ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how a cross-section of subtitled television recorded for adults and analyzed in order to examine the characteristics of broadcast subtitles in a range of programme types. Subtitling is constrained by spatial and temporal factors and the reading capacities of viewers. These constraints necessitate a certain degree of editing. A number of subtitling companies have specified minimum requirements for synchronization between subtitles and sound. Subtitled television comprises three main components: image, subtitles and spoken dialogue. The integration of these components, combined with viewer's reading capacities, determines the basic characteristics of the medium. Subtitles have to synchronize with both speech and image, present an accurate interpretation of a dialogue and remain on screen long enough for them to be read by viewers. A distinction should be made between shot changes occurring during a scene and shot changes separating major scenes. The speech rate is the rate at which information is presented through a soundtrack.
