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1) Objectives
2) Background - state of the art
3) Why should JRC do this work?
4) Achievements so far
5) Work to be carried out
6) Possible follow-up actions

1) Objectives

The research proposes the development and the harmonisation of new multimedia applications for television broadcasters and DVD producers.

The large availability of digital television channels, as well as of digital radio and of other communication means via the Internet, has an enormous potential for spreading information for all users (information, news, amusement, self training, distance learning, tele-working). Also video-cassettes, CD-ROM and DVD offer similar opportunities. The impact of these means would be even greater if the multilingual aspects could be overcome by subtitling: at least in the original language of the source of information, if possible also in other languages. (How easier would it be to follow a lesson or the news, if subtitled even only in the speaker's original language!).

One of the difficulties encountered by the producers is a lack of standardisation of subtitling and captioning and a limited knowledge of the final users' needs. Each country defines and uses its own rules, thus limiting collaboration and files exchanging. Identical or similar formats and a common approach would contribute reducing the subtitles' translating costs and improving the quality. The final users would more easily switch between different channels, all presenting the same subtitling colors coding, positions and permanence time on the screen. The same aspects should concern also CD-ROM and DVD, but are often neglected.

The experience gained by the VOICE and ACCESS projects with users with special needs has opened the ground to activities for all users. The contacts and collaboration established with the European broadcasters, the workshops and meetings organised in some European countries and in Canada, confirmed the need of harmonisation in this area. Experiences started earlier, thanks also to groups lobbying and Government's help, obliged the Canadian broadcasters to define and follow common rules and extend subtitles to a target of 100% of the broadcasts for year 2002. Also BBC and other television broadcasters are increasing their target's rate.

The proposed project will contribute to facilitate the access to information, offering an additional means to participate fully in the multilingual Information Society and improving the quality of life. The multilingual and supra-national aspects of such objectives perfectly correspond to JRC's role. Regular contacts with the broadcasters will also provide JRC with opportunities for spreading information on its role and activities.

2) Background - state of the art

Multimedia:

• television;
• digital television (large availability of channels);
• digital radio (bandwidth allowing traffic or emergency messages on the radio's display);
• film/cinema;
• video-cassettes;
• CD-ROM;
• DVD (several channels available for subtitling for different users and languages).

Synchronisation:

• on line (news, live broadcasts, sport): the subtitles are presented a few seconds after the spoken words;
• off line (films, documentaries, games): more time for preparing the subtitles, that may be presented on the screen together or before the correspondent spoken words;
• time-code and rules on time-in and time-out for each subtitle.

Users:

• normally hearing users (subtitles only of voice, in only one colour on one background):
  mother language users (new specific terminology in self training);
  non mother language users: foreigners and immigrated;
• users with hearing impairment (subtitles of voice and of sounds; one colour for each main speaker; different background for speakers out of the image and for significant sounds, as knocking at the door or telephone ringing);
• users with visual impairment, who may receive additional information (voice description of images) by text-to-voice synthesis or by Braille-line.

Style:

• open caption (visible for all users);
• closed caption (teletext format: the user may select a teletext page with the subtitles);
• full text (preferred by users with good language knowledge);
• resumed and/or simplified text (preferred by users with limited language knowledge);
• number of lines: fixed or variable;
• position of lines: fixed or scrolling;
• colours' schemas and characters' font and size.

Tools:

• stenotype;
• manual keyboard.

Audience:

• statistics available on the number of users watching the different channels, by age, sex, revenues, education; no indicators available on users with disability, nor on immigrated;
• the previous figures are not completed by data on the number of users opening the corresponding teletext pages; their satisfaction is sometimes measured by specific associations;
• advertising may pay back the extra costs, as for instance in Canada.

The number of the hearing impaired is between 1% and 5% of the population (according to the degree of the hearing loss), which represents millions of people in Europe. Moreover, a lack of communication similar to that experienced by the deaf also affects the disadvantaged, the people living in foreign environments and the elderly. When united this group consists of more than 30% of the total population. Subtitling is one of the most powerful learning and training tools of any language. By reinforcing what is being learnt by hearing, it offers a unique opportunity to enrich the vocabulary, getting familiar with words used in their context.

3) Why should JRC do this work?

