ATV
Closed Captioning

TEST ELEMENT 1: CAPTION SIZE

We tested three different sized captions--"small," "medium," and "large." To determine the appropriate sizes for each, we decided to define the size of today's captions as "medium." We determined that "medium" sized captions are roughly equivalent to 26 scan lines of the TV picture.

The "medium" size captions were the clear choice of all participants. The larger size was also highly rated, particularly among the deaf and over-50 participants.

Participants described both the "medium" and the "large" size captions as easy and comfortable to read. However, many participants felt that the "large" captions took up too much of the screen. Most participants felt that the "small" size was too much of a strain to read. However, some remarked that it was nice to be able to see more of the screen.

Caption Size	All	Deaf	HoH	Hearing	Men	Women	Under 50	Over 50	No PC
Medium	7.9	8.1	8.7	7.2	7.3	8.3	7.6	8.2	8.1
Large	6.6	7.2	5.8	6.5	6.2	6.9	6.1	7.3	7.6
Small	5.1	4.6	5.3	5.5	6.0	4.6	4.6	5.7	6.4

MEDIUM (Figure 1)

Easy to read. But maybe the letters were a little too close together. I like it that it used no unnecessary part of the screen.

The size is very readable.

I could read everything.

It's comfortable to read, clear and straightforward. It's nice that they were somewhat big.

Very clear and easy to read but it stood out too much. Easy to follow, but took away from the picture. Perfect size but it could have been smaller.

LARGE (Figure 2)

At the beginning it seemed big. They were very easy to read. The size doesn't bother me unless it is too small. With a larger size I feel a little more relaxed reading it.

I liked it. It was easier to read then the "medium." It didn't take up too much of the screen.

It obscured more of the picture. I didn't like it quite as much. The other [medium] was quite sufficient.

It's so much easier to read but it disturbs the aesthetic and entertainment of the image. Too large. Intrudes.

SMALL (Figure 3)

They were too small to feel comfortable to read. It is easier in terms of comprehension with larger ones. I had to really concentrate. It was a strain.

Hate it. It looks like one big long word. I have to work too hard to read this.

I'm satisfied with this size. Maybe it's slightly too small but I like seeing the beautiful scenery. I don't want that covered up. I preferred the medium size.

It slowed my reading down tremendously because they were small. The scene changed before I got a chance to look at it.

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