Finding Your NLE Settings
using CPC Calibration Black Movie

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Closed Caption data sits on Line 21 of the VBI in NTSC (525 line) video. In a 720x486 digital video file, captions sit somewhere on Row 0 through Row 2, and Column 19 through Column 35 depending on the NLE system. When you transfer the 720x486 video file to video tape, you must use an NLE system which can map the caption data from Row 0, 1 or 2 of the 720x486 video file to VBI Line 21 of NTSC video.

CPC found the exact locations for the closed caption data for several NLE systems. For example, the caption data sits on Row 1 and Column 26 for Avid Symphony. Click here for a list of known compatible NLE systems. If your NLE system is not listed there or the preset values listed there do not work for your NLE system, you need to do the following test to find the row and starting column for your NLE system.

CPC created a calibration video (7:30 minutes). The closed caption content of the first 5 seconds of the calibration movie is "Row 0, Col 14" and it is generated with the Row set to 0 and starting Column set to 14; the next 5 seconds of the movie has the CC content of "Row 0, Col 15" and is generated with Row 0 Column 15, etc. This shifting continues through Row 0 and Column 40 at which time it shifts to Row 1 Column 15. The last movie segment is Row 4 Column 40.

Please download and play one of the following caption encoded calibration videos (created with different codecs) on your NLE system and print the video through your NLE hardware (not Firewire), so you can determine the preset values (row/column) for your NLE system.

• Avid Meridian Codec (Adrenaline, Symphony)
• Uncompressed 8 bit 422 (AJA, Blackmagic, Premiere, Final Cut)
• QuickTime Animation (Generic Codec)
• Apple ProRes 422 (Final Cut Studio 2)

Finding row/column for your NLE system using CPC caption calibration movie:

Step 1. Download and unzip the Caption Encoded Calibration QuickTime movie that corresponds with your NLE sequence codec settings. (A matching codec can cut down or avoid render time)

Fig. 1: This is a screenshot of the caption encoded calibration movie

Step 2. Import the caption encoded calibration movie into your NLE system. (Avid users: You import 720x486/Non-Squared with "ITU601" Effect Aperture and "1:1" resolution; use the correct field order as usual.)

Step 3. Make a new timeline or sequence in your NLE system. Make sure that your timeline or sequence settings are 720x486, non-squared, with the correct field order (upper or lower as needed). Below is an example of what your NLE sequence should be set to in Final Cut Pro.

Fig. 2: Sequence settings from Final Cut Pro

Step 4. Place the caption encoded calibration QuickTime movie into your new timeline.

Step 5. Connect the video output of your NLE capture card to a NTSC television set. (Use the Composite video input for this test)
Avid users: Enable "VBI Preserve" in the Video Output Tool.

Step 6. Turn on your caption decoder to CC1 on your NTSC television set. (consumer grade TVs may require a remote control to turn on the caption CC1 decoder)

Step 7. Play the caption encoded calibration QuickTime movie from your timeline out to your television.

For a while you may not see anything on the TV other than a black screen. When the video reaches a point where the caption setting matches your NLE video editing system, you will see on your TV screen the captions with those settings. You may have to watch the TV screen for up to 7:30 minutes until you see a few captions like this come on the screen.

Fig. 3: This is what will appear on your TV set

If do not see any captions at all, your NLE system is not caption compatible. And if you do see captions, you need to pick a row and column value pair from the numbers you see. To avoid errors, you pick the mid-value of all visible column numbers. In this example it is Col 23. So the preset NLE values for your NLE system is Primary Row: 0 and Column: 23.

Once you have determined these values, you can use these values in the CPC software settings to caption your videos using your NLE system.