craig@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (Craig Hubley) (08/17/90)
I would like to find some references for closed captioning technology (the text streams that some TV shows provide that can be picked up and displayed on captioning cable converters). I know this has been used to let computers "watch TV" in the past, as in the Media Lab Personal Newspaper project. I think Radius has a new video-in-a-window board that can do this, too. I would like to know: - how the text stream is represented/encoded (I assume it is done in the extra lines/redraw interval) (there must be commands to 'clear screen' to display new text) - how the text stream is decoded at the cable converter/terminal (I assume it is encoded as characters and a ROM draws them) - whether it is possible to monitor multiple channels at once (perhaps by intercepting the cable prior to the converter) - the level of standardization of the above (North America wide? part of NTSC standard? world standard ?) - what kind of software has been built on closed captions? - how widespread is closed captioning ? - sources of further information (email or postal contacts...) Please mail, I will repost everything I receive. Craig Hubley kid after Live Aid: "Is that it?" Craig Hubley & Associates --------------------------------- craig@gpu.utcs.Utoronto.CA UUNET!utai!utgpu!craig craig@utorgpu.BITNET craig@gpu.utcs.toronto.EDU {allegra,bnr-vpa,decvax}!utcsri!utgpu!craig 28 First Avenue, Suite 2, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4M 1W8 (416) 466-4097 -- Craig Hubley kid after Live Aid: "Is that it?" Craig Hubley & Associates --------------------------------- craig@gpu.utcs.Utoronto.CA UUNET!utai!utgpu!craig craig@utorgpu.BITNET craig@gpu.utcs.toronto.EDU {allegra,bnr-vpa,decvax}!utcsri!utgpu!craig