Live Captioning using Captioning encoders

With CaptionSync you can live caption social media videos or streams. In this article we show how to use a caption encoder with video platforms that don't support live captioning natively (e.g., Facebook).

Using a Captioning Encoder:

As an alternative to using a separate StreamText feed, we can provide native captioning, if the requester uses either a hardware or software encoder, such as the ones from EEG (usually rented or purchased from the encoder vendor). The captions are then embedded into the video feed. Below, we describe how to use EEG Falcon and iCap to embed captions in your live feed. If you'd like to use other encoders, please open a ticket for more information.

Using EEG Falcon and iCap to embed captions in the live video feed:

If you're not yet familiar with this encoder, EEG has developed Falcon, a virtual encoder that uses iCap captioning software to provide real-time captions. For more information on purchasing and using this encoder, contact EEG.

Once the encoder is set up, you need to create an iCap Admin account (if you don't already have one) and assign Automatic Sync as your caption provider. Then you need to create an access code, and supply us with that code, so that we can provide real-time captions in your event page.

Using RTMP feed:

The RTMP technology (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) allows us to receive your audio/video stream and process it for captioning, with a near real-time experience, to send the stream along with captions into the end-user platform. This method is most commonly used to deliver captions along with the video for Vimeo Live, YouTube Live, among many other platforms that support RTMP.

When choosing this delivery method, please ensure you provide us with the following information:

• Server stream key
• Server URL
• End-User Application (e.g.: Vimeo, YouTube, etc)
• Link to the event (optional, but it will help us monitor the stream)

In the Live Captioning confirmation email we'll then provide you with our server details where you should direct your stream.

Note: In order to use the RTMP feed, you'll need to have a software or hardware encoder set up for your event, like Wowza, OBS, TeraDek, Telestream Wirecast, etc, from which you'll send your audio/video stream to our server. If you haven't used this method in the past, or are unsure if your encoder supports RTMP, we would recommend setting up a test request prior to the actual event.

Additional Notes:

• For more information on how to place Live Captioning requests for your events, check out our article on How to request Live Captioning.

• Another option is overlaying the captions on top of the live stream. More information can be found in our What is the best way to stream real-time captions to end-users? article.