Can Vegas 6 do closed captioning?
 

Hi, I am doing a few video projects for my Agency. I am now told that before I can distribute the dvd it must be 508 compliance for the hearing impaired, which means closed caption. Is Vegas set up to do closed captioning or do I have to out sourse this? Thanks for your help. Bob

Sorry but no version of Vegas is capable of doing closed captioning (only subtitles) so this will have to be out-sourced.

For what it is worth...With a text media generator you can overlay text over video very easily. You could do it in sentences or whatever length is suitable. I presume this is the sort of thing you mean.
The overlay tracks have to be higher than the video track so that it displays over the video track. Depending on what is on your video track, you may want to put a plain colour behind the text to make it easier to read. I have done text as shown in the photo by using white text on a media generater black strip background.

...maybe I don't know precisely what 'closed captioning' is! :-)

From Wikipedia:

Closed captioning is a term describing several systems developed to display text on a television or video screen to provide additional or interpretive information to viewers who wish to access it. Closed captions typically display a transcription of the audio portion of a program as it occurs (either verbatim or in edited form), sometimes including non-speech elements.

It's a signal that's placed on line 21 of the vertical blanking interval (part of the video signal).
Most (if not all) new American TVs must have a decoder to be able to view this signal and display it when desired.

Here's a thread you might find interesting. It show how to add closed captioning but requires that you use DVD Lab 2. Vegas, on its own, cannot add the closed captioning info.

DVD Architect Subtitle Tracks
 

Hi, Bob
I just reviewed "1194.24 Video and multimedia products" from the Section 508 Standards. Paragraph (c) states that the content shall be open or closed captioned.

It seems that subtitling your video will meet this requirement. You have the option to subtitle your video in Vegas as Renton has illustrated. Also, Sony DVD Architect allows you to create selectable subtitle tracks so the subtitle can be selected rather than playing when not needed.

Best success with your production.

To be on the safe side, I'd get clarification on this.

Subtitling is very easy to do and can be done in Vegas or DVD Architect.
I've done this several times now and, having done it both ways, I think doing it in Vegas and then importing the subtitle file into DVD Architect is easier.

Well, thanks for all the input. I will try doing it, but since I have a total of 37 minutes of video, I can't type worth a darn and, my spelling is horrrible, I think I will end up out soursing it to a company that specializes in doing it. Next time I will try it on my oun if I can get someone to do the typing. Bob

Vegas is ready to roll right now, to comply with Rule 508. I teach a class on the subject at NAB each year. Command (not point) markers are used, and they become metadata in certain types of streams. I lay out part of the workflow in my Vegas pro 8 book.
Send me email if you need further help

Bob,

I use a vendor who transcribes the video (or uses the script I provide) and creates the subtitle file and email it to me, I drop it on the timeline in Encore or DVDA and it's good to go. I just upload an mp4 file for him to download and do the work, price is great as well.

www.ccmaker.com

I used him for closed captioning when we distributed on vhs.

As an alternative, there are several places you can upload an audio file and have it transcribed, (elance.com etc) but those versed in closed captioning know the subtleties required.