VITAC (now operating as Verbit) is North America’s leading provider of closed captioning, audio description, subtitling, and transcription services, ensuring that media content is accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences. Serving a wide range of industries, including broadcasting, streaming, corporate, and educational sectors, VITAC makes content more inclusive for all. By offering services for both live events and pre-recorded content, VITAC helps meet regulatory compliance while enhancing audience engagement through accurate, human-powered captioning.
Quick Answer
VITAC, now part of Verbit, provides closed captioning, transcription, audio description, and subtitling services to ensure that media content is accessible to all audiences, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing. They offer both live captioning for real-time events and post-production services for pre-recorded content.
TL;DR
• VITAC offers closed captioning, subtitling, and transcription services for broadcasts, streaming, and live events.
• They use human captioners for high accuracy in real-time and post-production.
• VITAC works with major platforms like Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook for seamless integration.
• Their services meet accessibility regulations, ensuring inclusive media content.
• VITAC has been in business since 1986 and is now part of Verbit, with a commitment to “Accessibility for Life.”
Table of Contents
- Key Services Offered
• Live Captioning
• Post-Production Captioning
• Subtitling & Translation
• Audio Description
• Transcription Services - How It Works
• Human-Powered
• Technology
• Integration - Who They Serve
• Broadcast Networks
• Streaming Services
• Government Agencies
• Educational Institutions
• Corporations - Company Background
• History
• Scale
• Expertise
• Clients
• Commitment to Accessibility - FAQs
• What is the difference between closed captions and subtitles?
• Can VITAC provide live captioning for Zoom or virtual meetings?
• How accurate are VITAC’s captions?
• Can VITAC handle multilingual captioning?
• Is closed captioning required by law? - Conclusion
Key Services Offered
Live Captioning
Live captioning is crucial for events, sports, and virtual meetings, allowing real-time transcription of speech, making content accessible for those with hearing impairments.
• Real-time captions for news, sports, and events.
• Supports virtual meetings such as Zoom, Webex, and other web platforms.
• Helps viewers in noisy environments or when audio is off.
• High accuracy even during fast-paced live events.
• Essential for educational, corporate, and government events.
• Supports regulatory compliance for broadcast and digital media.
• Offers integration for live streaming via specific URLs or embedding on websites and apps.
• Meets compliance with FCC guidelines for broadcast media.
• Easily adjustable for various devices and platforms.
• Ensures viewers can follow complex discussions or fast-paced sports broadcasts.
• Available in multiple languages for global events.
• Ideal for corporate webinars, online conferences, and news updates.
Post-Production Captioning
Post-production captioning transcribes recorded content, ensuring that it is accessible for viewers with hearing impairments or in sound-sensitive environments.
• Captions for pre-recorded shows, films, and YouTube videos.
• Time-coded caption files for easy synchronization.
• Supports various media formats, including TV, film, and online videos.
• Available for both educational and entertainment content.
• High accuracy, ensuring that all speech and sound effects are transcribed.
• Ideal for content that will be distributed across multiple platforms.
• Ensures consistency and accessibility for on-demand streaming services.
• Helps meet legal compliance for media accessibility.
• Supports search engine optimization (SEO) by including captions for video content.
• Includes speaker identification and sound effects for better understanding.
• Great for content that needs long-term access and streaming.
• Essential for media companies aiming to reach a broader audience.
Subtitling & Translation
VITAC’s subtitling and translation services provide multilingual accessibility to reach global audiences.
• Multi-language subtitling for international audiences.
• Real-time translation of live events and meetings.
• Helps increase global engagement for content creators.
• Makes educational content accessible to non-native speakers.
• Supports businesses aiming for global market penetration.
• Provides accurate cultural translation to ensure proper context.
• Ideal for films, documentaries, and international webinars.
• Subtitles for social media videos to increase engagement in various regions.
• Ensures compliance with international accessibility regulations.
• Works with various formats for different video platforms.
• Offers customizable options for diverse audiences.
• Improves viewer understanding for diverse audiences.
Audio Description
Audio description provides narration of visual elements for visually impaired viewers, ensuring that they can fully experience the content.
• Describes visual elements of the video, such as actions, settings, and non-verbal cues.
• Ideal for movies, TV shows, online videos, and educational content.
• Makes entertainment, educational content, and corporate media accessible to blind or low-vision viewers.
• Enhances viewer engagement by making visual content understandable through narration.
• Supports the mission of inclusion and equal access for all viewers.
• Helps comply with accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Enables educational institutions to provide content that is accessible to all students.
• Widely used in streaming platforms, public service broadcasts, and educational institutions.
• Helps media companies reach a more diverse audience.
• Great for museums, galleries, and live event spaces that offer content to visually impaired audiences.
Transcription
Transcription services from VITAC convert audio and video content into text, providing accessibility for podcasts, interviews, meetings, and more.
• Transcription of audio and video recordings.
• Supports podcasts, webinars, educational content, and business meetings.
• Essential for creating captions or subtitles for recorded content.
• Ensures accuracy and easy navigation of audio and video content.
• Provides a text version for better content searchability and indexing.
• Helps content creators improve accessibility and SEO for digital platforms.
• Ideal for corporate training, HR meetings, and educational seminars.
• Available for any type of recorded media, including video podcasts.
• Useful for creating accessible content for people with hearing impairments.
• Provides text that can be repurposed for articles, blogs, or social media.
• Supports compliance for media organizations, ensuring content accessibility.
• Available in various formats, compatible with all major platforms.
