What is the difference between “realtime” and “offline” captions?
Realtime captioning is the process of creating captions for live video. During the broadcast, specially trained court reporters, called realtime captioners, transcribe the audio portion of the live event using a stenotype machine. Whenever possible, VITAC uses pre-scripted captions for live programs. This technique is called “live display” captioning. For more information, see Realtime Services. Offline captioning is the process of adding captions to prerecorded video. Offline captioning can be created in two “styles”: pop-on or roll-up. Experienced captioners listen to the videotape and transcribe the dialogue, breaking phrases or sentences in the transcript into captions. These captions are timed to appear so the words coincide with the audio. Captions can be positioned on the screen to designate a speaker or avoid onscreen graphics and action. For more information, see Offline Services.
