Q. Does EZCaption XP do Pop-On captions?

A. Yes. EZCaption XP can do either Pop-On captions, or roll-up captions.

Q. Are roll-up captions limited to three lines in the lower third of the screen (like the evening News programs)?

A. No. With a little tweaking of the script, you can do 2, 3, or 4 line rollups and place them anywhere you wish within the Screen Display Area

Q. What encoders does EZCaption XP work with?

A. We design and test our software to work with encoders from Link Electronics. On the other hand, we have not found an encoder yet that EZCaption XP cannot interface with.

Q. Is EZCaption a new product?

A. Yes ... and ... No. It is new in the sense that EZCaption XP V5.0 is the first standalone version of EZCaption. Automated Data systems released the first EZCaption software in October, 1999. Originally, EZCaption was available only as an optional module in our EZNews Newsroom Production and Automation system, and as an optional module in EZPrompt XP. The release of EZCaption XP V5 coincides with captioning software updates in both EZNews and EZPrompt XP.

Q. What else (in addition to EZCaption) do I need to Close caption my Show (my video) ?

A. You need:

• Closed Caption Encoder
• Windows-based computer with EZCaption XP installed and activated
• A serial cable from the EZCaption XP computer attached to the encoder's serial port.
• Video source running into the encoder.
• Video recorder (server, VTR, etc.) attached to the encoder's output

Q. How do I get the CC onto the video?

A. That's what the encoder does. As the video is fed into the encoder, EZCaption XP sends corresponding data from your script (Word document, text file, etc.) to the encoder. The encoder inserts the data into line 21 of the VBI (vertical blanking interval) and sends it to the recording device.

Q. Do I need another Computer for EZCaption if I use a PC to store and playback my video (ie Adobe premiere)?

A. That depends on two things:

1. The operating system on the computer you are using (must be running Windows).
2. The hardware resources (CPU, RAM, and available serial port).

Q. What is the best way to control the output to my encoder.

A. The Help utility (distributed with EZCaption XP and available online) details the keys used to control output to the encoder. EZCaption XP works best in scripts that have short paragraphs. As a practical matter, you have the most control over the rate at which your caption text is released if every sentence in your script is a paragraph. Long paragraphs are all sent to the encoder as soon as the first character in the paragraph is sent. If the paragraph contains multiple sentences, all of the data in that paragraph must be processed by the encoder before you regain control of the output

Q. Will EZCaption XP run on a Mac?

A. EZCaption XP was designed as a Windows application.

Q. Will EZCaption XP run on one of the new Intel-based Macs ... one of the new Macs that can now boot Windows XP?

A. The short answer is ... we don't know. Intel-based Macs running Windows amount to a new platform and environment, and until we have completed more extensive testing we cannot assure any level of compatability.