do you all think?
Thanks,
Carol
--
Carol Foster, Web Developer
Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
University of Massachusetts, President's Office
(413) 587-2130
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
--

From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Wed, Oct 24 2001 6:47AM
Subject: RE: audio-only alternatives for video?
← Previous message | Next message →

Carol,
1) What kind of video? Real, QT, WMP?
2) What is ideal, from the user's perspective, is to be required to download
only the data that is useable to them. If a user is blind, the program
audio and audio descriptions are the pieces that are useable, so a version
with no program video will be a faster download. You are right about people
who are visually impaired wanting the video as well as the audio
descriptions (or a blind user sitting with a non-blind user), so these
people need all three parts. People who don't need the audio descriptions
only need the program audio and video, and shouldn't need to download the
extra data.
Compounding this problem is the fact that not all players provide
functionality to allow the user to turn audio descriptions on and off. The
new RealONE player does, but it is a beta. QT does, but all tracks need to
be downloaded and a toggle inserted into the movie just turns the audio
description track on or off.
There are different strategies for dealing with this situation depending on
the type of video you are serving up. Let us know what you are using...
Andrew
On 10/23/01 4:51 PM, Carol Foster ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ) wrote:
> Hello,
>
> We are looking at our first attempt to add audio descriptions of visual
> information to a video clip. The question came up about whether or not
> it would be okay to make a separate audio-only version of the clip and
> add the extra descriptions to that, rather than having to combine
> everything and have to pause the video to fit in all the extra words.
> The only drawback I could think of off the top of my head would be for
> people with low vision who would need the enhanced audio but may want to
> also see the synchronized video. I have never seen any examples of this
> being done. I think the only examples I've seen of audio descriptions
> are the WGBH ones where everything is combined, including the Pivot
> project where the video is stopped. Our multimedia person thought it
> might be easier to edit just the audio on its own, but we are all pretty
> new to making multimedia accessible.
>
> What do you all think?
>
> Thanks,
> Carol
>
> --
> Carol Foster, Web Developer
> Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
> University of Massachusetts, President's Office
> (413) 587-2130
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
> --
>
>
>
>
> ---
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
-- Andrew Kirkpatrick, Technical Project Coordinator
CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
125 Western Ave.
Boston, MA 02134
E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
617-300-3400 (main NCAM)
617-300-2489 (TTY)
WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate,
inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of
learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

From: Carol Foster
Date: Wed, Oct 24 2001 6:56AM
Subject: RE: audio-only alternatives for video?
← Previous message | Next message →

Thanks! I'll pass this along. We are using QuickTime.
Carol
Andrew Kirkpatrick wrote:
> Carol,
> 1) What kind of video? Real, QT, WMP?
> 2) What is ideal, from the user's perspective, is to be required to download
> only the data that is useable to them. If a user is blind, the program
> audio and audio descriptions are the pieces that are useable, so a version
> with no program video will be a faster download. You are right about people
> who are visually impaired wanting the video as well as the audio
> descriptions (or a blind user sitting with a non-blind user), so these
> people need all three parts. People who don't need the audio descriptions
> only need the program audio and video, and shouldn't need to download the
> extra data.
>
> Compounding this problem is the fact that not all players provide
> functionality to allow the user to turn audio descriptions on and off. The
> new RealONE player does, but it is a beta. QT does, but all tracks need to
> be downloaded and a toggle inserted into the movie just turns the audio
> description track on or off.
>
> There are different strategies for dealing with this situation depending on
> the type of video you are serving up. Let us know what you are using...
>
> Andrew
>
> On 10/23/01 4:51 PM, Carol Foster ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ) wrote:
>
> > Hello,
> >
> > We are looking at our first attempt to add audio descriptions of visual
> > information to a video clip. The question came up about whether or not
> > it would be okay to make a separate audio-only version of the clip and
> > add the extra descriptions to that, rather than having to combine
> > everything and have to pause the video to fit in all the extra words.
> > The only drawback I could think of off the top of my head would be for
> > people with low vision who would need the enhanced audio but may want to
> > also see the synchronized video. I have never seen any examples of this
> > being done. I think the only examples I've seen of audio descriptions
> > are the WGBH ones where everything is combined, including the Pivot
> > project where the video is stopped. Our multimedia person thought it
> > might be easier to edit just the audio on its own, but we are all pretty
> > new to making multimedia accessible.
> >
> > What do you all think?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Carol
> >
> > --
> > Carol Foster, Web Developer
> > Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
> > University of Massachusetts, President's Office
> > (413) 587-2130
> > = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> > http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
> > http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
> > --
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ---
> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> > visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
> >
>
> --
> Andrew Kirkpatrick, Technical Project Coordinator
> CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
> 125 Western Ave.
> Boston, MA 02134
> E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
>
> 617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
> 617-300-3400 (main NCAM)
> 617-300-2489 (TTY)
>
> WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate,
> inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of
> learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.
>
> ---
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
--
Carol Foster, Web Developer
Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
University of Massachusetts, President's Office
(413) 587-2130
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
--

