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Guilherme Mazui

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What is the Difference Between Closed Captions and Subtitles?

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Closed captions and subtitles are both text-based solutions that appear on the screen during a video, but they serve different purposes and have distinct characteristics:

Closed Captions:

  • Primarily used to help viewers who cannot hear the video audio.
  • Include background noises, speaker differentiation, and other relevant information, making content more accessible for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Can be turned off by the viewer with the click of a button.
  • Usually developed and added to the video during the post-production process.

Subtitles:

  • Provide a translation for viewers who don't understand the language being spoken.
  • Do not typically include non-speech elements like sound effects or speaker differentiation.
  • Are developed before the release of the video in question.

In summary, closed captions are designed to make video content more accessible for viewers with hearing impairments, while subtitles are used to provide translations for viewers who don't understand the language being spoken. Both closed captions and subtitles can be toggled on or off by the viewer.

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  • What is the Difference Between Closed Captions and Subtitles?
  • Comparative Table: Closed Captions vs Subtitles

    • Comparative Table: Closed Captions vs Subtitles

    The main difference between closed captions and subtitles lies in their purpose and the information they convey. Here's a table comparing the two:

    Feature Closed Captions Subtitles
    Purpose Designed for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, providing a complete textual representation of the audio, including background sounds and speaker changes. Primarily intended for audiences who may not understand the language being spoken in a video, translating spoken content into written form.
    Content Includes dialogue, sound effects, music, and other non-speech elements like speaker IDs. Includes dialogue and may exclude other audio elements like sound effects.
    Accessibility Can be turned on or off by viewers, existing in a separate file from the video. Viewers can choose to display subtitles or not, but they are often embedded directly into the video file.
    HDMI Encoding Closed Captions do not support HDMI encoding as they are encoded in text and commands. SDH subtitles (a type of closed captions) support encoding through HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface).

    In summary, closed captions aim to provide an accessible experience for viewers with hearing impairments, while subtitles focus on translating dialogue for audiences who do not understand the language being spoken in a video.

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    Guilherme Mazui

    Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.