capture closed caption to captnn.dat

[stephenw4]

Hello folks, I've searched here but no info on how to capture closed captions into a CAPTnn.DAT file so that I can put it along with captured video/audio file to create VCDs. Any advice on this, thank you!

[McPoodle]

I've been looking for how to do this for ages. I can point you to two links: http://www.licensing.philips.com/information/cd/video/documents575.html for a well-formatted version of the standard boilerplate you've seen a million times on the web, and http://www.icdia.org/docs_sw/vcd_on_cdi_41.pdf, which explains that CAPTnn.DAT is designed exclusively for the (defunct) CD-I player, and will not work with any VCD or DVD player in existence.

However, there appears to be another way to create a VCD with closed captions, storing the captions inside the MPG file in a manner similar to, but definitely distinct, from the method used to do the same thing for DVDs. Unfortunately, this method is not documented anywhere on the Internet without paying $200 and signing a non-disclusure agreement. I'd reverse-engineer the format, but unfortunately, the only VCDs you can buy nowadays are made in PAL countries, which do not have closed captions.

Anyway, I've got this all formatted on my SCC Tools webpage, http://www.geocities.com/mcpoodle43/SCC_TOOLS/DOCS/SCC_TOOLS.HTML#VCD. If I ever manage to figure this out, you can be sure that I will announce the breakthrough on this forum.

--McPoodle

[handyguy]

I never saw a vcd with closed captions. Its possible & pretty easy to convert a dvd to vcd with open captions/subtitles however. A telecaption II can export open captions.