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MacCaption DTV
and HD Enterprise software now works with the AJA KONA (3, LHi,
LHe, and LSe) and IO HD cards along with Final Cut Pro 7 to create HD and SD closed
captions. This means AJA users that edit with Final Cut Pro 7
can utilize MacCaption to caption HD and SD videos in-house. This
eliminates the need for a dedicated HD caption encoder,
which costs $7,600 or more, plus saves time and money, preserves quality, and simplifies
work-flow.
CPC and AJA worked as a team over the past several
months to develop new closed captioning workflows for the
latest Final Cut Pro version 7.0. MacCaption adds caption
preparation and encoding capabilities to Final Cut Pro 7, by
generating caption files which Final Cut Pro can then use to
add closed captioning to HD and SD videos.
How it Works MacCaption lets users enter, position, and
time stamp captions, then creates an encoded caption file. This file is loaded into Final Cut Pro 7 via the "Edit to Tape" or "Print to Video" menus. The
AJA cards then channel the encoded caption data to the proper location in the HD video
data. More.
Simplifies Work-Flow MacCaption saves users
time and money by authoring captions in-house, avoiding
the costs and delays of shipping master tapes back and forth.MacCaption eliminatesthe generation loss of legacy tape-to-tape hardware encoders,
because the captions are printed to tape directly from Final
Cut Pro. MacCaption can
re-purpose captions
for multiple tape formats, the web, VOD, and optical disc delivery.
MacCaption does not require the complicated cable runs to tape
machines, a closed caption encoder, a time code reader, etc.
that are required by all other captioning software.
Note: Final Cut Pro 7 does not have any caption
preparation or encoding capabilities, that is, the ability to
create closed captions from scratch or raw script. Our MacCaption software
has caption preparation capabilities and also
generates caption files which Final Cut Pro can then use to
add closed captioning to your HD and SD videos.
Popular caption file formats such as .SCC and .CAP
files only contain CEA-608 caption data, therefore they do not satisfy
FCC requirements for DTV broadcasts. The FCC
requires both CEA-708 and CEA-608 captions on all DTV
broadcasts, whether they are SD or HD. MacCaption can
import your existing caption files (or create new captions
from scratch), and exports a true 708 caption track
to ensure your video is compliant with all FCC regulations.
We are
currently testing various workflows with the new Final Cut
Pro, and will be posting new tutorials and information as soon
as it is ready.
Excepts from FCP 7 manual (Chapter
>> Mastering) http://documentation.apple.com/en/finalcutstudio /workflows/index.html "There are
third-party applications, such as MacCaption from CPC, that
provide the means to import transcripts, edit them with timing
information, encode closed captioning data in the necessary
format, and insert the closed captioning data into a QuickTime
file in preparation for tape output or DVD encoding."
"However, you can
use a third-party utility (such as CPC MacCaption) to reformat
CEA-608 closed captioning as true CEA-708-encoded closed
captioning, saving the result as a QuickTime closed captioning
track that you can use for output instead."
To work with AJA KONA (3, LHi, LHe, and LSe) or IO HD,
you need MacCaption
DTV, DTV-A, or HD Enterprise, Final Cut
Pro 7, as well as the most recent
Kona drivers. Please check the
following pages:
KONA 3,
LHi,
LHe,
LSe,
IO HD.
See details of HD caption
workflow on pages 2-4 on KONA
Release notes.
Current Status: MacCaption + FCP 7 + KONA Workflow The Kona cards can output captions in one of 2
ways:
Output via the AJA TV or VTR Xchange programs
Output via Final Cut Pro 7's "Print to Video"
or "Edit to Tape" dialog
Both AJA TV and FCP output methods support either HD
or SD, but not
HD + SD simultaneously.
To export HD closed captions via HD-SDI choose "QuickTime DTV
608/708 Closed Captions Track."
All KONA workflows support MacCaption's
Assemble Captions
feature, which allows you to edit videos that
were already captioned, then conform the
captions to match your edited sequence,
without having to re-do all your captions from
scratch.
Initial Steps for All Workflows
If you are starting with a FCP project, export
your timeline as a QuickTime movie (this can be a
reference movie, i.e. not self contained; or self
contained if you prefer).
Import this QuickTime movie into MacCaption
and transcribe & time-stamp your captions as
normal.
If your MacCaption project doesn't begin at
00:00:00:00 (e.g., most FCP timelines start at
01:00:00:00), you must ripple (Time Code > Ripple
Time Code) your project so that the time codes in
MacCaption reference 00:00:00:00 as the starting
point (i.e. the first caption should start shortly
after 00:00:00:00.)
For HD captions, you need to check the VANC
check box in the KONA Control Panel, and make
sure the Primary Format is set to the format you
will be outputting (the Kona
cards currently can not preserve
captions when converting the format).