• there are technical solutions, in use in some countries, often non considering similar or different solutions in other countries; the differences are mainly dues to lack of information and harmonisation, more than to other deeper reasons;
• an effort is required to promote common solutions at EU level, thus benefiting of large scale factor and taking care of multilingual aspects;
• JRC-ISIS can contribute in this field, by providing know-how independent of the language and support on EU Policy; as an impartial European R&D centre, it is in an ideal position to facilitate the dissemination of information and understanding of user-requirements;
• visibility for JRC, opportunity of more contacts and collaboration with the broadcasters, possible support for spreading information on JRC's projects.

Some aspects described in this proposal (local news) may be considered as limited only to some of the European broadcasters, while other (films, documentaries) concern a larger television market. The even larger CD-ROM and DVD's world wide market is influenced by USA and Canadian competitors. JRC's role should help European producers and EC Services to discuss with overseas countries and provide support, in order either to improve collaboration or to defend our points.

4) Achievements so far

VOICE: the prototype demonstrator has achieved a good level of performances and has been used by the final users for live subtitling their speeches in conferences, this being an important means of validation on the field. An Accompanying Measure, funded by DG-INFSO Telematics Applications Programme, gave ISIS the task of developing awareness among users, systems producers and services providers. We organised and presented VOICE at a large number of international workshops and congresses to approximately 5000 participants.

A workshop with the European television broadcasters has demonstrated the possibilities of the system in a clear way. RAI and other television broadcasters (BBC, Televisione della Svizzera Italiana, Belgian RTBF, France2, Swedish Television, Austrian Television with Universities of Linz and of Klagenfurt) are considering the best use of this technology. RAI started subtitling the evening news as an answer to the hearing impaired users' requests, supported also by means of the project. RAI recorded the activities in the schools testing the VOICE prototype for a broadcast dedicated to new educational techniques in Italy. RTBF recorded a presentation and tests at the university for a broadcast for the hearing impaired in Belgium and Canada.

We extended the contacts to other European broadcasters, starting an overview of the rules for television subtitling in Europe and Canada. The contacts in Montreal provided additional valuable information, as the role of the Regroupement Québecquois pour le Sous-Titrage (RQST) and their political influence and lobbying, as a reference for further new initiatives.

ACCESS: investigated the development of multimedia applications for helping people with disability in accessing the Information Society in their education and training. Collaboration has been established with schools and universities in Italy, Austria and Belgium, Associations of people with disability in several European countries as well as in Canada and Chile. Activities for DG-Education NETDAYS were an opportunity to enlarge contacts with MOISE (Socrates) Project, for special user needs analysis in the school (in year 2000) and setting up a data base in Luxembourg (in year 2001). VoicePower (tele-working) and Write by Voice (distance learning) proposals have been submitted to calls for tenders.

The Voice and Access Projects' results, conclusions, user needs analysis and best practices are discussed and published on the VOICE Forum on the Web in several languages. This presentation follows the current recommendations for creating Internet contents accessible by people with visual impairment or reduced mobility.

5) Work to be carried out

• reinforce the present contacts and collaboration with RAI, Televisione della Svizzera Italiana, BBC, Belgian RTBF, France 2, Swedish Television, Austrian Television with Universities of Linz and of Klagenfurt, subtitling firms in Italy, Belgium and Canada, associations of users in several countries; establish a common starting point and an agenda for a meeting;
• reinforce the present contacts with schools, universities, education and training centres, tele-working and establish new contacts with producers of CD-ROM and DVD;
• organise meetings and workshops with television broadcasters, subtitling firms, associations of users and lobbying groups, discussing of the on-going activities in the different countries, rules and standards, enlarging the points of view, encouraging the transfer of information from countries which have considerable experience in the field to countries which are approaching it now;
• define user needs, through contacts with associations and field tests; translate users needs into technical specifications; prepare a few videocassettes with extracts from different broadcasts, comparing their approaches, trying to underline common points and main differences; exempla of best practice would help in this phase;
• understand and explain ways of overcoming minor differences, dues to a lack of information on similar solutions applied in other countries; collect information from USA and Canada in order to give a push to the collaboration in Europe, in underlining the common positives points, more than the differences;
• dissemination of the results, to other EC Services, broadcasters, producers and to a wider public, by workshops, Web Forum and television broadcasts;
• via the InterService Group on Disability, promote the television presentations foreseen for year 2003 Year of Disability, ensuring that they will be fully subtitled; enhance the contacts with EP started in this field.

6) Possible follow-up actions

• larger diffusion of television and DVD subtitling;
• enlarging the market for new multimedia, improving the quality;
• education and training, distance learning, tele-working;
• defining new professional skills and creating new job opportunities;
• preparation of a proposal for digital television, radio, multimedia.

January 2001
Giuliano Pirelli

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