Timed Text

Definition

“The Timed-Text specification should covers all necessary aspects of timed text on the Web. Typical applications of timed text are the real time subtitling of foreign-language movies on the Web, captioning for people lacking audio devices or having hearing impairments, karaoke, scrolling news items or teleprompter applications.” (Timed-Text, retrieved 12:55, 27 September 2007 (MEST)).

TT is quite a complex format, but in some contexts (e.g. Flash captioning) understanding of a small subset will do.

Typical applications

According to [1]:

• Subtitles of movies on the Web (foreign languages)
• Captions for people lacking audio devices or having hearing disabilities
• Karaoke
• Scrolling news, credits rolls
• TickerTape, marquee, "crawls"
• Text overlay
• TelePrompter

Software

Timed Text is supported to various degrees by various software, e.g.

• Flash
• Real Player

There is also an interaction with SMIL

Links

• Timed-Text W3C Home Page

• Timed Text (TT) Authoring Format 1.0 - Distribution Format Exchange Profile (DFXP)

• What is Timed Text?, InDelv.com, Aug 2007.

• Timed Text Tags (List of supported tabs, Adobe Flash)