Using AST-Link 1.x for Windows

Closed Captioning with CaptionSync allows you to upload groups of files using AST-Link 1.x for Windows. This article shows how to use it.

Please note that this version is no longer available to be installed. If you're still using it, please upgrade to AST-Link 2.x for Windows.

AST-Link is a light-weight client-side application that allows you to drag-and-drop media files to the CaptionSync server. It provides a convenient method of uploading large numbers of files. Make sure you follow the instructions on the Installing AST-Link 1.x for Windows tutorial before you read this one. There you can learn how to enable your account for AST-Link, and how to install and set up this app on your computer.

Tutorial

Now that you’ve successfully installed AST-Link by following the instructions in the AST-Link 1.x for Windows Setup tutorial, you’re ready to submit files for captioning.

Submitting Files:

In the Setup tutorial, we talked about setting default Preferences in the Advanced Settings that AST-Link will apply to your uploads. You may see the Preferences from within AST-Link using the Options -> Show Preferences menu item. If you wish to change any preferences you must do so from within your CaptionSync account.

1. Start up AST-Link (found in the AutomaticSync folder in the Start menu on your computer).

2. When the AST-Link window opens, it reads the preferences you have configured in the Advanced Settings tab of the Submission window in your CaptionSync Account. The system then displays Server Ready.

3. The AST-Link window has three main sections. The upper area of the window is the Status and Setup area. The middle portion is the Input area, and the bottom section is the Results section.

4. With the AST-Link window visible, you can open the location where your media files are stored and drag these files to the Input window or choose File -> Add Input File from the pull-down menu and browse to the location where you choose them.

5. Remember that, in addition to the media file and the transcript file having the same base name, i.e., lecture1.wmv and lecture1.txt, you should make sure your file name has no special characters or spaces (&$!*< >?/) (see our article entitled Using Nicely Named Files).

6. Once files have been added, the Input window shows the file, its size, the transcript status, and the upload status. Next, check your transcription status. If you are providing your own transcripts, then the transcript file must have the same root name as your media file (and be in the same folder), with a .txt extension. Check the Transcript status column to ensure AST-Link found the transcript file(s) for each of your jobs.

If you need AST to create the transcripts for you, then check the Transcript Requested checkbox -- you will see the Transcript status change to Requested.

7. The default transcription turnaround time is the one you have selected on your CaptionSync account. If you need 1-Day Transcription (one business day), you need to check the Rush Transcription box.

8. If you have guidance for the transcribers, such as the proper spelling of names or special terminology, check the Note to Transcriber box and provide your notes.

9. If you have a set of files of similar subject, say a complete set of lectures on one Course, you can name these under one name in the Batch ID window. Note that no spaces or special characters are allowed in the Batch ID name.

10. If you need to change the type of submission to Transcription Only or Production Transcript, do that before submitting any files via AST-Link. You can select the type of submission from the App Type drop-down menu.

11. When you click the Submit button, the window will read Uploading Files and the window will be inaccessible for other file additions. The window will read Server Ready and the status of the submission will read Uploaded when the process is complete and you can then upload more files.

12. When considering a batch upload, separate files that DO need transcription from the ones that have transcripts with them, and submit these in two separate uploads.

13. Please check the submission results in the Status of Submissions page, under the Caption/Transcribe tab, in your CaptionSync account, within about 10-20 minutes after the files have been uploaded. If you detect duplicates, or jobs with the wrong duration or settings, please cancel them immediately. 

If you want to submit consecutive batches with different settings, learn here how to do that correctly. 

Receiving Results:

Log into your CaptionSync account and go to the Status of Submissions section. Within about 5 minutes after uploading jobs via AST-Link, you will see the jobs appear in the status section. When the jobs complete, the CaptionSync will email the results to you (unless you configured your account not to email results), and the results will also be available for download from this Status section. In addition, you will also be able to retrieve the results using AST-Link.

1. When you select Server ->Fetch Results menu item in the AST-Link window, the available result files will be listed in the Results window.

2. If you used a Batch ID when you submitted your jobs, CaptionSync will wait until all of your jobs have run and then present the results in the AST-Link application as a single .zip file using the name of the Batch ID. If you later submit more material with the same Batch ID, those results will just be added to that zip file. If you do not use a Batch ID, the result files will appear individually in the results listing. 

3. When the files appear in the Results window, you may highlight the ones you want and use the File ->Save Selected Results menu item to save the results to your local computer. You can also use the File -> Save All Results menu item to save all of the files in the Result list.

4. Your result files will remain in your AST-Link result folder for up to 6 months. You may remove the result files prior to that for your own organization by using the Server -> Delete From Server menu item. Even if you delete result files from your AST-Link results folder, they will still be available in the Status of Submissions section of your CaptionSync account.