Closed captions
Closed captions are timed text that can be turned on or off by the viewer, written for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences — they include speaker identification and non-speech sounds like [door slams] or [tense music].
'Closed' means toggleable (the data travels separately from the picture); open captions are burned in and always visible. Broadcast captioning follows technical standards like CEA-608/708 in North America.
Legal accessibility requirements — the ADA in the US, similar rules elsewhere — are a major reason captioning exists at professional quality levels.
Related terms
Frequently asked
What is Closed captions?
Closed captions are timed text that can be turned on or off by the viewer, written for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences — they include speaker identification and non-speech sounds like [door slams] or [tense music].
Why does Closed captions matter?
'Closed' means toggleable (the data travels separately from the picture); open captions are burned in and always visible. Broadcast captioning follows technical standards like CEA-608/708 in North America.
What terms are related to Closed captions?
Closely related concepts: Subtitles, Open captions, CEA-608 captions, SDH (Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing) — each has its own entry in this glossary.
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