Video Encoding service

Closed Captioning with AST DBA Verbit U.S. allows you to get encoded outputs using our Video Encoding feature. This article describes how to use this service.

NOTE 1: This type of encoding is not compatible with broadcast encoding, unless you're doing Open Captioning. If you need broadcast encoding (also known as line-21, or CEA-608), then you'll need to use a program like Apple's Compressor, Harmonic's ProMedia Carbon, Final Cut Pro, Squeeze Pro, or Encoding.com, along with a side-car caption file from us.

NOTE 2: This service requires a .mov, .mp4, .f4v, or .m4v as input file. If your media is in a different format, you can transcode it to the MP4 format by following the instructions in our Any Video Converter tutorial.

Video Files:

Attached are two encoded videos: a sample of a Subtitled video and a sample of an Open Captioned video.

Text Tutorial

We offer two types of encoding services:

• Closed Captioning/Subtitling: Encodes the captions into the subtitle data field in the mp4/m4v media file. This allows the viewer to turn them on or off as needed. Subtitles are overlaid at the bottom of the video pane.

• Open Captioning: Open captioning renders the caption text right into the video, so it becomes part of the picture. Once this is done, the captions are always on – they cannot be turned off.

If you're not sure about which type to choose, read more about this is our article about the differences between the two types of encoding.

Additional important information about Video Encoding is provided in the Notes below and also in our article about this service and the encoding results. We strongly recommend that you read this information before requesting the service.

How to request Encoding Services:

1. Log into your account, and go to Caption/Transcribe -> New Captioning Submission (or New List of URLs for Captioning, if you are submitting URLs to the files). Click Advanced Settings -> Video Encoding:

2. Select Add Subtitle Track or Add Open Captions as appropriate.

If you're choosing Open Captions, there are two more settings to select: the placement of captions -- whether the open captions appear over the video or under the video; and the bitrate. In most cases leaving this Like Original is sufficient. If you do want to change to a different bitrate, remember that a high bitrate yields a larger file, perhaps with better quality. A small bitrate yields a smaller file, but likely with lower quality.

3. The appearance settings can be configured under the Caption Appearance and the Web tabs. Please take a look at our article on Video Encoding appearance settings for more information on how to configure the appearance settings, and which ones are applicable to your type of encoding.

4. For Video Encoding purposes you don't need to choose a specific caption format; you just need to make sure that at least one format is added on the Output Types tab.

5. When you've made all the changes in the Advanced Settings, click Apply Changes.
The Summary Sticky will now show that you have selected Video Encoding.

6. Next, submit your .mov, .mp4, .f4v, or .m4v file, and make the request.

7. When the captioning is complete, you will receive the standard caption files. The encoding takes a bit longer; while the process takes place you'll see a Pending status in the Details page:

8. Once the encoded output is ready, download it from the respective Details page (go to Status of Submissions -> ID Details). The encoded video will be in the .mp4 format, and will not be sent via email because of its size – it must be downloaded from your account, and within 90 days after completion:

Requesting Encoding Services for completed submissions:

You can request encoding services for a submission already completed, as long as that happens within 45 days after the initial submission, and the media file is in the .mov, .m4v, .f4v, or .mp4 formats. Open the Details page for the completed submission, and check if there is a Add Open Caption or Subtitle Video Encoding link, by the Video Encoding field. If there is, then Video Encoding is available for your submission, and you can click it:

On the next page, choose the type of Video Encoding. Finally, click Yes, Add Video Encoding:

Note that, if you want to add Video Encoding to a Redo, you'll need to add the service first to the original ID, and then you can add it to any subsequent Redos.

Additional Notes:

• Video Encoding results are only kept for 90 days. Ensure you download the video within this time frame.

• This service requires a .mov, .mp4, .f4v, or .m4v as input file. If you submit a different type, you'll receive "side-car" caption files, but no encoded video will be generated and no Encoding charge will be levied. If your video is in a different format, learn how to transcode it to an MP4 format in our tutorial on Any Video Converter.

• Ensure you provide us with a file that is suitable for encoding. Note that merely being able to play your file doesn't mean it is properly encoded. Learn more about checking if your input file is suitable for our Video Encoding process.

• If you need to redo a Video Encoding submission, the encoded video will be automatically generated, if the Redo happens within 45 days of the original submission. Redos requested after this window will only generate "side-car" caption files.

• There are circumstances under which we may not be able to generate a new encoded video for you (for example, if your original video is in the wrong format or if it uses a codec unknown to our system); in such cases you will receive an email notifying you of this and no Encoding charges will be levied. Learn more about the technical background on Video Encoding.

• Video Encoding is not supported for YouTube or Vimeo videos submitted via List of URLs, because sometimes these platforms do not provide us with the video in its original format. Submitting your video via Dropbox instead is a good workaround for this issue.

• Note for Windows users: the QuickTime player on Windows requires subtitled outputs to have the .m4v extension. So, to watch encoded videos with subtitles on QuickTime, you need to change the extension of the file, e.g., Bio_1.mp4 -> Bio_1.m4v .

• If you are submitting your content via AST-Link, or via a partner integration, then you need to set your Video Encoding parameters in the Advanced Settings panel and save them as default, before submitting your content. Remember to remove the encoding settings from your defaults after you have submitted your content, if you do not want encoding for subsequent submissions.

• The Windows Media Player on Windows 7 does not render properly files larger than 1920x1080 pixels. If your encoded output is larger than 1920x1080 pixels (for example, because you added Open Captions under the video pane), use QuickTime or VLC instead to watch the video.

• Video Encoding is not available for Translation results.

• When you request Encoding, you can still receive other captioning outputs ("side-car" caption files). You just need to keep/select the outputs under Output Types, and then select the Video Encoding type under Video Encoding, in the Advanced Settings.