When Good Captions Go Bad - Coast 2 Coast Captioning
Contents
1. HDTV Accessibility By now most people have seen the big and beautiful future of television high resolution wide screen enormous TV sets with images so life like the action seems to jump right out at you But where are the captions his new type of television with im ages as big as life is known as HDTV high definition television also known simply as digital TV What you may not have seen are the closed captions that go with it even though the new TV sets are required by law to carry the captions and virtually all programs are required by law to be captioned How can this be After all the TV Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 stated explicitly that As new video technol ogy is developed the Commission FCC shall take such action as the Commission determines appropri ate to ensure that closed captioning service continues to be available to consumers The FCC recognized the will of Congress and updated the built in cap tion decoder rules in July of 2000 The new rules stated that Manufacturers must begin to include DTV closed caption functionality in DTV devices in accordance with the rules adopted in the Order by July 1 2002 Not only that the FCC also updated its programming require ments to assure that programming produced for these new TV sets would be captioned as well In that same July 2000 order the FCC stated that as of the July 2002 date when the digital TV sets had to have cap2. de coding and processing data for the six standard services but informa tion from only one service need be displayed at a given time Decoders must include an option that permits a viewer to choose a setting that will display cap tions as intended by the caption provider a default Decoders must also include an option that allows a viewer s chosen settings to remain until the viewer chooses to alter these settings including during periods when the televi sion is turned off E Cable providers and other mul tichannel video programming distributors must transmit cap tions in a format that will be understandable to this decoder circuitry in digital cable television sets when transmitting program ming to digital television devices Covered Devices E All digital television receivers with picture screens in the 4 3 aspect ratio measuring at least 13 inches diagonally digital televi sion receivers with picture screens in the 16 9 aspect ratio measuring 7 8 inches or larger vertically this size corresponds to the verti cal height of an analog receiver with a 13 inch diagonal and all DTV tuners shipped in interstate commerce or manufactured in the United States must comply with the minimum decoder require ments we are adopting here E The rules apply to DTV tuners whether or not they are marketed with display screens Converter boxes used to display digital programming on analog receivers mus
3. into the FCC s DTV caption decoder rules So if you can t try out the user con trolled caption features on the HDTV sets in the local Best Buy Circuit City Wal Mart or other big box store how will you know if the manufacturer of a particular set has done a good job making the caption display and user controls both pleasing to the eye and usable to the owner Unfortunately if you can t test drive the captions in the store you are even less likely to find out information in the user manual or website The most detailed information about the implementation of closed captions on most store or manufacturer s web sites is simply a check mark next to the fact that the set supports closed captions In addition magazines like Consumer Reports and websites like Epinions www epinions com rarely if ever examine or compare caption features and usability So what you are left with is word of mouth and the recommendations of friends the most common way most people make their purchasing decisions in any case What can help is to ask your organization to host a section of their web site or a blog to gather user experiences and help others make educated buying decisions The Set Top Box Throughout the United States the per centage of people who subscribe to a cable or satellite TV service and now telephone company has been grow ing every year In some large cities like Boston cable and satellite penetration is as high as 9
4. players and their next generation offspring BluRay and HD DVD mortre on these below So these devices aren t yet required to decode caption data if they happen to carry it This means that if you want to watch closed captions from a DVD movie on your HD display you will need to use either of the lower qual ity connectors S video or the standard composite connection usually a yellow plug with an RCA connector Then you can turn on the closed captions from the display s caption control menu Or you can watch the English subtitles if supplied with the DVD movie The FCC did consider this factor when issuing their DTV closed caption ing rules Here is what they said in their July 2000 Report and Order MM Docket No 95 176 53 Other Devices Although we did not propose closed caption decoder requirements for television interface devices whose primary function is other than delivering television programming such as VCRs DVD players or personal video recorders we know that these devices are used by consumers in connection with their television sets to view closed caption pro gramming In order for viewers to receive closed captions when using these devices it is not necessary for these devices to have decoding ca pability Rather all that is required is for the device to pass through the closed caption information to the decoder in the television set We expect that such devices and any other similar new devi
