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This regional meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, focuses on the vital role of subtitling in broadcasting across Central and Eastern Europe, addressing legal issues, technology, and market dynamics. Keynote speaker Gion Linder, an expert in subtitling and chairman of the Eurovision Access Services Experts Group, will lead discussions on effective subtitling strategies for diverse audiences, including the hearing impaired. Topics include input technologies, content accessibility, quality assurance, and the evolving subtitling market, aiming to improve media access for all.
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Regional Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe organized by International “eAccessibility in Television Broadcasting in Central and Eastern Europe” (HRT Academy, Zagreb, Croatia) – 3-4 December 2013) Subtitling (captioning) Gion Linder Head of subtitling SWISS TXTChairman Eurovision Access Services Experts Group gion.linder@swisstxt.ch
Topics • What are subtitles? • Target groups • Legal issues • Technology • Input technologies • Content access • Reception of subtitles • Subtitling market • Quality • Profession subtitler/respeaker • Subtitles on all devices • Added values • International
What are subtitles? Subtitles are is a textual version of the dialog or commentary … [in audiovisual media]. (Wikipedia) • Intra- / interlingual subtitles • Closed / open subtitles
Target groups Hearing impaired (WHO: 5% or 360’000’000) • Deaf • Hard of hearing • age-related • profound • Late deafened • Deaf children Foreign language comprehension • Learners
Legal issues (1/2) There would be no such service without legislation(except the US) Fields: • Only broadcast or online as well? • Subtitles, signed programs,clean audio
Legal issues (2/2) • European directives • EU encourages member states • National legislation • Voluntary service
Technology • Server • Transmission system • DVB, Teletext or online • Exchange format: STL EBU TT • Equipment providers • Screen (Sysmedia) • FAB • Softel • Cavena (Scantitling)
Input technologies (1/10) Keyboard • Ordinary Keyboard • Stenotype • only in the UK and US (and Italy) • Short key systems • e.g. Norway • Fast typers • e.g. Austria • Dual keyboards
Input technologies (2/10) Voice recognition • Respeaking • Dragon and IBM • Available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Dutch • Respeaking with correction • France (correct sentences vs. delay) • Automatic voice recognition
Input technologies (4/10) Automatic subtitling = recognition + creation of subtitles • for live programs, with subsequent correction, alignment service • Problems that might occur • Challenges
Input technologies (5/10) Automatic subtitling • NER value from different providers
Input technologies (6/10) Automatic subtitling - Difficulties • Spoken vs. written language • Different from standard language • Background music/noise • Big variation within a program • Wrong recognized words
Input technologies (7/10) Savas project • EU funded, 2 years • 6 languages: German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Basque • Goal: live subtitling of news programs
Input technologies (9/10) Automatic subtitling - Conclusions • Not all kind of programs suit • Standard language • Without spontaneous speech • Homogenous program format • Noise and background sound standardized
Input technologies (10/10) Automatic subtitling • Possible area of use • Local programs • Automatic recognition with postponed correction • Subtitles available on the internet and HbbTV
Content access • Prerecorded programs • Access to content as early as possible • Convert to low res (+ meta data) • Distribution • Attach to data base or copy on MXF • Live programs • Access to news desk • Access to prerecorded videos • Near live: access to audio at least
Reception of subtitles (1/5) • Display on screen • Common sense • 2 lines, on the bottom • Double height • Only bright colors • Duration chps or wpm
Reception of subtitles (2/5) • Processing live subtitles • Scrolling vs. blocks • Time spent on images Source: Pablo Romero-Fresco
Subtitling market • Prerecorded programs • Hard competition • Easy to enter the market • Live programs • Follow the value chain • Costs for a broadcaster • Different ways to fulfill: With or without an own staff
Quality (1/7) • Definition of quality • Pretty easy for prerecorded programs • Correctly, regarding content and grammar • Word order and key words • Verbatim as long as possible • Description of non visible sounds • Linguistic nuances, ambiguities, irony • In sync and frame accurate • Easy language?
Quality (2/7) • Definition of quality • For live programs • Verbatim vs. slight synthesis • Scrolling vs. block • Real live vs. postponed editing (delay!)
Quality (3/7) • Quality assessment • For live programs • Word error rate • NER model • Assessment in the UK • So far: WER • New: NER model • 90 minutes per year per channel • News, entertainment and sports • Supervision by Roehampton University
Quality (5/7) • NER model: error examples • Serious he’s having problems with the cheques instead ofhe’s having problems with the Czechs • Normal he’s a buy you a bull asset instead ofhe’s a valuable asset • Minor Simon brown has been appointed new chairman of Rolls Royce instead ofSimon Brown has been appointed new chairman of Rolls Royce
Quality (6/7) NERstar tool • All you need: • video, subtitle, transcript • Calculates the NERvalue and the delay
Quality (7/7) NER model • British Ofcom plans: • 6 videos, 5 minutes each for news, entertainment and sports • Supervising Roehampton university
Profession subtitler • Ordinary subtitler • Respeaker • In the future only corrector? • Precarious work situation
Subtitles on all devices • From linear to non linear • New format EBU TT • On all devices? • On the own webpage? • On HbbTV? • On TV service providers like Zattoo? • On mobile devices?
Added values • Subtitles may improve • the search in the own archives • the search for video search engines • Subtitles may be useful • for recognition software
International • Awareness • EBU: Eurovision Access services experts group • Knowledge exchange • Interfere when necessary • ITU: Focus Group • Other stakeholders
Thank you! gion.linder@swisstxt.ch