languages and media presentation alex varley slide share
TRANSCRIPT
Does measuring subtitle quality really make any difference?
Presentation byAlex Varley
Welcome to the Future
SubtitHAL 9000
Automatic scanning result:
Reading speed = 182 wpm 91.87% accuracy
This is your second offence.
Your broadcast license will be suspended for 20 hours. You will be automatically fined €40,000.
Metrics are much better.
Easy to measure
Easy to understand
Easy to see errors
Easy to regulate
Clear rules
This type of approach works best for everyone but the viewer
Viewer
Regulator, supplier, broadcaster
Different countries = different rules
Everybody agrees on some rules
Subtitles should be accurate
Non-live subtitles should be synchronised
Subtitles must not cover on-screen information
100%-75%What does accuracy mean?
Accuracy
Delay
Time lag for live subtitles:
3-7 secondsOr delay the broadcast
1 hour4 hours
24 hours
72 hours
96 hours
?
A live program is
Before broadcast
Reading speed
120 wpm – no limits
180 wpm used to be popular
If you make everything measurable then people focus only on the metrics
In Australia quality will be measured by:
• Readability• Synchronisation• Accuracy
The key outcome is can the viewer comprehend the program?
In Australia we recognise that:
Live subtitling is where all of the errors and problems usually occur
So live subtitles should be a last resort,
Even for “Live” programs
Live sport will have live scrolling subtitles
News should have a mix of block and scrolling subtitles.
These all impact on quality of live subtitles
Training
Preparation time
Complexity of output
Regulation
Market pricing
• Do viewers know what to expect?• Are quality errors repeated?• Is every supplier doing the same thing?• Are you acting consistently?• Do you work with suppliers to fix issues?• Is the market working?
As a regulator it is better to focus on:
Punishing one-off errors is a waste of time
But letting cowboys into the market means that everybody has to be a cowboy.
Contact: [email protected]
Thanks to Chris Mikul who sits through the hours of regulator meetings and helped research this presentation.