Skillnaden mellan undertexter och dold textning ligger främst i deras syfte, snarare än deras format. En bredare publik antar vanligtvis felaktigt att det inte finns någon verklig skillnad mellan textning och undertext. Det finns dock en viktig skillnad mellan dessa två, särskilt för de som är hörselskadade eller döva.
Men, om vi verkligen vill vara exakta, finns det faktiskt tre termer här som behöver redas ut:öppen bildtext, dold bildtext och undertexter. Låt oss börja med vanliga undertexter och gå därifrån.
Oroa dig inte, det är inte så svårt och allt kommer att bli vettigt på en sekund! Låt oss börja med undertexterna.
Vad är undertexter?
Uppenbarligen finns undertexter vanligtvis längst ner på skärmen och representerar textversionen av de talade orden i videoinnehållet. Till skillnad från dold textning, är undertexter riktade till de tittare som kan höra originalljudet men har svårt att förstå det.
Undertexter skapas vanligtvis för att hjälpa tittare som tittar på videoinnehåll på ett främmande språk. Därför används undertexter för att föra utländska filmer närmare tittarna. Eller...
Men det handlar inte bara om utländska filmer. Vi är alla medvetna om att engelska har blivit ett globalt språk och många människor från hela världen kan till viss del förstå videoinnehåll på engelska. För resten - det finns undertexter.
I de flesta fall innehåller undertexter inga anteckningar av icke-verbalt språk eller bakgrundsljud.
Vad är textning?
Dold textning inkluderar text i videon som specifikt kan vara till hjälp för personer som är hörselskadade. För en bättre upplevelse uppskattar hörselskadade tittare när textning inkluderar en beskrivning av bakgrundsljud som är relevanta för berättelsen.
Det är därför du ibland ser text som [doors creek] eller liknande på skärmen. Det kan också inkludera talaridentifiering för att göra dialogen tydligare.
Föreställ dig att se hela Star Wars-sagan utan att veta att R2-D2 faktiskt uttrycker sig själv (själv? nevermind) De är vanligtvis på samma språk som ljudinnehållet.
Dold textning är en transkription av det talade ljudet – både ord och andra bakgrundsljud som är relevanta för berättelsen, såväl som talarens differentiering.
Undertexter och bildtexter är inte samma sak, eller hur?
Höger. Undertexter och dold textning är inte samma sak. Sammanfattningsvis - Även om de kan vara väldigt lika, finns det en betydande skillnad.
- Undertexter används främst för internationellt producerat innehåll som syftar till att nå en global publik.
- Dold textning är till för att förbättra upplevelsen med tittare med hörselnedsättning eller de som inte kan njuta av ljudet medan de tittar på videor.
De viktigaste skillnaderna mellan undertexter och dold textning ligger främst i deras syfte, medan det finns vissa tekniska detaljer som också skiljer sig åt.
Dold bildtext vs öppen bildtext
Så vi är tydliga med textning kontra undertexter, men hur är det med öppen textning? Vad handlar det om? Kort sagt, dold bildtext är tekniskt sett en separat fil. Vanligtvis en SRT-fil som du laddar upp tillsammans med dina videofiler. Kort sagt låter detta dig aktivera eller inaktivera bildtexter. Som när du tittar på YouTube- eller Netflix-filmer och du, kan tittaren stänga av dem.
Öppna bildtexter är samma som stängda, men de går inte att ta bort. Mer exakt är de hårdkodade i videofilen. Om du till exempel laddar upp eller laddar ner en video med öppen textning behöver du bara en fil och inte två.
So, closed captioning vs subtitles - subtitles are usually for global video platforms and are used for foreign language speakers (not necessarily).
Closed captions usually include a text version of the content in the same language, and they can be turned on or not.
Open captions are the same as closed ones, including the cues for background sounds, but they can't be turned off as they are burned into the video file and are always on the video screen.
Different purposes for closed captioning vs subtitles
Captions and subtitles are a powerful user experience booster for your videos, but that’s not all. They are a necessity. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, among others, many entities are legally required to add captions to their videos. In that way, even the deaf and those with hearing impairments can watch videos without audio on and still enjoy them.
