What are closed captions?
Closed captions are a text version of the spoken part of a video, movie, or computer presentation. Closed captioning was developed to aid hearing-impaired people, but it’s useful for a variety of situations. For example, captions can be read when audio can’t be heard, either because of a noisy environment, such as an airport, or because of an environment that must be kept quiet, such as a hospital. Closed captioning information is encoded within the video signal. The text only becomes visible with the use of a decoder, which may be built into a television set or available as a set-top box. In general, an onscreen menu on newer televisions allows you to turn closed captioning on or off.
Like subtitles, captions display spoken dialogue as printed words on the television screen. Unlike subtitles, captions are specifically designed for viewers who are deaf and hard of hearing. Captions are carefully placed to identify speakers, on- and offscreen sound effects, music, and laughter. Closed captions are hidden as data within the television signal, and they must be decoded in order to be displayed on your TV screen. With either a set-top decoder or a caption-ready TV set, you can switch captions on or off with the touch of a button.