How It Works (For Viewers and Clients)
Human- Powered
VITAC relies on skilled human captioners who achieve high accuracy levels, with more than 99.9% accuracy for offline content and over 95% for live events.
Technology
Specialized software and cloud-based platforms ensure real-time captioning and transcription, integrating seamlessly with web platforms.
Integration VITAC works with major platforms like Zoom, YouTube, Facebook, and various streaming services, making it easy to integrate captioning into your media.
Human-Powered
• VITAC relies on skilled human captioners who provide high-accuracy transcriptions, essential for maintaining precision in both live and pre-recorded content.
• Human captioners ensure that complex dialogues, regional accents, and sound effects are transcribed accurately, contributing to seamless viewer experiences.
• High-quality captioning is achieved, especially for live events, where quick response times are essential.
• Over 99.9% accuracy is maintained for offline captioning, while live events typically reach over 95% accuracy.
Technology
• VITAC utilizes specialized captioning software to ensure real-time captioning for live events, broadcasts, and online streaming.
• Cloud-based platforms support seamless integration with various web services, ensuring high-quality captioning for remote and virtual events.
• The platform allows for efficient workflow, ensuring captions appear instantly during live events, with minimal delays.
• VITAC leverages technology to enhance caption visibility, synchronization, and adaptability across different platforms.
Integration
• VITAC integrates captioning services into major platforms, such as Zoom, YouTube, and Facebook, for smooth, accessible media delivery.
• Their services are designed to easily embed captions into digital media, ensuring compliance and accessibility for on-demand and live content.
• VITAC’s integration solutions extend to websites, mobile apps, and streaming platforms, making captions available for diverse audiences and content formats.
• Captions are delivered as time-coded files, ensuring perfect synchronization with content.
Who They Serve
Broadcast Networks
• VITAC provides closed captioning services to major TV networks like CNN, FOX, and NBC, ensuring that all live and pre-recorded broadcasts are accessible to a broader audience.
• Their services help networks meet FCC guidelines and make content accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Streaming Services
• VITAC’s services support popular streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube, helping them deliver accessible content to global audiences.
• The captioning services are compatible with multiple video formats and provide a consistent experience across different devices and platforms.
Government Agencies
• VITAC works with government bodies like C-SPAN to ensure compliance with accessibility regulations and provide public content that meets legal requirements.
• Their captioning services are used for public meetings, conferences, and other official broadcasts, ensuring inclusivity.
Educational Institutions
• VITAC serves educational institutions by providing captioning for online lectures, recorded seminars, and educational broadcasts.
• Their captioning services help meet ADA compliance and ensure that students, including those with hearing impairments, can access all educational materials.
Corporations
• VITAC provides captioning services for corporate clients who need accessibility for training videos, webinars, and internal communications.
• Companies use VITAC’s services to meet compliance requirements and enhance accessibility for employees and clients alike.
Company Background
History
• Founded in 1986, VITAC has been providing closed captioning services for over three decades, becoming a leader in the industry.
• In 2021, VITAC was acquired by Verbit, merging its expertise in captioning and transcription with Verbit’s AI-powered solutions to enhance service delivery.
Scale
• VITAC processes hundreds of thousands of hours of live and pre-recorded media annually, serving some of the biggest names in broadcasting, streaming, and education.
• The company has grown to be a significant player in the accessibility industry, helping businesses of all sizes meet accessibility standards.
Expertise
• VITAC is known for its exceptional accuracy in transcription, with a 99.9% accuracy rate for offline captioning and over 95% for live events.
• Their skilled team of captioners ensures that both spoken content and non-verbal sounds are transcribed accurately, maintaining high standards of service.
Clients
• VITAC serves a wide range of clients across various industries, including CNN, C-SPAN, FOX, Food Network, universities, and large corporations.
• The company’s broad client base reflects its ability to meet diverse needs, from live broadcast events to educational videos and corporate training materials.
Commitment to Accessibility
• VITAC’s mission, “Accessibility for Life,” reflects its commitment to making content accessible for all audiences, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• They continuously strive to improve accessibility across all forms of media, working with clients to ensure they meet both legal and ethical standards for accessibility.
FAQs
What is the difference between closed captions and subtitles?
Closed captions include all spoken dialogue and sound effects, while subtitles typically only show dialogue. Closed captions are used for accessibility, while subtitles may be for translation purposes.
Can VITAC provide live captioning for Zoom or virtual meetings?
Yes, VITAC offers live captioning for virtual meetings, including Zoom, Webex, and other web platforms, ensuring accessibility for participants.
How accurate are VITAC’s captions?
VITAC is known for its high accuracy, providing over 99.9% accuracy for offline content and over 95% accuracy for live events.
Can VITAC handle multilingual captioning?
Yes, VITAC provides multi-language subtitling and captioning services to cater to global audiences and ensure accessibility.
Is closed captioning required by law?
Yes, in the U.S., closed captioning is required for many types of media, especially broadcast television, online video content, and educational materials, in compliance with accessibility laws such as the ADA.
Conclusion
VITAC‘s closed captioning services are essential for making media accessible to a wider audience, ensuring that content is inclusive and compliant with legal accessibility requirements. Whether for live events, television, or online videos, VITAC offers comprehensive solutions that enhance viewer engagement, meet regulatory guidelines, and increase accessibility. Now part of Verbit, VITAC continues to provide accurate, high-quality captioning and transcription services, ensuring that all content is accessible to everyone.
Creative writer and Instagram lover, helping people express themselves with unique captions that truly shine.