Frequently Asked Questions

Does CaptionKeeper AUTHOR closed captions for multimedia?
No, CaptionKeeper DOES NOT create captions. It takes EXISTING closed caption (line-21) data from broadcast video and other sources, and reformats the data into web-ready streaming formats suitable for live and archived multimedia presentations in RealPlayer, Windows Media Player, and QuickTime Player formats. **Note that you must have a source of closed-caption data (see below).
Does your technology require a specific line-21 decoder?
Does NCAM sell the hardware and who do you recommend?
CaptionKeeper requires line-21 closed-caption data as input. Currently the only input methods are via a serial or USB port. Several manufacturers sell line-21 data-recovery hardware. The ones we've been using for development are the DE-241-DR made by EEG Enterprises and the USB-21VL/RDR model of the USB-TC device family made by Adrienne Electronics. Other manufacturers include Norpak and Link Electronics. As more products become available and we are able to test and support them, we'll add to the list and post it at the website. **Note that WGBH / NCAM doesn't sell the hardware, we just license the software.
What are the hardware costs?
Hardware costs vary. The EEG DE-241-DR lists for around $950, while the Adrienne USB-21 VL/RDR lists for around $465.  If you happen to already have a line-21 *encoder*, then the data-recovery capability is generally built in already, but encoders tend to be quite pricey, in the $3,000-5,000 range.**Note that WGBH / NCAM doesn't sell the hardware, we just license the software.
Can one decoder feed multiple encoders?
No, in the current version of CaptionKeeper, only a single video encoder of any particular type (RealServer, Windows Media Encoder) is supported. You can simultaneously feed a RealServer and a Windows Media Encoder, but you you cannot simultaneously feed two RealServers. We expect to offer multiple encoder support in a later version.
What does the license cost?
The cost for a CaptionKeeper license depends on its intended use. For pricing please contact:
CaptionKeeper@wgbh.org
Does CaptionKeeper support digitizing cards?
No, CaptionKeeper does not currently support any digitizing cards for caption input, it only supports external serial devices like the EEG data-recovery box. We recognize that support for digitizing cards is a desired feature, and we may support it in the future. There are a couple of digitizing cards that we've peeked at, including the Osprey family, and the Digital Rapids family. Both of these cards offer rudimentary (at best) line-21 extraction in their respective API, and we may support them in future releases. As a side note, we find that digitizing board manufacturers come and go with some regularity, so building in support for each idiosyncratic board is costly with limited shelf life. Contrast this to typical, dedicated line-21 hardware and their manufacturers, which have been around since the early 1980s.
Is there a demo license?
Because of the not-insignificant cost of a line-21 data-recovery decoder, there's no demo license, per se. The software can be run without an activation key, and it is fully functional, except that the final output is translated into a comical dialect, so it's not appropriate for streaming. Note, however, that we can and do run online demonstrations on request, where we stream realtime captions sourced from a live video program that practically everyone can view on TV. Contact us for details.
Can this software take output from a stenographer?
Yes, CaptionKeeper can take live input directly from a stenocaption computer, as long as it can be routed to a serial port on the computer running CaptionKeeper. If the stenocaptioning software is closed-caption / line-21 enabled, then it will create output in line-21 data format. For stenography packages that are not outfitted with closed-caption / line-21 modules, CaptionKeeper has an input module which responds to normal ASCII text. The steno software should be set to wrap lines at 32 columns, so that the output will mimic closed-caption displays.
Once the files are archived how do I attach them to my media?
If you're capturing captions to files for archiving and on-demand display, they need to be integrated into their particular rich-media environments. For example, a RealText file is integrated with RealVideo or RealAudio files by using a SMIL file as a wrapper. SAMI files can be integrated with Windows Media files using ASX files. QTtext files are integrated in a number of ways, including SMIL wrappers or by using the QTtext file to create a text track placed directly inside the QuickTime file. For more information on integration of captions with the various players, go to: NCAM Rich Media Captioning. There, you'll find in-depth information about multimedia captioning and much, much more, including links to other resources.