If you will be outputting for
HD, make sure you have at least one 708 target
specified in MacCaption Caption >
Encode Preferences (usually, Program A to
Service 1).
If you will be using FCP for
SD output, MacCaption must be set to export at
least CC1 and CC3 (FCP will not work with CC1 only). To check
your MacCaption settings, go to Caption >
Encode Preferences, and make sure your
screen matches this picture. (If you want to
put a different Program, e.g. Spanish on CC2 or
CC3, you may do that as well, but you must at
least export something on CC1 and CC3.)
HD workflow
Follow the initial steps 1-5 above.
MacCaption Export > HD >
QuickTime DTV 608/708 Closed Captions Track.
Your settings should match this picture.
To output via AJA TV: simply
open this movie file in AJA TV and play it out
through your Kona card. (Make sure your Display
setting is set to the same format as your video
file.)
To output via FCP: select
your original time line and make sure your View >
Video Playback is set to the same format as your
video file, then go to the "Print to Video" or
"Edit to Tape" menu.
In the Closed Captioning setting of the Print
to Video/Edit to Tape dialog box, select the QuickTime movie
with the DTV 608/708 track that you exported in
Step 8 above.
To output via AJA TV: simply
open this movie file in AJA TV and play it out
through your Kona card. (Make sure your Display
setting is set to AJA Kona 525i29.97)
To output via FCP: select
your original time line and make sure your View >
Video Playback is set to AJA Kona 525i29.97, then
go to the Print to Video or Edit to Tape menu.
In the Closed Captioning setting of the Print
to Video/Edit to Tape dialog box, select the QuickTime movie
with the 608 track that you exported in Step 8
above.
You can proof your HD 708 captions in
MacCaption or in QuickTime Player after exporting
a movie file with a QuickTime 608 track or
QuickTime DTV 608/708
track.
Please note that HDMI and component
connections do NOT carry closed captioning data.
(DTV compatible TVs can only receive caption data
as metadata in the DTV MPEG-2 transport stream, or
as line 21 on the analog SD inputs.) The
only high definition baseband interface which
carries closed captioning data is HD-SDI.
To proof HD 708 captions
on an external monitor, you need an HD-SDI device
with a 708 closed captions decoder. HD-SDI 708
closed captions can be displayed on a Sony Luma
monitor with the optional
BKM-244CC closed caption decoder
(note: not compatible with 708 roll-up or paint-on
captions), or converted into open captions using
an Evertz 7760CCM-HD decoder card,
or verified using the Tektronix Video Test
waveform monitors. There are other devices
capable of decoding 708 captions as well. However,
we have yet to find an HD-SDI 708 captions decoder
which properly supports Asian languages and other
Unicode characters.
Deck Setup: If you are trying to record captions to a Sony
XDCAM or HDCAM deck, these decks are configured by
default to NOT record VANC Line 9 where HD
captions reside. You must go into the deck
maintenance menus to configure the deck to record
VANC Line 9. We have some information in the
MacCaption PDF manual, or please contact Sony for
assistance in configuring your deck.
Also,
please be aware that most Sony decks do not output
HD VANC data to the monitor outputs during live
monitoring or recording, only during tape
playback. If you are trying to monitor your
captions, please connect your HD-SDI monitor w/708
caption decoder directly to your AJA card,
otherwise you must first record to tape and then
play the tape back to see captions on a monitor
connected directly to the deck.
Finally,
please be aware that some kinds of HD decks do not
support HD closed captioning at all. These include: - Panasonic
AJ-HD1200 (AJ-HD1400 is ok) - All XDCAM EX
decks (XDCAM HD decks are ok) - All HDV decks
Working with 23.976
(24p) Video: Currently, FCP7 supports
Print to Video with HD captions for 720p59.94 and
1080i59.94 (sometimes called 1080i29.97) only.
All DTV broadcasts are aired in one of these
two formats. 24p sequences can be printed to
video using either of these settings. Make
sure you set your View > Video Playback preset to
one of these formats.
Can't see captions on external device: - Make sure you follow the above procedures
exactly and do not get any error messages during
the export or print to video processes. - Make
sure your deck is correctly configured to record
VANC Line 9 captions, and keep in mind that Sony
decks do not loop through VANC data to the monitor
outputs except when playing back from tape. -
Make sure that you are using an HD-SDI device
which is capable of decoding HD CEA-708 closed
captions. Consumer monitors connected by HDMI or
component CANNOT receive captions this way. You
can use an external HD-SDI closed captions decoder
connected to a HD-SDI to HDMI converter to preview
captions on a HDMI monitor. The best option is to
use a HD-SDI professional monitor or waveform
monitor with a built-in or add-on CEA-708 decoder.
See "Proofing your 708 captions" above for more
information.
