Last year, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) commissioned research into the quality of live captions on Free-to-Air TV. We commissioned this research after receiving feedback from consumers and our members about the quality of live captions on TV.

This research found that most live captioning errors related to missing words, spelling errors, unclear distinction between speakers, and issues with caption lag and synchronisation. Overall, the researchers found that live captions were not verbatim, and significantly more errors were uncovered when researchers re-watched the programs with the sound turned on. This is particularly troubling as people who are Deaf, deaf or have hearing loss may be completely reliant on the captions.

Download: Live Caption Monitoring research report11.22 MB
Download: Live Caption Monitoring research report3.09 MB