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  1. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Hello members, I came back today with another weird quest as usual and I posted in the capturing sub forum because I couldn't find a suitable spot for it, Besides other sub forums are full of millennials which most are not familiar with VHS equipment.

    I also would like to state for the record that this is just a hobby, I tend to get a lot of questions to why I'm doing this and that in modern times when I can just simply do this and that, I'm not living in the dark ages, my main entertainment is 4K TV, 4K contents and high resolution music FLAC files and a HiFi sound system with subwoofer and multiple speakers, so hope this statement saves a bunch of unnecessary posts, with that out of the way lets begin.

    My question is how do I go by recording a video to VHS or Betamax with closed caption or subtitles added and are available only unless requested by the TV remote control? Meaning are not hard coded into the video.

    I know there are some rack mounted encoders out there that have video in and video out and a serial port to hookup to an old computer to generate the CC data by the software, the data then is added to the encoder's video output as CC or subtitles, However this is not my route, I have SD 4/3 digital video files in either MPEG-2 or mkv with subtitles on them already I just need an interface to read the video files while playing and extract the subtitles and add them to the video output.

    The best approach is if the encoder can read an HDMI stream and extract the data and add it to its analog video output. Basically the way I record to a VCR is as follows: I read the files with a hard drive media player with an HDMI output, then I use a professional HDMI to Composite/S-Video adapter and hook it up to a VCR and record that way.

    Here in the US CC data is embedded in line 21 of either field, 2 captions for each line, total 4 captions can be added, however due to limited bandwidth only one is used per scan line. In Europe I believe use line 26.
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  2. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Another way of accomplishing this is software based, so basically a software scans the video file and reads the CC data converts it to CEA-608 standard and replaces normal # 21 scan lines with CC data scan lines by re-transcoding the video frames, Does such software exist?
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    Your first idea definitely won't work. None of the specs for any version of HDMI released so far include a provision for carrying a closed caption data stream. HDMI can only provide open captions, what closed captions become after they've been decoded into letters and symbols by a playback device and made a visible part of the picture.

    I don't know of any software solutions as described in your second post. I only know of hardware solutions. For example, some DVD players, DVD recorders, cable boxes, satellite receivers, and OTA digital-to-analog converter boxes can add line 21 data derived from closed caption streams stored in the GOP user data of MPEG-2 or H.264 video to their analog composite video output.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 29th Dec 2019 at 23:00. Reason: clarity
    Ignore list: hello_hello, tried, TechLord, Snoopy329
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  4. Member godai's Avatar
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    there its some rf modulator atsc , convert hdmi to rf coaxial 1080p , hdmi side it comes with yellow composite conection for cc. and other side coaxial out.

    i guess this its not help for discussion but i just want share it.

    and thing its expensive btw.
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  5. Capturing Memories dellsam34's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by usually_quiet View Post
    Your first idea definitely won't work. None of the specs for any version of HDMI released so far include a provision for carrying a closed caption data stream. HDMI can only provide open captions, what closed captions become after they've been decoded into letters and symbols by a playback device and made a visible part of the picture.
    You're right I've known that HDMI and I believe component and RGB don't carry CC data I just forgot over the years.
    If the files are full screen DVD's ripped with a ripping software or makeMKV do you think the media player would output the CC over it's composite output? I know this is a specific hardware question but just generally speaking. The trouble is I don't have an old CRT TV to try with, I will try my flat panel since it has a breakout for composite input but it accepts a wide variety of subtitle texts and I wouldn't be able to tel which one of them is the right one.
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