making media accessible: from analog to digital (and back again, sometimes) madeleine rothberg...

Making Media Accessible: From Analog to Digital

(and back again, sometimes)

Madeleine Rothberg

OzeWAI

29 November 2006

It all began with Julia…

The first captioned TV program (1973):“Julia Child’s French Chef”

Open Captioned News

The first captioned TV news program (1974):“The Captioned ABC Evening News”

Closed Captioning

Launched in 1980

Alternate languages also available

Access Services

The Caption Center (est. 1972)Captions television, home videos, feature films, CD & DVD-ROM

Descriptive Video Service (est. 1990)Describes television, home videos, feature films by inserting key visual elements during pauses in dialogue

What is DVS?(Descriptive Video Service)

Lion King The Simpsons

QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

QuickTime™ and aH.264 decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

NCAM

WGBH National Center for Accessible

Media (est. 1993)

Research and development facility• supports national policy decisions• develops technical solutions • conducts research on media access

for home, school, and work

Analog Captions

Technology Unchanged for20+ Years

Decoders Available for10+ Years

US DTV Captions

DTVCC has advanced graphics capabilities

Caption Windows Pen Sizes (3) Fonts (8), Colors (8)OpacityEdging

Derived/Native 708 Prototype 708

US DTV Caption Options

DTVCC Advanced Graphics Capabilities

Set By Program

Set By User Preference

Captioning Online

Nova Online

Captioning Online

AOL - CNN and Kids On Line

Captioning Online

Google Video

Captioning and DVS Online

Ten O'clock News Accessible Clip Gallery

Movie Theaters & Access

Mopix = Rear Window® Captioning + DVS Theatrical®

Installed in over 100 conventional theaters, IMAX theaters, Disney Attractions and National Parks

MoPixMoPix = Rear Window Captioning + DVS-Theatrical= Rear Window Captioning + DVS-Theatrical

Mopix

• Every major Hollywood studio has made a selection of films accessible

• Many theater chains, including AMC Theatres, Loews Theatres, Crown Theatres and Famous Players Theatres are equipped.

• A number of IMAX theaters are also equipped

• Advocacy ongoing, spearheaded by patrons across the country…

Accessible DVDs

- Closed captioning- Descriptive narration- “Talking Menus” oraudio navigation

Published guidelines for creating audionavigation, availableto download.

http://ncam.wgbh.org/resources/talkingmenus/

Access to Digital Cinema Systems

• Work with industry standards organizations to ensure inclusion of captioning and description in evolving dCinema specifications

• Resulting solutions will be “technology neutral” and not tied to current access delivery solutions

Contact:

http://access.wgbh.orghttp://access.wgbh.org

Madeleine RothbergMadeleine Rothberg

Director of R&DDirector of R&D

WGBH National Center for Accessible MediaWGBH National Center for Accessible Media

Madeleine_Rothberg@wgbh.orgMadeleine_Rothberg@wgbh.org