Cablecast Caption Editor
The Cablecast Caption Editor lets you review, correct, and reposition captions in Cablecast. You can edit any sidecar file — the separate caption file attached to a show. Changes are saved back to that file when you save.
Note: Cablecast 7.7 or later is required to use the Caption Editor.
Opening the Caption Editor
To open a sidecar file for editing:
In the left-hand menu, click the CC icon to open the Captions section.
Locate the sidecar file you want to edit, click Actions, and select Edit.
The Caption Editor opens with the media player on the left and the event list on the right.
Media Player Panel
Use the media player to preview captions in sync with the video. The following controls are available:
Volume — Adjust the playback audio level.
Playback Speed — Set speed from 0.25x to 16x.
Play Controls — Jump to the start or end, step one frame forward or back, or play/pause.
Timecode — Shows the current playback position. Type a timecode to jump to that point.
Caption Events — Step forward or back one caption event at a time.
Caption Lock — When turned on, the matching event in the event list is selected as the video plays.
Preview CC — Click any event in the event list to jump the player to that event's timecode.
Info Tab
The Info tab below the media player shows data for the selected caption event.
Reading Rate
A color-coded bar shows how fast the captions are moving, measured in characters per second (CPS). Green means the rate is within safe reading limits. Yellow means it is getting fast. Red means it may be too fast for viewers to read comfortably.
Event Metrics
WPM — Words per minute for the event.
CPS — Characters per second for the event.
Duration — How long the event stays on screen, in seconds.
Timing Information
Seconds — Start and end time in seconds.
SMPTE — Start and end time in SMPTE timecode format.
Clock — Start and end time in clock format.
Search and Replace Tab
The Search & Replace tab lets you find and replace text across all caption events.
Enter a search term and click the search button. The number of matches appears below the field. Use the arrow buttons to move through results — the matching event scrolls into view and the search term is highlighted. Enter a replacement term and apply it to replace the selected match or all matches at once.
Speakers Tab
The Speakers tab shows all speakers saved in the current file. Speakers can be assigned to individual caption events for easy identification or filtering. Saved speakers appear as color-coded icons in the tab. Use the grid and list view toggle buttons to switch how speakers are displayed.
Adding a Speaker
Click the three-dot menu button in the Speakers tab to open the Speaker Manager. Enter a Speaker Name and select a Color from the dropdown. Click Save to add the speaker to the list.
Editing a Speaker
In the Speaker Manager, click the green edit icon on any speaker row to load that speaker's details into the fields above. Make your changes and click Save.
Merging Speakers
To combine two speakers into one, click the green edit icon on the speaker you want to keep. Use the Merge With Speaker dropdown to select the speaker you want to merge into it, then click Save. All events assigned to the merged speaker are reassigned to the speaker you kept.
Removing a Speaker
In the Speaker Manager, click the red trash icon on the speaker row you want to delete.
Event List Panel
The event list shows all caption events in the file. Each event displays:
Event number and format indicator (e.g., FS).
Start and end timecodes.
Caption text, centered in the event card.
Reading metrics — WPM, CPS, duration, word count, and character count.
Speaker, Recipient, and Tags assignment status.
Each event also has its own positioning controls:
Position grid — A 3x3 grid to set where the caption appears on screen.
Horizontal alignment — Set to Left, Center, or Right.
Vertical alignment — Set to Top, Middle, or Bottom.
Display style — Set the caption style (e.g., Pop-On).
A file info footer at the bottom of the event list shows the frame rate of the media file, the selected event number out of the total (e.g., 1 / 211), and the full length of the media file in timecode format.
Event Editor Controls
The toolbar above the event list has editing actions that apply to selected events:
Align Left / Center / Right — Set text alignment for selected events.
Position — Update the screen position using the nine-box grid.
Copy / Cut / Paste — Copy, cut, or paste selected events or highlighted text.
Shift Word Up / Down — Move a single word to the previous or next event.
Shift Line Up / Down — Move a single line to the previous or next event.
Split Event — Split the event at the cursor position.
Merge Event — Combine all selected events into one.
Expand Text — Expand the text of selected events.
Compress Text — Compress the text of selected events.
Snap To Start — Set the start time of selected events to match the end time of the event before them.
Snap To End — Set the end time of selected events to match the start time of the event after them.
Event Timeline
The timeline at the bottom of the editor shows all caption events arranged by their start and end times. Events without a start or end time do not appear on the timeline.
Adjusting Event Timing
Each timeline event shows the caption text and two handles. Drag a handle to change the start or end time. Drag the event body to move both times at the same time.
Moving Multiple Events
Select more than one event, then drag to move all of them together.
Timeline Controls
The toolbar in the upper right corner of the timeline has the following controls:
Split — Split the selected event at the current playhead position.
Merge — Combine the selected events into one.
Zoom Out / Zoom In — Decrease or increase the zoom level of the timeline.
Markers — Show or hide markers on the timeline.
Saving Your Work
When you are done editing, click Save Work in the upper right corner. This saves all changes back to the caption file in Cablecast.
