Chinese Subtitling Service

What is the difference between subtitles and closed captions?

Subtitles and closed captions (CCs) look pretty similar, however choosing between these two options can have significant effects on your video contents’ reception, and may reveal more about your brand than you realise.

Those who do not regularly use subtitles or closed captions may think there is no significant distinction between the two. Both are often used interchangeably, but there is a significant difference between them, especially for the hearing impaired.

Subtitles
Subtitles are the textual representation of spoken words in a video, usually appearing at the bottom of the screen, in order for the audience to read-along whilst the video plays. Subtitles, in contrast to closed captions, are intended for viewers who can hear the original audio but have some trouble understanding it.

One use for subtitles is to aid those who watch videos in a language other than their own. It is for this reason that subtitles are used to help audiences understand spoken content of foreign films.

However, subtitles are not only used for foreign content. We are all well aware of the fact that English has developed into a worldwide language, and many people from all over the world are able to understand video content that is presented in English to some degree. For those that are unable to do this however, subtitles are a useful solution.

Closed captions
Closed captions are not only substitute for dialogue, but also for other audible parts of the soundtrack, such as background noises, phones ringing, and other auditory cues that without description, would be difficult to decipher.

Closed captioning is typically used for audiences who are hard of hearing, or for situations in which audio cannot be played out loud. In these particular instances, viewers require additional description in order to differentiate between different people speaking, emotional shifts in their voices, or non-vocal audio that is prominent to the plot or message of the content.

Access for all
So there is a significant difference between subtitles and closed captions.  On the one hand, closed captions can be distracting and potentially frustrating for viewers, when they are used in circumstances where just the use of subtitles would be sufficient. Even worse, however, would be to use subtitles when captions are required, which could potentially isolate members of your audience.

Both subtitles and closed captions serve the same purpose, which is to make your footage accessible to a larger audience. Although these audiences may differ slightly, your goal is to make your video understandable to everyone.  It’s just a question of understanding the needs of the particular audience.

So, what should you choose for your content, subtitles or closed captions?
The target audience for your video projects will determine whether you utilise either closed captions or subtitles. However, as the internet connects your content to the entire world, both are becoming more and more significant.

It is not an uncommon view that every video should include closed captions and subtitles, rather than choosing between the two. In addition to languages, it’s important to consider web accessibility and making sure nobody is alienated from your video content.

Let us help you with your subtitling and closed captioning needs
Here at Matinée, we have a brilliant team of in-house engineers, who will take care of all the technical work (time-coding, synchronisation, encoding, etc.), and have the ability to customise both closed caption and subtitle styles.

If you’re still unsure on which option is best for you, get in touch with our top-notch project management team, who will advise which solution would work best for your content, and your target audience.

10 interesting factoids about China (North and South)

Chinese Cantonese is spoken in the south
In the southern Chinese provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong, Cantonese is the primary dialect. Nanning is the capital of Guangxi, whereas Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong. Guang is a term that implies large or expansive.

Northern China is home to Mandarin Chinese speakers
If you travel to the northern provinces, like as Beijing, Sichuan, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Baoji, you will hear Mandarin Chinese. One of China’s oldest cities is Beijing. The capital of China was formerly known as Peking.

The number four is disliked by the Chinese
In Chinese, the number four is considered unlucky. This is due to the fact that when Chinese speakers say number 4, the term for death sounds similar. However, given that the words for 8 and fortune are similar, they favour the number 8.

In China, Christmas is not a holiday
Despite the fact that Santa Claus and Christmas decorations are everywhere in December, Christmas Day is not a vacation, therefore everyone goes to work and school as usual. During the New Year’s festivities, children get gifts in the form of red envelopes containing cash.

Chinese people from the south favour rice
While noodles are preferred in the north of China, rice is the main food in the southern regions.

Speakers of Cantonese enjoy cheese
It is well known in southern China to make cheese from buffalo, yak, and goat. The Bai people produce goat cheese in the form of balls that resemble Italian mozzarella, and in Guandong, they also produce a unique buffalo milk cheese.