MediaCentral | UX User’s Guide : Working with Closed Captions in MediaCentral | UX : Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX

Closed-Captioning Workflows for MediaCentral | UX
 
The following illustration displays the basic closed-captioning workflow for closed captions that have been created in an SCC file or in the D track of an Interplay Production sequence.
The following sections provide more details. Specific instructions for working with closed captions are included in Creating and Editing Closed Captions.
*To avoid problems with another user editing a sequence, add closed captions only after all video, audio, and effects editing are completed. Also, the sequence must be dynamically relinked in Media Composer and must be checked into the Interplay Production database.
Extract Closed Captions from an Interplay Production Sequence
You can work with sequences that are already associated with closed captions. The following steps describe a possible workflow.
1. A Media Composer editor creates a sequence with existing closed captions, and checks it into an Interplay Production database.
Technically, the closed captions are embedded in the D tracks of the clips that make up the sequence.
Sequences that include closed captions are marked by an overlay icon in the Interplay Production Assets tree.
2. A MediaCentral UX user opens the sequence in Asset mode, opens the Closed Captioning pane, and clicks the Extract button.
The MediaCentral UX editor can now review and edit the closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane.
Technically, the Extract operation uses the text in the D tracks to create Timed Text Markup Language (TTML) data. This “mezzanine file” is what MediaCentral uses for editing. The data is stored in the TTML format and is associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database (similarly to an AAF file).
After editing is complete, several options are possible:
Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTML data remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can be edited as needed.
Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See Repackage Edited Closed Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence.
Export the edited closed captions as an SCC file. See Export an SCC File or TTML file from MediaCentral.
After you extract the closed captions once, you do not have to extract them again. If you start another extract operation, MediaCentral UX warns you that you will overwrite the existing data.
Import an SCC File into MediaCentral
An SCC (Scenarist Closed Caption) file is a common file format for closed captions. The following steps describe a workflow for importing closed captions from an SCC file.
1. SCC files are created and saved in a location that is accessible to the MediaCentral UX user.
SCC files use the file extension .scc.
2. The MediaCentral UX user loads an Interplay Production sequence in Asset mode and opens the Closed Captioning pane.
3. The user clicks the Import button, locates the SCC file, and imports the file.
The MediaCentral UX editor can now review and edit the closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane.
Technically, the Import operation uses the text in the SCC file to create TTML data, which is associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database (similarly to an AAF file).
After editing is complete, several options are possible:
Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTML data remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can be opened and edited as needed.
Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See Repackage Edited Closed Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence.
Export the edited closed captions as an SCC file. See Export an SCC File or TTML file from MediaCentral.
Create New Closed Captions in MediaCentral
You can create a new set of closed captions by using the Closed Captioning pane. The following steps describe a possible workflow.
1. The MediaCentral UX user loads an Interplay Production sequence in Asset mode and opens the Closed Captioning pane.
2. The user creates closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane.
Technically, adding closed captions in the Closed Captioning pane creates data that is stored in the TTML format.
3. After editing is complete, the user can do one of the following:
- Close the Closed Captioning pane. This action saves any edits you made. The TTML data remains associated with the sequence in the Interplay Production database and can be opened and edited as needed.
- Repackage the edited closed captions with the sequence. See Repackage Edited Closed Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence.
- Export the edited closed captions as an .scc file. See Export an SCC File or TTML file from MediaCentral.
Repackage Edited Closed Captions with an Interplay Production Sequence
Repackaging integrates edited closed captions into a new D track MXF file. Before repackaging, the sequence was associated with a D track file for each clip. Repackaging creates a single D track file for the sequence. The following steps describe a possible workflow:
1. Load closed captions into the Closed Captioning pane in one of the following ways:
- Extract
- Import
- Create new captions
2. After editing is complete, the user clicks the Repackage button.
Technically, text from the TTML data is integrated into a new MXF D track file. The sequence and its metadata is checked into the Interplay Production database.
The sequence can then be sent to playback or used in other Interplay Production operations. See Extracting and Repackaging Closed-Caption Data.
Export an SCC File or TTML file from MediaCentral
You can export closed captions from various sources as an SCC file or a TTML file. The following steps describe a possible workflow:
1. Load closed captions into the Closed Captioning pane in one of the following ways:
- Open a sequence with closed captions already edited in MediaCentral UX.
- Extract closed captions from D tracks in the sequence.
- Import an SCC file.
- Create new closed captions.
2. After editing is complete, the user clicks the Export button.
An SCC file or a TTML file is downloaded to your browser download location. Technically, text from the TTML data is transcoded to an SCC file (with the extension .scc) or a TTML file (with the extension .ttml).