Captioning FAQ's

What is closed-captioning?
Captioning, or closed-captioning, is a service performed by realtime captioners and allows deaf, hard-of-hearing, or those learning English the ability to read the text of a live television broadcast.  The text is encoded into Line 21 of the broadcast signal and must be decoded with a captioning decoder or television equipped with a captioning decoder chip.

Who provides the service?
IR is a provider of realtime captioning services. Captioning is perfomed by captioners.  Captioners utilize the same core technology as a court reporter, but typically have a higher level of skill and ability.

Captioners use steno machine to input what they hear.  While the captionist is taking down the audio, their steno machine is connected to a computer. This computer hosts captioning software. The software receives the steno strokes as they are written, translates that steno into English, and the testimony then appears on their screen

Captioners are able to transcript live broadcasts at speeds up to 250 words per minute, or even faster in short bursts.

The listing indicates the program is captioned, why can't I see the captions?
First, ensure that the built-in decoder on your television is turned on.  If your set supports multiple language settings, ensure that your television is using CC1.  CC1 is the most common point used for placing captions.

Does captioning require a subscription or additional fees?
No, there are no extra fees required to view a program with captions.  All you require is a television with a built-in decoder chip or external decoder unit.  All televisions manufactured since 1993 over 13" are required to have the decoder chip.  You can usually turn the captioning on from the remote control or from the menu system on the television.