5. 0 percent In addition the number one reason that HDTV sets are returned to stores is that consumers weren t aware that their new set requires a new HD capable cable or satellite set top box and a new dish in the case of satellite Of course you can also use an antenna to receive the new digi tal signals and not have to pay for a subscription service see http www antennaweb org for more informa tion but you won t be able to watch any cable channels if you opt for the free over the air path With your new HD ready set top box STB along with a higher monthly bill you will receive a new device that can get between you and your captions Under FCC rules these boxes primar ily manufactured by Motorola and Scientific Atlanta now owned by Cisco Systems must be able to decode the HDTV caption data data formatted to the specifications of a standard known as CEA 708 FCC rules however don t specify that user control of captions has to be easy or even rational In the case of the widely prolifer ated Motorola DCT series of HD cable boxes and similar STBs the caption control menu can only be found if you turn the cable box OFF That s right Caption on off controls as well as selection of all the features required by the FCC are not in the menus you see when you turn on your cable box Users can only access the secret firmware menu in the box by turn ing the power to the cable box off and then pressing th
6. HDTV set Do not take no for an answer even if it means ask ing the clerk to set up an over the air antenna in a back room If using cable or satellite TV service with your new HDTV insist that the cable or satellite company s installer show you how captions are turned on using their set top box Warn them that you will be demanding this when you place your order Write down what he 24 Hearing loss Magazine shows you if he can get it to work and if he can t insist that a more senior tech be sent to your home immediately Make your concerns needs and frustrations known It is an un fortunate truth that in order for any of the problems listed above to be solved caption users have to make themselves heard That means letting your local TV station cable provider and consumer electronics store know that they are not fully serving their customers It means looking up information about HDMI BluRay HD DVD cable set top boxes and letting them know that the technology is not serving an important segment of the marketplace It means band ing together with your friends neighbors and national organi zations to be sure your voice is Don t miss another word In a ward ol chaiers heard and complaining to the FCC your congressional represen tatives and other decision makers who can effect change Finally after all is said and done these problems will be fixed one way or another With patience and persi
7. ces will pass through closed captions un altered and intact to the decoder in the attached digital television Manufacturers of such devices should ensure that this continues to be the case as the transition to digital television progresses It is clear from the above excerpt of their rules that the FCC expected manufacturers to pass caption data from all video source devices to DTV displays and thus didn t require decod ers to be built into VCRs and DVD players With the advent of HDMI and other connectors which do not pass the caption data through it appears that the FCC will need to reconsider this section of their rules DVD Becomes BluRay and HD DVD Closed Captions Become Lost Finally as we are all now aware TV technology is advancing at a rapid pace The latest entries into the marketplace are the successors to the original DVD player the new BluRay and HD DVD formats Boast ing higher quality pictures and sound to accompany new home theater systems and new interactivity features these competing formats are already widely available though still expensive Unfortunately like the very first DVD players that were manufactured these new players do not support closed captions The original DVD players did not support the line 21 caption CEA 608 data format for analog TVs but a subsequent update allowed the players to carry that data and assured that the built in decoders in our TV sets would be able
8. d Marigold and small capitals similar to Engrav ers Gothic In parentheses following each font style is a reference to one or more fonts which are similar to the style September October 2007 23 continued from page 22 HD DVD specifications support the advanced CEA 708 closed caption data format And even if that caption data was on the disk and could be passed to the display the preferred HDMI or component connectors couldn t carry the data to the HDTV Industry representatives believe subtitle formats should be acceptable to caption consumers and that user control of caption size and style can be developed at least for the BluRay technology Though theoretically pos sible there is much development nec essary to make this a reality The irony is that when BluRay and HD DVD players are built to include recorders and tuners they will be required by the FCC rules to support CEA 708 caption decoding The solution would appear to be that the manufacturers of these new video technologies should begin building advanced caption format de coders into their devices now instead of waiting for the recorder tuners to force the issue This development would solve both the caption support and HDMI problems at once Here are some ideas that would im prove caption consumers experience when approaching the first purchase of new digital TV equipment Absolutely insist that captions be demonstrated when shopping for a new
