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EchoVideo: Managing Closed Captioning Files for Captures

Brockman Winfrey
  • Updated

This article outlines the Administrator workflow for managing caption files. For non-admins, see Adding or Deleting Closed Captioning Files.

Some institutions that add closed captions to their video content use a third-party closed-captioning provider. If this describes your institution, see Configuring Closed Captioning for information on your third-party configuration.

Some institutions, however, generate their own closed captioning files, and EchoVideo allows those institutions to upload those manually generated files to the media. You can also enable automated transcriptions for all your published captures, and then edit those transcriptions for accuracy. The resulting WebVTT file can then be uploaded and used for closed captions.

See also the EchoVideo feature to Automatically Apply Transcripts as Closed Captions for Media that meet a certain confidence threshold.

For tips and instructions on how to generate your own closed caption files, see the following online articles:
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/WebVTT_API
- http://www.3playmedia.com/2017/03/08/create-srt-file/

You can manage the closed captioning of your videos by:

  • Ordering Captions submits the media to the third-party caption provider for captioning or re-captioning. See the note below regarding sending for reprocessing.
  • Uploading your own caption files - EchoVideo supports the use of VTT and SRT caption files.

  • Deleting the existing caption file from the video altogether.

    Administrator captions drop-down menu with options as described

NOTE: Before sending a capture to have captions added or to be reprocessed for captions, know that:

  • All caption reprocessing will likely incur a captioning fee. If you are reprocessing captures for captioning because of errors or problems with the original captions, contact your captioning provider to solve this problem.
  • Some institutions set the caption turnaround time to several days to reduce captioning costs. Be certain you do not inadvertently send any captures for processing before the initial captioning is slated to be completed. This will incur a second captioning cost for these captures.
  • Only Administrators can submit content for caption reprocessing.

Order Captions for a Capture or Video

All Institution-level Administrators and Designated Administrators can order closed captioning for any media in their hierarchy. Admins can use any closed caption configuration configured for the Institution.
Other Non-Administrator Users (Instructors, Schedulers, etc.) who have been granted permission to order captions can send any media they own out for closed captioning. Non-admins are limited to selecting from closed caption configurations that allow ordering.

To order closed captioning files for a capture

  1. From the Completed captures list on the Captures page, find the capture you want.

  2. Click on the capture to open the media details page, shown below.

    AdminMD_CaptionsDropdownOpen_arrowsUI.png
  3. From the Accessibility tab of the Details tab, find the Captions entry for the video.
  4. Click the menu arrow and select Order Captions from the drop-down list.
  5. In the window that appears, click the drop-down and select the desired configuration for captioning.
    Order Closed Captions window with configuration drop down identified
  6. Click Order Captions to start processing the captions for your media.

The captions will be processed, and you will receive a notification when they are complete.

Upload Captions to a Capture or Video

Upload a caption file to add captions to the media. If the capture already has a captioning file, uploading a new file replaces the existing captions with the new file's contents.

Only VTT and SRT files are accepted as valid caption uploads.

To add closed captioning files to a capture

  1. From the Completed captures list on the CAPTURES page, find the capture you want.

  2. Click on the capture row to open the media details page, shown below.

    Media details page for completed capture with Add captions options identified as described
  3. From the Accessibility tab of the Details tab, find the Captions entry for the video.
  4. Click the menu arrow and select Upload from the drop-down list.
  5. In the Filepicker window that appears, navigate to and select the closed captioning file to apply to this capture.
    Only VTT and SRT file types are accepted.

Once the file is uploaded, it is applied to and synced with the capture or video. This processing should take a very short time.

If you are using a closed captioning provider, you can alternatively send the video to be re-processed for captions.

NOTE that if a user edits the video, the captioning file may need to be recreated and re-uploaded for the edits to be applied.

Deleting Captions From a Capture or Video

You can remove captions from a video. This may be necessary if there is a problem with the existing closed captioning file and you do not yet have a valid file to apply to the media.

Deleting captions from a video is permanent and cannot be undone.

IMPORTANT: If the Delay video availability option is enabled and applies to the media you are working with (at the institution/organization/department/section level), removing captions from the video will make that media unavailable to students until captions are re-applied. You should inform the instructor that their students cannot view this video without captions.

To delete closed captioning files from a capture

  1. From the Completed captures list on the CAPTURES page, find the capture you want.
  2. From the General tab of the Details tab, find the Captions entry for the video.
  3. Click the menu arrow and select Delete from the drop-down list.
  4. Review the information in the warning dialog box. If appropriate to do so, click CONTINUE.

The captions file is removed from the media.

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