However, adding subtitles is not just a necessity, it can also make all the difference for your video marketing. So, let's explain some of the legal requirements, as well as some marketing advantages.
Who Needs to Use Captions and Subtitles?
This is what the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) says about captions and subtitles.
Many entities have obligations under civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination and require the provision of accommodations, such as captioning, to ensure equal access, an equal opportunity to participate, and effective communication with people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
These entities have obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other laws. Captioning may be required to provide access to any services that are open to the public, from concert venues and university lectures to employment, healthcare, and legal services
OK, but which entities? Here are some more detailed explanations for different industries:
- Education
- Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation
- Health Care and Mental Health Services
- Justice
- Television and Closed Captioning
- Telephone and Relay Services
- Internet Access and Broadband
That covers legal requirements, but let's talk more about all those other entities that want to use global video platforms to distribute their content and simply - get people to watch videos!
YouTubers
This is the place where online videos live. YouTube almost became synonymous for watching videos. Google is the owner of YouTube, so no wonder search engines use closed captioning and metadata to rank videos.
YouTubers need as many eyeballs on their videos, as possible, even the ones that don't hear their videos, or simply prefer to watch the videos with no audio. Captions allow you to reach that audience. But, are you brave enough to allow YouTube to make those captions for you?
Podcasters
JA! Even podcasters. Moreover, there is currently legal action taken against major podcasting platforms because they are not providing captions for their podcasts. There are some interesting pleads from the plaintiffs in this case.
Social Media Video Creators
You can always pre-recorded videos for your social media and add subtitles or captions. But, from time to time, you'll need live captions. This is also necessary for streaming services. Make sure to always test these before actually going live with them, as they can sometimes do more harm than good.
OK, but Why Do B2B Videos Need Captions?
An increasing number of companies are using videos in their branding and marketing, but also for their internal communication and training. Captions are necessary to make those types of videos for the following reasons:
Inclusion and Disabilities Act
You need to do everything in your power to be sure you are not discriminating against people based on their ability to hear. You need to create content that is accessible and inclusive.
Branding Purposes
Your brand uses specific colours, typography, and has a visual identity. It's essential that this is used across your channels so you can be recognisable. If you use a tool like Subly that allows you to brand your subtitles, you will make your videos recognisable instantly. Also, if you keep producing high-quality content, making it more on-brand will help your viewers associate your brand colours and typography with quality information.
Better In-House Communication
Remote teams and global workplaces are the reality we live and work in today. This means that teams are more diverse than ever before. Also, this means that your internal communication and training can be much more successful if you use video.
Actually, it CAN be if you add subtitles to those videos. So, closed captioning vs subtitles is the real question here. Honestly, you can do both. You can create several subtitle files in different languages to cater to all of your employees.
How captioning/subtitling services work?
The best of them allow you to upload your video and they transcribe it automatically. Once you have the transcription, you have several options for what to do with it.
You can burn it into your video. Edit it and brand it. You can download it as a text file and use it as a blog post. You can translate it and turn your captions into subtitles.
Not all captioning services have all the functionalities you may need. Since captioning and subtitling requires some attention, it's always best to pick resources that are easy to work with, so you can save time and boost your productivity.
Best Captioning Resources and How to Use Them
Yes - video editing and captioning can be pretty time-consuming. It can also be quite challenging if you're not that tech-savvy. That's why you should make your life easier and pick a captioning service that does most of the work on its own. Like Subly. Here's how it works:
Upload Your Video
You can upload it from your computer, drive, or even provide the URL. Choose the video language for better results.
Instant Automatic Transcription
Once you upload the video, the transcription will happen automatically.
Customize your video (Optional)
Explore the video player and all the editing options you have on your Dashboard. All of them easy to use.
Export and download your video
Download your video and your subtitles when you're ready. You can optimize it for social media networks. Check the options for downloads.
Now that you understand the difference between subtitles, open and closed captions, you also have a better grasp how you can make them work for you in more ways than one. With Subly, these things aren't just useful to you, but also very easy to make. So, stop missing out and try it now.