From: Andrew Kirkpatrick
Date: Wed, Oct 24 2001 7:40AM
Subject: RE: audio-only alternatives for video?
← Previous message | No next message

Carol,
In QuickTime, the user needs to download any tracks associated with a file.
As a result in order to reduce the download for the three sets of users you
probably should do the following:
users wanting only the program audio and video:
offer a link to a video and audio version
users wanting audio descriptions, program audio, and no video:
offer a link to a version with program audio and audio descriptions
users wanting all three:
offer a link to a version with all three
In QuickTime, adding audio descriptions is pretty easy. Once these are
added to the movie with video and audio, you can just export the tracks that
you want to create the additional versions.
A link to directions for adding descriptions to QT:
http://ncam.wgbh.org/richmedia/qtdeschowto.html
If you really want to do a better job, a tool like SoundForge will allow you
to "duck" the program audio during the description, so that the descriptions
are more easily heard over whatever background sound exists.
Hope this helps,
Andrew

On 10/24/01 8:56 AM, Carol Foster ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ) wrote:
> Thanks! I'll pass this along. We are using QuickTime.
>
> Carol
>
> Andrew Kirkpatrick wrote:
>
>> Carol,
>> 1) What kind of video? Real, QT, WMP?
>> 2) What is ideal, from the user's perspective, is to be required to download
>> only the data that is useable to them. If a user is blind, the program
>> audio and audio descriptions are the pieces that are useable, so a version
>> with no program video will be a faster download. You are right about people
>> who are visually impaired wanting the video as well as the audio
>> descriptions (or a blind user sitting with a non-blind user), so these
>> people need all three parts. People who don't need the audio descriptions
>> only need the program audio and video, and shouldn't need to download the
>> extra data.
>>
>> Compounding this problem is the fact that not all players provide
>> functionality to allow the user to turn audio descriptions on and off. The
>> new RealONE player does, but it is a beta. QT does, but all tracks need to
>> be downloaded and a toggle inserted into the movie just turns the audio
>> description track on or off.
>>
>> There are different strategies for dealing with this situation depending on
>> the type of video you are serving up. Let us know what you are using...
>>
>> Andrew
>>
>> On 10/23/01 4:51 PM, Carol Foster ( = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ) wrote:
>>
>>> Hello,
>>>
>>> We are looking at our first attempt to add audio descriptions of visual
>>> information to a video clip. The question came up about whether or not
>>> it would be okay to make a separate audio-only version of the clip and
>>> add the extra descriptions to that, rather than having to combine
>>> everything and have to pause the video to fit in all the extra words.
>>> The only drawback I could think of off the top of my head would be for
>>> people with low vision who would need the enhanced audio but may want to
>>> also see the synchronized video. I have never seen any examples of this
>>> being done. I think the only examples I've seen of audio descriptions
>>> are the WGBH ones where everything is combined, including the Pivot
>>> project where the video is stopped. Our multimedia person thought it
>>> might be easier to edit just the audio on its own, but we are all pretty
>>> new to making multimedia accessible.
>>>
>>> What do you all think?
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>> Carol
>>>
>>> --
>>> Carol Foster, Web Developer
>>> Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
>>> University of Massachusetts, President's Office
>>> (413) 587-2130
>>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
>>> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
>>> --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ---
>>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
>>> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Andrew Kirkpatrick, Technical Project Coordinator
>> CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
>> 125 Western Ave.
>> Boston, MA 02134
>> E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>> Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
>>
>> 617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
>> 617-300-3400 (main NCAM)
>> 617-300-2489 (TTY)
>>
>> WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate,
>> inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of
>> learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.
>>
>> ---
>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
>> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
> --
> Carol Foster, Web Developer
> Internet Publishing Group, Information Technology Services
> University of Massachusetts, President's Office
> (413) 587-2130
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg
> http://www.umassp.edu/uis/ipg/accessibility
> --
>
>
>
>
> ---
> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or view list archives,
> visit http://www.webaim.org/discussion/
>
-- Andrew Kirkpatrick, Technical Project Coordinator
CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media
125 Western Ave.
Boston, MA 02134
E-mail: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
Web site: ncam.wgbh.org
617-300-4420 (direct voice/FAX)
617-300-3400 (main NCAM)
617-300-2489 (TTY)
WGBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate,
inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of
learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.