Are user generated captions really user desired? User Requested is the real solution.

(Austin TX April 26, 2007) Project readOn (www.projectreadon.com) solves the problem of online video captioning through user requested captions.

In an online world where all the rage is “User Generated” (UG), does this model really apply to captions or subtitles? Many online video content hosts seem to think so, but what about the actual user?

Project readOn announces that they are at the cutting edge of online captions by utilizing a strategy they feel is the true UG model, what they call UR or “User Requested”. Project readOn has created a simple, easy to use web interface whereby users can submit a URL for the content they want captioned anywhere on the web. Once this submission is made, Project readOn will review the content and upon approval they will submit it to their pipeline of content for captioning.

The captions that they provide are professional grade and as close to 100% accurate as it gets, “Like what you see in the best of TV captions,” says co-founder Mateo Gutierrez. Project readOn truly delivers broadcast quality captions to the internet. When compared to UG captions it is immediately apparent that UG captions can never fulfill a real need on the part of the deaf and hard of hearing to understand content in a clear and precise manner. UG captions have no standards, are created at the whim of anyone with an interest in transcribing videos either for personal, humorous, or humanitarian needs. While in concept this might sound like a good idea, consider: How does this solve the real need of people to have specific content that they want to enjoy captioned? Do they request that a friend or acquaintance caption the content for them? Do they wait for the content to become interesting to someone who likes to transcribe videos? And if they can find the right person, what guarantee is there that the transcription will be even remotely accurate? These very common concerns are highly regulated in the traditional captioning world. That’s where Project readOn scores a home run: They utilize real caption editors and editing software to create truly professional grade captions every single time and they allow the user to choose what they want to see with captions. The users identify the content to be captioned, and do not to have to wait for it ever again. Here’s what the National Association of the Deaf had to say about Project readOn:

The National Association of the Deaf (NAD, www.nad.org) advocates for full access to all audiovisual material through captioning. We appreciate the work of Project readOn to develop and deploy an independent system for producing and displaying captions for pre-recorded audiovisual material on the Internet. The NAD urges all Internet content providers to ensure that their audiovisual material is accessible through captioning.

Rosaline Hayes Crawford, Esq. Director, Law and Advocacy Center National Association of the Deaf