What is Closed Captioning?

What Is Closed Captioning? A Simple Guide

Many people have noticed the "CC" icon on TV shows and online videos. But what exactly does closed captioning mean? Some think it is the same as subtitles, but there are key differences that matter, especially for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This guide explains:

• What closed captioning is
• How it works on TV and online
• How it differs from subtitles
• Why it is important for accessibility

Closed Captioning vs. Subtitles: What’s the Difference?

Closed captioning and subtitles both show text on a screen, but they serve different purposes.

Closed Captioning

• Shows spoken words from a video
• Includes sound effects (e.g., [door slams], [birds chirping])
• Helps anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing follow everything happening

Subtitles

• Show dialogue only (spoken words)
• Designed for viewers who can hear but do not understand the language in the video
• Do not usually describe important sounds or music

Closed captions are more complete, making sure viewers understand both speech and sounds in a scene.

What Does "Closed" Mean in Closed Captioning?

The term "closed" means viewers can choose to turn captions on or off. In contrast, "open captions" are always visible and cannot be turned off.

Where Is Closed Captioning Used?

• TV broadcasts (both digital and analog)
• Streaming and online videos
• Live events, webcasts, and video conferences

Closed captioning is common across the United States and Canada to support accessibility laws and guidelines.

How Closed Captioning Works on TV

For TV, closed captions are encoded and transmitted with the signal.

Analog TV (Older TVs)

• Captions were added onto line 21 of the TV signal (FCC, 1976)
• Special TVs or decoder boxes read and display the captions for viewers

Digital TV and HDTV

• Captions travel with the video as digital data (CEA-708 standard in the U.S.)
• They can include more styles and support multiple languages
• Most modern TVs let users turn captions on through the menu

To learn more about these standards, the official Captions and Subtitles documentation is available.

Closed Captioning for Online Videos

Online video uses different technology, but the basic goal of captions stays the same.

• Platforms like YouTube let video makers add caption or subtitle files
• Some sites offer closed caption services, making it easy to upload and sync captions
• Video file types like MP4 can include caption "tracks" that work with video players
• Viewers can often choose the caption language or style they prefer

Automated vs. Human-Created Captions

Some sites use automated transcription to make instant captions. However:

• Automated captions can be quick but often make mistakes (especially with names, accents, or technical terms)
• Human proofreading ensures better accuracy

How Does Live Closed Captioning Work?

Live TV shows, sports, and news have their own captioning needs.

• Professional captioners use special keyboards to type captions in real time
• Captioners must type up to 225 words per minute to keep up (National Court Reporters Association, 2022)
• Automated speech-to-text tools help, but human speed and accuracy are often needed for live events

This work is important because studies show that about 15 percent of American adults have hearing loss (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, 2021).

Why Is Closed Captioning Important?

Closed captioning matters for many reasons:

• Makes TV and videos accessible for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Helps non-native speakers and language learners understand content
• Important for watching videos in noisy or quiet public places
• Meets legal rules like the Americans with Disabilities Act

Captioned videos also show higher engagement and longer watch times online (3Play Media, 2023).

How to Add Closed Captions to Your Videos

Adding captions is easier than ever with modern tools:

• Use a professional transcription service to create accurate captions
• Try AI transcription subscriptions for regular video projects
• Manually add captions using free tools on video platforms

Learn more about captioning services pricing or order captions quickly and easily online.

More Accessibility Options

Besides closed captions, there are other ways to improve video accessibility:

• Subtitling services for translation into other languages
• Text translation and audio translation for global audiences

Conclusion: Get Reliable Captioning Solutions

Closed captioning is more than text on screen. It is a key tool for inclusion and access in today’s media. If you want your videos to reach more people, reliable captions are essential. Trusted brands use GoTranscript's closed caption services and subtitling for fast, accurate, and affordable results. With advanced technology and professional editors, GoTranscript can help you meet accessibility needs and reach wider audiences. Learn more about affordable captioning and transcription pricing, or order captions for your next project.