Closed caption delay from some HD stations

Archived from groups: alt.tv.tech.hdtv (More info?)

<myngaddy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1103054274.664159.61380@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>
> Quick question -- I'm receiving HD broadcast from local
> stations via Comcast. I noticed that most of the local
> stations are providing closed captioning, but they are
> generally out of sync with the audio, one station by a
> couple of seconds. This makes watching HD broadcasts
> very difficult with a hearing-impaired family member,
> and I often have to watch the regular broadcast instead.
>
> I've e-mailed a few stations, and only one network
> affiliate (ABC quickly remedied the situation. One
> station replied that they're working on it, and the
> station w/ the worst CC (FOX affiliate) didn't even
> bother to respond.
>
> So.. My question is whether stations are required by FCC
> or somebody to supply captioning that is actually useful
> (on HD broadcasts), or are hearing-impaired viewers lucky
> to be getting captioning over HD at all?

Digital stations are required to to provide "708" captioning, but there is
no "delay" specification. As long as the CC data displayed is related to
the program in progress, it meets requirements. (I can't show CC for
"Oprah" during "Dr. Phil" ).
If the CC on my digital station was delayed a few seconds, I would want to
fix it.

In truth, a viewer would have to inform me of the problem, since I don't
actually watch the DTV channel (with or without CC turned on). We watch the
analog channel like a hawk, but we only glance at the DTV display and watch
the audio meters bounce around every few minutes to make sure it's still
working. We can't listen to it because the audio delay drives us crazy
(short trip) in a very short time.