If you are a big movie, series or YouTube buff, you would know both the terms. But did you know that subtitles cannot be changed with the captions? Subtitles translation allows the viewer to watch a particular video, movie or series etc. in a certain language. It can be native or english subtitles. It allows the audience across the globe to watch the content without needing to understand the language spoken. Subtitles allow for the dialogues to be communicated and translated but not non-speech elements like an audio track etc.
Subtitling has proven time and again that it is an instrumental tool in reaching the untapped market and taking a step towards penetrating in a global expanse. It allows your content to be accessible in a wide array of languages. Now, if we have to narrow down the differences between subtitles and closed captioning, here are some pointers that you can go through.
- Subtitles are for the ones who can't understand a certain language being spoken, whereas captions are for the ones who can't hear the audio.
- Captions include the dialogues as well as any other relevant audios.
- Captions include all kinds of sounds including non-speech elements but subtitles don't. They only include dialogues.
- Users can change the placement of captions as per their convenience.
Although subtitles and closed captions look similar, they are designed for two very different purposes. Subtitles act as a text alternative for the dialogue in the video footage i.e. narrators, vocal participants etc. On the other hand, closed captions not only include the dialogues but also describe background noises like phone ringing, rain pouring etc.
When an individual is writing the subtitles, he is assuming that the audience can hear the audio but also need the dialogue in the text form for better clarity. Meanwhile, captions assume that the person can't hear the audio and need a clear description about the entire scene including the non-speech elements.
The Usage
The most common use of subtitling would be using it as a form of translating the video footage. It allows the business or an individual to capture the global market. The beauty of subtitling is that the original audio is preserved but viewers can still hear the soundtrack and dialogues just how it was intended. Captions are typically used for hearing impaired audiences or in the situations where the audio can't be played. It helps the audience to get a more descriptive understanding of the scene.
In website localization practice and other businesses, audience is always the key word here as both subtitles and captions have the same goal i.e. to help the audience and reach a wider audience. The audiences can be slightly different considering geographic situations but in a lot of ways they are similar too. The easiest example would be a foreign language film. Captions would make it easier for everyone to understand whereas subtitles will make it accessible and understanding in array of languages.
0
