Overview: Subtitle sources

Subtitle sources and matching methods connect available timed content to the edition and language the viewer needs.

The programme title is only the beginning of a match. Editing, release timing and language can determine whether an otherwise plausible subtitle fits the actual media. Provider, release-matching, speech-recognition and translation topics describe different ways of obtaining content and the information needed to assess that fit.

• Finding subtitle sources
  Subtitle sources provide caption content through existing media, external releases, providers or authored recognition/translation, with distinct matching and provenance questions.

• OpenSubtitles
  OpenSubtitles provides searchable subtitle candidates and file downloads, with separate release-matching, authentication and quota relationships.

• Subtitle release matching
  Subtitle release matching compares identity, cut, timing and optional file fingerprints to choose a candidate suited to the actual media edition.

• Automatic speech recognition for captions
  ASR estimates spoken text from audio, after which alignment, caption segmentation and content review produce a useful timed-caption resource.

• Subtitle translation
  Subtitle translation expresses caption meaning in another language while preserving context, role and a readable timed presentation.