International Captioning Project
Description of Subtitles
Many countries which make use of the teletext system also provide access to television programming to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers through the use of subtitles. They appear on the screen much as line-21 captions, but are transmitted on line 22. Additionally, to see subtitles the viewer must first select a specific page number on the decoder. Most European countries have agreed to use page 888 as the standard; in Australia, page 801 is used instead. Subtitles are considered more versatile than line-21 captions due to the higher data rate inherent in teletext (approximately 12 kilobytes per second, as opposed to the 60 bytes per second of line 21). This high rate allows for the transmission of considerably more information; thus, subtitle providers have more features at their disposal. Subtitles can, for example, be created in a variety of colors, or even contain animated icons. However, a disadvantage of this fast data rate is that teletext captions may not be easily recorded by the viewer, unlike line-21 closed captions. (VHS home recorders consistently produce unsatisfactory results when used to record teletext subtitles; however, S-VHS decks produce somewhat more satisfactory results.) For all practical purposes, renting captioned movies or recording programs off-air becomes impossible for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
Early teletext televisions were more expensive than their non-teletext counterparts; thus, the service got off to a slow start (set-top decoders were, and are still, available. Currently, costs range from approximately $99-$175). Gradually, however, the prices have come down and now most televisions sold in teletext countries are capable of decoding teletext information.
Teletext has not been widely used for delivering multi-language programs. For the most part, this is due to language incompatibilities and local origination restrictions placed on broadcasters throughout Europe. With the growth of direct broadcast satellite and cable in Europe, the need for a simple way of delivering multi-language broadcasts is growing.
