Comments on: Fun with closed captioning http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/ Eric D. Snider's blog. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 01:50:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Craig http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-118714 Craig Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:33:11 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-118714 Funny thing is that they aren't homophones in the East; "aw" and short "o" are distinct sounds here. This reminds me of an announcement I heard once in church, that "Don" would be teaching Sunday School in room 1 and "Don" would be teaching in room 2. Of course, the speaker meant "Don" and "Dawn", but there was utterly no way to tell which was which, without going to the room to find out. Funny thing is that they aren’t homophones in the East; “aw” and short “o” are distinct sounds here.

This reminds me of an announcement I heard once in church, that “Don” would be teaching Sunday School in room 1 and “Don” would be teaching in room 2. Of course, the speaker meant “Don” and “Dawn”, but there was utterly no way to tell which was which, without going to the room to find out.

]]> By: TashaKay http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117811 TashaKay Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:41:10 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117811 Since I clean up court reporter transcripts for a living (I'm a scopist), the messiness of captions just annoys me to no end. Especially when it's a Simpsons or Seinfled rerun that you know is going to be shown thousands of times and it just looks like the court reporter gives up in the middle. I wonder why they don't go back later and fix it. I'm always just hoping the reporters get docked in pay for the huge chunks of dialog that are missing. Since I clean up court reporter transcripts for a living (I’m a scopist), the messiness of captions just annoys me to no end. Especially when it’s a Simpsons or Seinfled rerun that you know is going to be shown thousands of times and it just looks like the court reporter gives up in the middle. I wonder why they don’t go back later and fix it. I’m always just hoping the reporters get docked in pay for the huge chunks of dialog that are missing.

]]> By: Chris F http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117797 Chris F Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:38:10 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117797 Actually, most news broadcasts and live broadcasts use a stenograph, which is the same thing that court reporters use. Except, in this case, it's connected to a computer that will send out closed-captioning during the broadcast. The stenograph machine can be programmed to recognize phonetic patterns, so the typist can only enter a few letters (some consonants and a vowel) and the computer will often "guess" the rest. Obviously, there have been mistakes. I am deaf and depend on the closed-captioning for my understanding. Usually, in a half-hour news broadcast, there are over 100 mistakes (and sometimes the court reporter can't even catch up, so there might be large gaps). I've also seen stenographers use these machines during my college classes, and they'll use them as "note-taking" devices and print out the notes for me. I've seen how the computer guesses the phonetically-correct word, but gets way off base. (e.g., the person will begin to phonetically type out "success" and the computer guesses "sex" at first... EVERY TIME!) One of my favorites on the news broadcasts, though, is when the weatherman says, "Looks like we'll have rape tomorrow," where the computer guessed the word was "rape" and not "rain." My pet peeve isn't the spelling errors or phonetically-guessed words. Actually, it's when the anchors banter and chat in between the stories, or before the sports. And the stenographer simply types, "overlapping dialogue." Grrr.... Actually, most news broadcasts and live broadcasts use a stenograph, which is the same thing that court reporters use. Except, in this case, it’s connected to a computer that will send out closed-captioning during the broadcast. The stenograph machine can be programmed to recognize phonetic patterns, so the typist can only enter a few letters (some consonants and a vowel) and the computer will often “guess” the rest. Obviously, there have been mistakes.

I am deaf and depend on the closed-captioning for my understanding. Usually, in a half-hour news broadcast, there are over 100 mistakes (and sometimes the court reporter can’t even catch up, so there might be large gaps).

I’ve also seen stenographers use these machines during my college classes, and they’ll use them as “note-taking” devices and print out the notes for me. I’ve seen how the computer guesses the phonetically-correct word, but gets way off base. (e.g., the person will begin to phonetically type out “success” and the computer guesses “sex” at first… EVERY TIME!)

One of my favorites on the news broadcasts, though, is when the weatherman says, “Looks like we’ll have rape tomorrow,” where the computer guessed the word was “rape” and not “rain.”

My pet peeve isn’t the spelling errors or phonetically-guessed words. Actually, it’s when the anchors banter and chat in between the stories, or before the sports. And the stenographer simply types, “overlapping dialogue.”

Grrr….

]]> By: Kourtney http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117032 Kourtney Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:16:48 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-117032 I recommend watching Judge Judy with closed captioning while on the treadmill at the gym. Somehow "He ain't my baby daddy, Your Honor!" is a lot funnier when read. It doesn't even need homophones! I recommend watching Judge Judy with closed captioning while on the treadmill at the gym. Somehow “He ain’t my baby daddy, Your Honor!” is a lot funnier when read. It doesn’t even need homophones!

]]> By: Clumpy http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116947 Clumpy Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:45:28 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116947 I think that some of the closed caption on cheaper programs is done with voice-recognition technology. This would explain some of the errors that no human would ever make, such as the transcription of a physical sound effect into a word. I think that some of the closed caption on cheaper programs is done with voice-recognition technology. This would explain some of the errors that no human would ever make, such as the transcription of a physical sound effect into a word.

]]> By: Chris http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116902 Chris Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:53:41 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116902 Diane, All the fast food Eric eats is probably getting to him. He might have just had a moment of inspiration and decided to get his life together and start working out to improve his health. Don't worry, those usually wear off quickly, and he'll be back on the dark side before you know it. Diane,

All the fast food Eric eats is probably getting to him. He might have just had a moment of inspiration and decided to get his life together and start working out to improve his health.

Don’t worry, those usually wear off quickly, and he’ll be back on the dark side before you know it.

]]> By: whea-wix http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116865 whea-wix Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:11:25 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116865 Am I the only one who must have captions on to understand what people are saying on tv? Am I the only one who must have captions on to understand what people are saying on tv?

]]> By: LamaniteDancer http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116840 LamaniteDancer Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:46:13 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116840 Too funny. I was just waching the news on closed captioning last night and the captioner wrote (I don't remember the precise sentence) that something was an "offly difficult situation." I thought it was awfully funny. Too funny. I was just waching the news on closed captioning last night and the captioner wrote (I don’t remember the precise sentence) that something was an “offly difficult situation.”

I thought it was awfully funny.

]]> By: Diane http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116838 Diane Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:44:37 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116838 You were on a treadmill? You belong to a gym? You are not the man I thought you were. You were on a treadmill? You belong to a gym? You are not the man I thought you were.

]]> By: GWGumby http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116752 GWGumby Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:22:56 +0000 http://www.ericdsnider.com/blog/2008/04/01/fun-with-closed-captioning/#comment-116752 I have no idea what that close caption sentence means, but extra kudos to the captioner who managed to write a completely original sentence that has probably never been written in all of English history. I have no idea what that close caption sentence means, but extra kudos to the captioner who managed to write a completely original sentence that has probably never been written in all of English history.

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