Videos feel incomplete without captions or subtitles. Captions are not only helpful to people with hearing impairments, but they are also quite beneficial to non-native speakers and other millions of people. Since captions enhance the performance of your videos, boosting view time by 12%, you should understand their functionality, including their file formats.
The Scenarist Closed Caption file (SCC) is one of the most commonly used captioning formats in the broadcasting TV industry. This file contains encoded captions for video content, or in technical terms, Line 21 or CEA-608 captioning data in 29.97 frame rates. This file format, originally designed for analog televisions and DVDs, has surprisingly remained useful despite the decline of NTSC broadcast transmissions.
SCC files are incredibly versatile. Besides holding baseline captioning information, like timing and text, they include styling elements like italics, positioning, and music notes. SCC files follow a SMPTE timecode format and support 32 characters per line.
Common Uses of Scenarist Closed Caption (SCC) Files
SCC files are incredibly versatile. They meet traditional broadcasting requirements and are used as a sidecar file by modern media platforms, web players, and popular editing software. Some of their common uses include:
Broadcast TV
SCC files are the most commonly used format to add closed captions to broadcast TV. These files ensure everyone can enjoy their favorite live TV shows and stay updated with the latest news.
Professional Video Editing Software
SCC files are a popular format among editors and professional captioners. They are highly compatible with most editing software, including Adobe products. Hence, editors use SCC files to add captions to their videos. You can also opt for an SCC file if you are searching for a compatible caption file format with your editing software.
OTT Platforms
SCC files have remained relevant because of their flexibility. While they contain analog data, they can function as text files, like SRT or WebVTT, if the platform can read and translate them. Hence, several over-the-top (OTT) platforms, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and more, use SCC files as a sidecar to include captions in their videos.
SCC vs SRT vs VTT File Format
While there are many captioning file formats, Scenarist Closed Captions (SCC), SubRip Subtitle (SRT), and WebVTT or Web Video Text Track (VTT) are the most commonly used types. However, beginners may find it difficult to differentiate between them since they have distinct yet overlapping characteristics.
Where SCC files contain encoded information, SRT and VTT are plain text files. As a result, they are more popular among video and streaming platforms. Moreover, you can easily edit them using any basic text editor. Each format has its own niche. SCC is ideal for traditional environments, SRT is mostly used to add subtitles to TV shows, and VTT is perfect for online videos. Here is how these formats are different from each other.
| Features | SCC | SRT | VTT |
| What is it? | File format for closed captions | A popular subtitle format for movies or TV | File format for captions & subtitles for web videos |
| File Extension | .ssc | .srt | .vtt |
| File Structure | Encoded information | Plain Text | Plain Text |
| Timecode Format | SMPTE (hours:mins:secs:frame) | hours:mins:secs:ms (milliseconds) | hours:mins:secs:ms (milliseconds) |
| Character limit per line | 32 characters | 42 characters | 42 characters |
| Usage | Broadcast TV & DVDs | TV shows | Web videos |
| Compatibility | NTSC broadcast standards | Compatible with all platforms & players | All web browsers |
| Easy to edit | No | Yes (on any basic text editor) | Yes |
| Supports metadata | No | No | Yes |
| Supports Styling | Yes | No | Yes |
How to Create an SCC File?
As you might have seen, SCC files are quite versatile, providing a reliable way to add captions to your videos. However, it is not easy to create this file, especially if you are a new content creator. The most practical solution to creating an accurate SCC file is to partner with an experienced captioning service provider like Limegreen Media (LGM).
LGM produces high-quality captions with excellent turnaround times by relying on collaborative intelligence – a perfect combination of experienced professionals and AI. From generating captions to encoding information into an SCC file and adding it to your video, the company executes each task professionally. So, contact LGM today to create an accurate SCC file!
