scc format

[Dartanion]

Hello everyone,

My question is about creating scc format. Or atleast a stl that can be converted to scc.

I have created a subtitle file for a documentary in stl format. It was successful as a subtitle file on the DVD.
I gave this file to a production house to convert to scc format and import and insert into line 21.
When the production house tried to import it, they said it had too many errors.

I was told the scc should have no more than 32 characters and to be safe..minimum of 2 lines.
So, i went through my stl, and split hundreds of captions to adhere to the 32 charaacters/2line rule.
There is min 2 frames distance between captions.

They tried to convert. They sent me screen grabs showing about 75% of my captions having this message.
<forced to shorten start of subtitle xx.> the xx is where the subtitle number is listed.

I am at a bit of a loss. My first attempt was a subtitle file which was totally fine...as layover subtitles and was authored onto the DVD. This however was not suitable for scc format..(to be embedded in line 21)

I am not sure what to change. I don't want to send it to he caption house as it will cost me a rediculous amount of money when ive done all the work, I just dont seem to have the format correct.
Can anyone offer advice as to why this error is occurring?

appreciate you comments

[Cornucopia]

Line21 stuff refers to VBI Closed Captioning, which has extremely low data capacity compared to lots of standard Subtitle formats, and is meant for a different purpose (deaf & hard of hearing transcription) so it needs to be formatted quite differently from the ground up.
There are sites on the web that describe good CC formatting style (incl. WGBH-TV).

Scott