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From: smithj7
Date: Tue, Sep 23 2008 2:30PM
Subject: Re: WGBH Releases "CC for Flash" - Free Tool to SimplifyCaptioning for Flash
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I definatly will check this out. We are looking at various ways to get
accessible multi-media in Florida state government.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mary Watkins" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2007 3:10 PM
Subject: [WebAIM] WGBH Releases "CC for Flash" - Free Tool to
SimplifyCaptioning for Flash


March 8, 2007

WGBH Access Division Creates "CC for Flash" to Simplify Captioning for Adobe
Flash Technology

Accessibility and Search Enhanced by Free Tool; Easy-to-Embed
Flash-Based-Media Player also Available

Use of Adobe® Flash® technology to add dynamic and engaging video content to
Web sites is growing exponentially. With WGBH's new solution, developers are
able to more easily add captions in Flash. Now, millions of users who are
deaf or hard of hearing are better able to experience Web-based video in
Flash and search engines are able to capitalize on captions as search
metadata for SWF content.

WGBH, Boston's public broadcaster and a decades-long pioneer in developing
access solutions to media for audiences with disabilities has created a
component for Flash, CC for Flash, that can be authored into any SWF file
for playback in Adobe Flash Player. The component is easy to use, and
freely available from the NCAM Web site at
http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/ccforflash.

Funding for development of CC for Flash was provided by a grant to WGBH's
Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM)
from the NEC Foundation of America, with additional support provided by
Yahoo!

CC for Flash: The Details

. Uses external files produced in the W3C's Distribution Format Exchange
Profile (DFXP) of the Timed-Text Authoring Format.

. Imports existing formats such as Apple QuickTime's QTtext, with support
for Microsoft's SAMI format soon to follow.

. Exposes many of its internal functions through ActionScriptTM language so
that the author can control and customize many of the features.

. Can play back caption metadata that has been embedded in the video by
tools such as Captionate.

. Can be linked to any video playback components in Flash or directly to
Netstream objects in the SWF of the FLV file.

. Allows the author to set the caption display box coordinates and default
text attributes, like background color, text foreground color, font face and
size, opacity, etc., at authoring time. At playback time, any text
attributes that are explicitly defined in the external caption file will
override the defaults.

. Captions can be added after the video content in Flash is posted, allowing
for flexibility across production and distribution environments.

. Allows captions to be searched.

. Comes with an optional player, ccPlayer for Flash, which allows those
unfamiliar with Flash programming to embed video content in Flash into a Web
page with minimal effort.

. Is compatible with Flash MX2004 (7) and 8 authoring packages.

A Best Friend for CC for Flash: MAGpie

MAGpie, NCAM's free do-it-yourself captioning and description application
allows developers to create captions once, and then to output those captions
in multiple formats, including QuickTime, Windows Media, and Real.

NCAM has now added the W3C's new timed-text format, the Distribution Format
Exchange Profile (DFXP), to MAGpie's caption export options. MAGpie version
2.0.2 is the only tool available today for authoring DFXP caption files.
With MAGpie and CC for Flash, it's now easier than ever to provide captions
for Flash Player compatible video content.

WGBH's Media Access Group can also provide Flash caption authoring services
for long-form content not easily handled by MAGpie, and for producers who
would rather outsource their captioning work. WGBH's Media Access Group,
since 1972 the leader in providing captioning and description to the
broadcast, film, educational and online media worlds, is now the first
organization that can provide DFXP captions for Flash presentations.

About NCAM and WGBH

The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media at
WGBH is a research, development and advocacy entity that works to make
existing and emerging technologies accessible to all audiences. NCAM is part
of the Media Access Group at WGBH, which also includes The Caption Center
(est. 1972), and Descriptive Video Service® (est. 1990). For more
information, visit access.wgbh.org.

WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source
of fully one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup, along with some of public
television's best-known lifestyle shows and children's programs and many
public radio favorites. WGBH is the number one producer of Web sites on
pbs.org, one of the most trafficked dot-org Web sites in the world. For more
information, visit www.wgbh.org.

Adobe, ActionScript and Flash are either trademarks or registered trademarks
of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

CONTACT:
Mary Watkins
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
phone: 617 300-3700 voice
617 300-2489 TTY