Frequently Asked Questions

Does MoPix-21 AUTHOR closed captions for movies?
No, MoPix-21 DOES NOT create captions. It takes EXISTING closed caption (line-21) data from broadcast video and other sources, and reformats the data into Rear Window Caption display format. **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 displays?
Yes, MoPix-21 can feed multiple displays if your theater has more than one. But to do this, you'll need to either split the output serial signal passively or actively (there are hardware boxes sold for this purpose).
What does the license cost?
The cost for a MoPix-21 is $200. For pricing please contact:
MoPix@wgbh.org
Does MoPix-21 support digitizing cards?
No, MoPix-21 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 display. Contact us to purchase an activation key.
Can this software take output from a stenographer?
Yes, MoPix-21 can take live input directly from a stenocaption computer, as long as it can be routed to a serial port on the computer running MoPix-21. If the steno software is closed-caption / line-21 enabled, then it will create output in the proper line-21 data format. **Note that you might need to insert a Null Modem adapter between the stenocaption computer and the MoPix-21 computer.