Using CaptionSync's DVD/MP4 Transfer feature

CaptionSync has an authoring service that allows you to send in tapes of DVDs and receive back captioned DVDs or MP4s. This tutorial walks you through how to use this service.

For the most part, users interact with CaptionSync entirely electronically. Even if you're creating physical media such as tapes or DVDs, CaptionSync results are usually supplied as electronic files that you import into your authoring or encoding software. For those users who want the authoring process taken care of, AST offers a DVD/MP4 Transfer, an authoring service that allows you to send in tapes of DVDs and receive back captioned DVDs or MP4s.

More information about formatting options and background is provided in our DVD/MP4 Transfer: Benefits and Formatting Options article.

Tutorial:

One-Time Setup:

• Log into your CaptionSync account, click Settings -> Account Features, and select Enable my account for DVD/MP4 Transfer from the Account Feature to Add drop-down menu. Finally, click Request Account Feature. You will receive an email updating you about the feature status. Note that if you can't see DVD/MP4 Transfer on the "Account Feature to Add" drop-down menu, then it's already enabled.

Making a DVD/MP4 Transfer request:

• Once you're notified that the feature is enabled, open the Advanced Settings, in your account, under Caption/Transcribe. You need to ensure your Caption Location and Language in Audio settings are correct for the DVDs; these settings are locked in and can not be changed with the Redo feature.

• So go to Broadcast tab -> Caption Location to select the captioning placement; then click on Language/Content tab -> Language in Audio to select the language. You may save this as your default settings by checking Save Above Settings as Default; then click Apply Changes. If your media is in multiple languages, you will need to submit each language as a separate request.

• Click on the DVD/MP4 Transfer tab. On the New DVD/MP4 Transfer Request page, confirm that you have copyright permission to submit the media content for this request. Click on the I have permission as laid out here link to read the Copyright Permission and then select the checkbox.

• Complete the New DVD/MP4 Transfer table with appropriate values for your request. If your account is set up to use Purchase Order numbers, you will see the Purchase Order field. Select the Purchase Order that should be used for the DVD/MP4 request.

• Enter a brief description in the Description field; and in the DVDs/Tapes to Convert field, enter the total number of DVDs you will be sending to us.

• In the MP4 with Subtitles field, select whether you want to receive a Subtitled encoded MP4 version of your DVD's content, or just a DVD, or both.

• In addition to the usual Transcription-Captioning charges for a DVD/MP4 Transfer request, if you selected Yes, instead of DVD, then Video Encoding charges will be added. If you selected No, just DVD, then Result Review charges will be added. And if you selected Yes, plus DVD, then Result Review and Video Encoding charges will be added.

• Check the Return Original Media checkbox, if you wish to have the original media shipped back to you. If you chose No, just DVD or Yes, plus DVD for the MP4 with Subtitles field, you will see the Extra Copies of Each DVD field: if you need extra copies of the authored DVD, you can specify the number of extra copies there.

• In the Transcription field, select the appropriate Transcription Turnaround. Please note that 1-Business-Day turnaround time applies only to the time it takes to transcribe the audio content of your media, not the entire DVD/MP4 Transfer process.

• Add any pertinent information for the transcriber in the Guidance for Transcriber field. This information will be applied to all DVDs in the request.

• Verify that the values in the Return Address field match the address where you wish to have the DVD shipped to. You can edit the address by clicking the Edit link in the field.

• Finally, click Add Request. On the next screen, you will have the options to Print a Request Form to ship with the DVDs/tapes and Associate tracking numbers with your Request (Optional).

• You can check the status of your DVD/MP4 Transfer request on the DVD/MP4 Transfer Request Details page; click on Track Requests in the left navigation column and then select the AST Request ID for the request.

• You can cancel a request up until we have received the tapes or DVDs. You can also reprint your Request Form, or add Tracking Info if you click this link. The status will change to Received once your tapes or DVDs have been received, and you'll be notified.

• For any requests which require DVD authoring we will need you to review the text transcript before we begin any authoring. In such cases, you will be emailed, and you will see the Await Review link by the AST IDs listed at the bottom. Clicking the Await Review link takes you to the page where you can approve or edit the transcript. Doing so in a timely fashion will help expedite your Result Review and DVD authoring.

• When the process is complete, we’ll ship back the original media and the authored DVDs, and you’ll be notified. If only MP4s were requested, we will only ship back the original media if you requested. In either case, the status will show Completed/Shipped. For shipped orders, you’ll also be able to see tracking information on this page.

For any requests for MP4 creation, you will be emailed when they are available for download. You can get to the Submission Details page by either clicking the link in the email, or clicking the AST IDs which show Succeeded. 

From the Details page, you can download caption files, check billing information and other details, and request a redo.

Additional Notes:

• A multi-chapter DVD or tape will be combined into a single-chapter DVD/MP4. If your tape or DVD has multiple chapters or menu structures, we will not be able to recreate them in the final product (DVD/MP4).
  If your tape or DVD has multiple chapters, and you need to have them preserved in the final product, please open a Support ticket for more information and options, before you make your DVD/MP4 Transfer request.

• Encoded outputs are only kept in your account for 90 days. If you requested MP4 transfer, please download the MP4 file(s) as soon as you're notified about their availability.

• Turnaround time is normally 3 weeks from time of receipt of tapes/DVDs to time of return shipment (faster for MP4 output). You will be asked to approve the transcript before captioning proceeds; time taken for you to approve the transcript is not included in this estimate.

• You can do a Redo after the fact to get other results files and/or settings, but the location of the captions/subtitles is locked in once you create your DVD/MP4 Transfer request.