Timed Text

Release: 2.0 | October 31, 2024

Closed Captions (CC) and Subtitles (SDH) are both accepted for delivery into the Warner Bros. Discovery Media Supply Chain. Please reach out to your Warner Bros. Discovery contact for more information on whether you should deliver CC, SDH, or both.

Full Subtitle Text Track

Full subtitle tracks translate the Original Production dialogue for international use.

Subtitles are derived from either a transcript or screenplay of the dialog or commentary, usually displayed at the bottom of the screen, but can also be at the top of the screen if there is already text at the bottom of the screen.

Text track should include:

All discernable spoken dialogue
Relevant opening titles, episode names and credits (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant song lyrics
Plot relevant lower third text (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant principle photography (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Translator credit as required.

Forced Narrative Text Track

A text track to used in combination with the corresponding language audio track to translate spoken dialogue and on-screen text that is not otherwise covered in the audio track but is necessary for the understanding of the plot.

Forced narrative subtitles are used for secondary language or texted narration (Ohio 1967 | Two Weeks Earlier) and positioned to avoid burnt-in text. The burnt-in text will display regardless of whether subtitles are set to “on” or “off.”

Text track should include:

All plot relevant secondary spoken dialogue not covered in the dubbed audio track.
Plot relevant opening titles, episode names and credits not covered in the dubbed audio track (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant song lyrics not covered in the dubbed audio track
Plot relevant lower third text (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant principle photography not covered in the dubbed audio track (positioned to avoid overlapping text)

Closed Caption Text Track

A transcription to describe to the deaf and hard of hearing all significant audio content - spoken dialogue and non-speech information such as the identity of speakers, their manner of speaking and any significant music or sound effects using words or symbols.

Text track should include:

All discernable spoken dialogue
Plot relevant opening titles, episode names and credits (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant song lyrics
Plot relevant lower third text (positioned to avoid overlapping text) )
Plot relevant principle photography (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
All EIA-608 coding to produce compliant captions with respect to caption style and on screen placement
Text positioning that respects the safe-title area on screen

Subtitle for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH)

Similar to Closed Captions where important non-dialogue information has been added alongside the dialogue and text translations but display in the same way as narrative subtitles.

Subtitles for the deaf or hard-of-hearing (SDH) refers to regular subtitles in the original language where important non-dialog information has been added, as well as speaker identification, which may be useful when the viewer cannot otherwise visually tell who is saying what.

Text track should include:

All discernable spoken dialogue
Relevant opening titles, episode names and credits (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Plot relevant song lyrics
Relevant lower third text (positioned to avoid overlapping text)
Relevant principle photography (positioned to avoid overlapping text)

Technical Specifications

Description	Application (Closed Captions, Subtitles, or Both)
The full duration of the program, including end-credits, must be covered.	Both
All dialogue, including all foreign-language critical to the understanding of the plot, must be fully transcribed.	Both
Any original songs lyrics or any song lyrics critical to the understanding of the plot must be fully translated.	Both
All events must have a minimum duration of one second.	Both
All events should be one or two lines of text with a maximum of three lines. As an exception, where speaker identification required or when the text will not fit into two lines and the content does not allow enough time to split into two events.	Both
All files must be synchronized within two (2) frames to the primary audio/video.	Both
For Closed Captions or Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired, all non-dialogue sounds/effects must be included if they are critical to understanding the plot.	Both
Where more than one line is required ensure that the top line the longer of the lines.	Both
Default placement should be lower third, only raise subtitles to upper third to avoid on screen text or critical action.	Both
All SMPTE Timed Text files and Scenarist Closed Caption files must line up with the start timecode of the program.	Both
SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files must use “media” timeBase and have a framerate matching source video using a multiplier of “1000 1001” for non-integer frame rates.	Both
SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files containing media time values must be in the format of HH:MM:SS.sss (3 places microseconds) or HH:MM:SS:FF.	Both
Closed Captions must be C608 compliant and delivered as either Scenarist Closed Captions (.scc) files or SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files in accordance with SMPTE 2052-1. Delivery of a QuickTime Closed Caption Track is not supported.	Closed Captions
Closed Captions must be “pop-on” style, files delivered as “roll-up” or “paint-on” style will be rejected.	Closed Captions
Scenarist Closed Captions (.scc) files must deliver as 29.97 frame rate with appropriate drop frame type. Specifically: 29.97ndf must be used for 23.976 content, 29.97df must be used for 25 content. SCC files containing Drop-Frame timecode must be in the hh:mm:ss;ff format and those containing Non-Drop-Frame timecode must be in the hh:mm:ss:ff format.	Closed Captions
Captions delivered as SCC must be formatted for CC1.	Closed Captions
Captions delivered as SMPTE TT must be targeted for CC1, which is denoted by setting the captionService attribute of the SMPTE element to “F1C1CC” in the metadata section.	Closed Captions
Closed Captions must not exceed 32 characters per line including spaces and punctuation.	Closed Captions
Subtitles must not exceed 42 characters per line with a preferred length of 34, including spaces and punctuation.	Subtitles
Subtitles must be delivered as SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files in accordance with SMPTE 2052-1.	Subtitles

Expected Deliverables

Description	Application (Closed Captions, Subtitles, or Both)
If the Original Production Language is English, Closed Captions (CC) or Subtitles for the Hearing Impaired (SDH) must be delivered with the master.	Both
Additional Language(s) CC or SDH files must be delivered as required by region.	Both
Additional Language(s) Full and Forced subtitles must be delivered as required by region.	Both

Release History

v2.0 October 31, 2024

Added definitions and requirements Full Subtitle Text Track, Forced Narrative Text Track, Closed Caption Text Track, and Subtitle for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH).

v1.4 August 24, 2022

Added requirement for subtitles and closed captions: "SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files containing media time values must be in the format of HH:MM:SS.sss (3 places microseconds) or HH:MM:SS:FF."

v1.3 July 29, 2022

' Closed Captions must be “pop-on” style, files delivered as “roll-up” or “paint-on” style will be rejected. SMPTE Timed Text (.xml) files must use “media” timeBase and have a framerate matching source video using a multiplier of “1000 1001” for non-integer frame rates. ' was previously a single requirement. It has been broken out into two seperate requirements. The first sentence applies only to closed captions, while the second sentence applies to closed captions and subtitles.

v1.2 April 13, 2022

Changed "Warner Media" to "Warner Bros. Discovery"

v1.1 May 14, 2021

Added "Captions delivered as SCC must be formatted for CC1" to the Technical Specifications table