Analog televisions or video displays larger than 13 inches (diagonal) must include caption decoder circuitry that appropriately receives, decodes, and displays closed captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. Decoders are included in all televisions with screens greater than 13 inches built after July 1, 1993. Televisions and monitors without built–in decoders must have an add–on decoder for closed captioning to work. Note that it is often less expensive to purchase a new monitor or television than to add on a decoder.
Digital televisions (DTVs) or digital video receivers, tuners, and displays (including those in computer equipment and kiosks) must include caption decoder circuitry that appropriately receives, decodes, and displays captions from broadcast, cable, videotape, and DVD signals. This includes widescreen digital television (DTV) displays measuring at least 7.8 inches vertically, DTV sets with conventional displays measuring at least 13 inches vertically, stand–alone DTV tuners (whether or not they are marketed with display screens), and computer equipment or kiosks that includes DTV receiver or display circuitry.
Digital media player software used on computer or kiosks for stand–alone or embedded playback must include decoders that decode captions and secondary audio encoded using SMIL markup or another industry–recognized open standard. Recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), SMIL is an XML markup designed to be the standard markup language for timing and controlling synchronized media elements (i.e., video, audio tracks and descriptions, captions, and other media). SMIL works for a media player similar to the way that HTML works for a Web browser. Just as HTML markup displays in any browser, the standardized SMIL language fosters interoperability among varieties of media players (see the references below for more information).
Where practical, provide real–time captions for video and multimedia products shown during mission–critical live events that are not Web–based (e.g., major conferences, or distance learning). Real–time captions can be provided using computer–aided real–time captioning (CART) systems that use speech recognition technology to provide simultaneous open captions and immediate text transcripts. For major conferences, as long as the event is not being remotely broadcast, CART can be displayed on a separate screen that will permit larger text and more text on the screen. If such technology–based solutions are not used, provide an appropriate alternate format or alternate access method.
