Movies, short films, web series,\nvideo games, YouTube videos, all use captions. The chances are high that you\nhave seen captions on the above-mentioned types of videos. The trend of adding\ncaptions is increasing gradually and is becoming a norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, one thing that you might not\nknow is that there are two different types of captions. One is open captions and the other is closed captions. However, the differences are not very clear.\nAnother question that needs to be answered is when to use them respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before moving into that, let\u2019s\nhave a look at the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are Captions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Captions are the text description\nof the dialogues of a video, displayed on the screen. Captions also cover the\ndescription of the relevant background sounds and identify different speakers.\nThe captions are displayed on the screen along with the video images, to make\nit easy for viewers to access the visuals of the video while reading the\ncaptions. The viewers don\u2019t need to depend upon the video sound solely now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of the individuals assume\nthat captions are for deaf and hard of hearing. But there are more benefits of\ncaptions making them accessible to them. Good quality captioning\nservices also focus on sound effects and music while writing the\ncaptions. This gives an extra added experience and a better understanding of\nthe context while watching a video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are Open Captions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In open\ncaptioning services, the captions produced are the permanent ones. They\nare included in the videos as a permanent feature. This means you can\u2019t switch\nthem off. They are also called as burned-in, baked, burnt or hard-coded\ncaptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 85% of the videos watched on\nFacebook are without sound and thus video creators take advantage of the open\ncaptions, as it can prevent the viewers from scrolling down if the open\ncaptions are displayed immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benefits of Open Captions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Disadvantages of Open Captions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When to Use Open Captions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The type of video decides whether\nto use open captions or closed\ncaptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What are Closed Captions?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Closed\ncaptions are on-screen text descriptions, also displayed as CC, as a\nseparate track. Because these are not directly burnt into the videos and are\nseparate from the videos, it gives you the option to switch them on or off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Benefits of Closed Captions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n