Subtitles & Captions
Subtitles and closed captions make your content accessible to a wider audience, including viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, non-native speakers, and those watching in sound-sensitive environments.
Subtitle Types
Section titled “Subtitle Types”| Type | Description | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Subtitles | Translation of dialogue | Non-native language viewers |
| Closed Captions (CC) | Dialogue + sound descriptions | Accessibility, deaf/HoH viewers |
| SDH | Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing | Combines subtitles with sound cues |
Supported Formats
Section titled “Supported Formats”Vidori accepts the following subtitle formats:
| Format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| WebVTT | .vtt | Web standard, recommended |
| SRT | .srt | Common, widely supported |
| TTML | .ttml, .xml | Broadcast standard |
| SCC | .scc | Legacy broadcast format |
Adding Subtitles
Section titled “Adding Subtitles”Upload subtitle files for your videos:
- Go to Catalog → On-Demand
- Click on the video to open details
- Navigate to the Subtitles tab
- Click Add Subtitle Track
- Select the language
- Upload your subtitle file (.vtt, .srt, .ttml, or .scc)
- Click Save
When importing content, Vidori automatically extracts embedded subtitles:
- Embedded subtitle tracks in video files (MKV, MP4)
- Subtitle files included in the same folder during S3 import
- Associated subtitle tracks from YouTube/Vimeo imports
Add subtitles to multiple videos at once:
- Go to Catalog → On-Demand → Import
- Select Bulk Subtitle Upload
- Prepare files named:
{video-id}_{language-code}.vtt - Upload all files or provide S3 bucket path
- Vidori matches files to videos automatically
Naming convention:
abc123_en.vtt → English subtitles for video abc123abc123_es.vtt → Spanish subtitles for video abc123abc123_fr-CA.vtt → Canadian French subtitlesLanguage Codes
Section titled “Language Codes”Use standard ISO 639-1 language codes:
| Code | Language | Code | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
en | English | ja | Japanese |
es | Spanish | ko | Korean |
fr | French | zh | Chinese |
de | German | ar | Arabic |
pt | Portuguese | hi | Hindi |
it | Italian | ru | Russian |
For regional variants, use extended codes: en-US, en-GB, pt-BR, zh-TW
Managing Subtitles
Section titled “Managing Subtitles”Viewing Subtitle Tracks
Section titled “Viewing Subtitle Tracks”All subtitle tracks for a video are listed in the Subtitles tab:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Language | Subtitle language |
| Type | Subtitle, CC, or SDH |
| Source | Uploaded, Auto-extracted, or Generated |
| Status | Processing, Ready, or Error |
Editing Subtitles
Section titled “Editing Subtitles”- Click the subtitle track to open the editor
- Edit timing or text directly in the browser
- Preview changes with the video player
- Click Save Changes
Setting Default Subtitle
Section titled “Setting Default Subtitle”Mark a subtitle track as the default for viewers:
- Open the video’s Subtitles tab
- Click the ⋮ menu on the desired track
- Select Set as Default
Deleting Subtitles
Section titled “Deleting Subtitles”- Open the video’s Subtitles tab
- Click the ⋮ menu on the track to remove
- Select Delete
- Confirm deletion
Subtitle Display Settings
Section titled “Subtitle Display Settings”Configure how subtitles appear to viewers in Settings → Viewer Settings:
| Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Default state | Off / On / User preference | Whether subtitles show by default |
| Font size | Small / Medium / Large | Base subtitle size |
| Background | None / Semi-transparent / Solid | Text background style |
| Position | Bottom / Top | Subtitle placement |
Player Subtitle Controls
Section titled “Player Subtitle Controls”Viewers can control subtitles in the video player:
- CC button - Toggle subtitles on/off
- Language selector - Choose from available tracks
- Settings gear - Adjust appearance (size, background)
Best Practices
Section titled “Best Practices”Timing
Section titled “Timing”- Keep subtitles on screen for 1-6 seconds
- Don’t exceed 2 lines per subtitle
- Allow 0.5 seconds minimum between subtitles
- Sync with speaker changes
Content
Section titled “Content”- Maximum 42 characters per line
- Use sentence case (not ALL CAPS)
- Include speaker identification when needed:
[John] Hello! - Describe important sounds in brackets:
[door slams]
Accessibility
Section titled “Accessibility”- Always provide closed captions for accessibility compliance
- Include sound descriptions for deaf/HoH viewers
- Use SDH format when targeting accessibility requirements
- Test with screen readers