9. e menu button The menu which now appears gives you control over both aspect ratio and caption styles This information can be found in the manual posted on Motorola s website The link for the manual is http broadband motorola com consum ers products DCT6412 downloads DCT6412_User_Guide pdf After looking at the manual instructions on the website do you have all that What this all means is that until these STBs are redesigned to give ready access to the caption controls in the main menu it will take a very knowl edgeable cable or satellite installer or a highly educated consumer to make sure captions can indeed be viewed and controlled at will It should be noted that a recent test of the AT amp T HomeZone hybrid satellite TV DSL service used a less common STB that does in fact provide more direct access to the caption controls The Role of the Broadcasters Cable Networks and Satellite Program Providers Are the Captions in the TV Signal So let s says you selected a new HDTV set based on a friend s recommenda tion and a successful test in the store for instance a broadcast of the Red Sox trouncing the Yankees with beauti fully displayed captions You bring your set home have the cable installer bring over the new HD STB and test the display of captions on an analog broadcast like your local PBS station and an HD cable channel like Discov ery HD Captions are coming through fine so you send th
10. e installer away with a happy thanks a million Since you know that the FCC requires that almost 100 percent of all TV must be captioned as of last years deadline January 1 2006 you assume you ll get captions on any and every channel right Well not quite There are both inadvertent techni cal mistakes and deliberate policy decisions that prevent you from see ing captions consistently as you surf through the hundreds of channels continued on page 22 September October 2007 21 Captions continued from page 21 you now have access to on your new HDTV set The technical problems most fre quently come when a local broadcaster a network or cable or satellite provider improperly converts the analog TV cap tions CEA 608 to DTV captions CEA 708 Commonly available professional equipment is available that upcon verts the captions to work on the HD versions of broadcast and cable and sat ellite channels It s just that this equip ment isn t always correctly installed or adjusted and at times needs to be reset to assure proper operation In addition the FCC has not clari fied an important interpretation of their caption rules the one that says Exempt Programs and Providers For purposes of determining com pliance with this section any video programming or video program ming provider that meets one or more of the following criteria shall be exempt to the extent specified in this paragraph Pr
11. ly a DVD full of movie trailers and promotional information that has not been captioned And even if it was captioned the connection between the DVD player and the HDTV sets cannot carry closed caption data Why not just tune the HDTV set to a broadcast or cable channel How about checking out a baseball or football game that is supposed to look so amazing in high def Because most stores are either not set up to receive broadcast or cable signals or they fear that a competitor s commercial will show up all over their store But tuning in a broadcast signal with its captions is the best and only way to really know how the captions will look on your new set and is the only way for you to test this essential feature and its controls such as turn ing the captions on and off and adjust ing their size font color background and other user controls User Controls That s right the FCC regulations in clude many of the features originally identified by deaf and hard of hear ing caption users as essential for the improvement of the look and feel and usability of closed captions This 1995 study funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcast ing and conduced by the National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH NCAM highlighted the key elements of a potential advanced TV closed cap tion system user control of size color background and other stylistic elements of closed captions Those features were eventually incorporated
12. ogramming on New Networks Programming on a video program ming network for the first four years after it begins operation The question is are new HD chan nels whether broadcast cable or satel lite considered new networks even if they substantially or in part repeat already captioned analog TV programs The FCC has been asked for clarifica tion but has yet to respond to this issue HDMI RGB YPbPr DVI Component Oh My To make the best possible pictures and sound appear in your new home theater system with surround sound and large wide screen high resolution display the consumer electronics indus try has developed high end connection standards and technologies to link your cable box and other video sources like DVD players to your big display Unfortunately some of these con nectors cannot carry caption data from the video source to the display Those 22 Hearing Loss Magazine connectors include the HDMI High Definition Multimedia Interface and component connectors labeled RGB or YpbPr In the case of HD cable and satel lite set top boxes this isn t so much of a problem since the FCC requires that those boxes decode the captions and send the open captioned video signal to the display The HDMI and compo nent connectors maintain the picture quality and captions and look just great on the display Unfortunately the FCC decoder circuitry rules do not explicitly cover other video sources like DVD
13. stence good captions won t go bd hd will look better than ever Larry Goldberg is the director of the Media Access Group at WGBH in Boston This article was origi nally published by TDI and is an outreach and policy paper from the Carl and Ruth Sha piro Family National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH NCAM choose quality afordablilty innovation Choose Krown Commumedion Suhani for ihe Heanng impoared KCS 50i Ampilea the incoming voice by 200 times S2e8 with afi tha conveniqnes and functionallty of a cordless taelophone y 4 KROWN
14. t deliver the encoded analog caption information to the attached analog receiver Compliance Dates E Manufacturers must begin to in clude DTV closed caption function ality in DTV devices in accordance with the rules adopted in the Order by July 1 2002 As provided for in the Commis sion s rules establishing require ments for the closed captioning of video programming adopted in a 1997 Order programming pre pared or formatted for display on digital television receivers before the date that digital television de coders are required to be included in digital television devices is con sidered pre rule programming As stated above this order estab lishes that date as July 1 2002 Therefore programming prepared or formatted for display on digital television after that date will be considered new programming The existing rules require an increasing amount of captioned new programming over an eight year transition period with 100 percent of all new nonexempt programming required to be captioned by January 1 2006 MTM The eight font styles are defined as follows default underlined monospaced with serifs similar to Courier proportionally spaced with serifs similar to Times New Roman monospaced without serifs similar to Helvetica Monospaced proportionally spaced without serifs similar to Arial and Swiss casual font type similar to Dom and Impress cursive font type similar to Coronet an
15. tion decoders all programming produced for those news sets would be required to be captioned For more on what the FCC rules say about captioning and digital TV see Summary of FCC DTVCC Requirements on page 23 So how is it that five years after these rules went into effect many people with hearing loss are frequently frustrated when trying to turn on the captions in their new very expensive digital TV equipment Why is WGBH and the Hearing Loss Association of America the NAD TDI and every other agency which serves caption consumers being flooded with complaints and concerns about being left out of this brave new world There are many reasons why Good Captions Go Bad Here are a few Let s start at the beginning your neighborhood consumer electronics store As an old advertisement once said an educated consumer is our best customer So of course when you make the big decision to plunk down anywhere from 1 000 to 2 000 or more on anew HDTV set you want to test drive your new TV before purchas ing it For a person who has trouble hearing or can t hear at all this means taking a look at the caption display options and controls Looking at the caption display is just not possible in most of the stores which sell digital TV sets The store displays will only show the canned or pre recorded material the store has created or purchased to show off their sets to their best advantage This is usual
16. to decode the captions Now we are facing the same design decision or oversight all over again For a variety of reasons nei ther of the first generation BluRay or continued on page 24 p_a all iT ee N _ a Summary of FCC Digital Television j T N Decoder Operation The Order adopts the requirement of Section 9 of EIA 708 with the follow ing modifications Decoders must support the stan dard large and small caption sizes and must allow the caption provider to choose a size and allow the viewer to choose an alternative size Decoders must support the eight fonts listed in EIA 708 Caption providers may specify one of these eight font styles to be used to write caption text Decoders must include the ability for consumers to choose among the eight fonts The decoder must display the font chosen by the caption provider unless the viewer chooses a differ ent font Decoders must implement the same eight character background colors as those that Section 9 requires be implemented for character foreground white black red green blue yellow magenta and cyan Decoders must implement options for altering the appearance of cap tion character edges Decoders must display the color chosen by the caption provider and must allow viewers to override the foreground and or background color chosen by the caption pro vider and select alternate colors Decoders must be capable of
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