Overview
Videolinq offers flexible ways to add live captions and multilingual subtitles to your video streams. These options are available under the Captions tab in your channel settings and support both automated and human-edited workflows.
Below is a summary of each available captioning method:
Option | Description | Typical Use Case |
Closed Captions (CC) | Inserts captions directly into the video stream using broadcast-compatible formats (CEA-608/708). | Ideal for live television, OTT, or social media destinations that support embedded captions. |
Open Captions (OC) | Burns captions directly into the video picture (visible to all viewers). | Used for languages not supported by CEA-608/708, or when you want guaranteed visibility. |
Subtitles (Web) | Displays subtitles on iMag, mobile phone, or as an endpoint to TTML feeds | Best for live events, conferences, corporate meetings and OTT streams. |
Player Integration | Enable multilingual subtitles in your own player | Designed for developers and enterprise users who manage captions within their own environment. |
Each option allows you to select a source language, one or more target languages, and a delay setting that controls how quickly captions appear.
Language Models and Region Availability
Videolinq provides three models for language processing, each designed to balance accuracy and latency differently:
General Model - Focuses on maximum contextual accuracy, ideal for complex or formal language (10+ seconds).
Pro Audio - Offers a balance of speed and translation accuracy (1-2.5 seconds).
Simple - Prioritizes low latency (1–2.5 seconds) for live conversations and fast broadcasts.
Not all models are available in all regions. To simplify operations, Videolinq automatically maps each language pairing, model selection, and regional availability in the background.
When selecting a combination of language, model, and region, you may notice that certain options appear grayed out or unclickable in the UI. This simply means that the selected model is not yet available for that region or language group.
How Caption Delay Works
Videolinq converts live audio into text and, if selected, translates it into your target language in real time. Shorter delays provide a faster experience but may slightly reduce translation accuracy. Longer delays (10 seconds or more) allow the system to process whole sentences and linguistic context, especially for complex languages.
Remember when using delay:
Support for closed captions and open captions workflows starts from 2.5 seconds, complying with CMAF and LL-HLS requirements.
To use the Videolinq Live Editor, the delay must be set to 60 seconds or more. Performing accurate live edits in 10 seconds or less is practically impossible because the editor needs sufficient buffer time to review and modify captions before they appear on-screen.
Stream delay in Videolinq refers to the total time required to generate captions and deliver them to the output destination. In addition, you should account for the platform-specific delay introduced when the stream is sent to its final destination, such as a social media platform, CDN, or other broadcast endpoint.
Choosing the right delay ensures the best balance between speed and accuracy.
Delay by Language Group
Language Group | Set Delay | Typical Use Cases |
Group 1 – Instant Languages | 1 sec | Ideal for live broadcasts, webinars, and fast-paced discussions where low latency is key. |
Group 2 – Moderate Processing Languages | 2.5–10 sec | Recommended for multilingual live streams or events using right-to-left or diacritic-heavy scripts. |
Group 3 – Complex Script Languages | 10 sec | For broadcasts or conferences requiring high-accuracy translation and full context understanding. |
Tips for Best Results
Start with the recommended delay for your language group.
If you notice timing issues or incomplete sentences, increase the delay by one level.
For English and most European languages, a 1-second delay provides near-instant response.
For Asian languages, a 10-second delay ensures proper context and punctuation.
When streaming to multiple languages, match your delay to the most complex target language to keep captions synchronized.
Improve Accuracy with My Vocabulary
Videolinq’s new My Vocabulary feature helps improve the accuracy of your automated captions and subtitles.
You can find this feature under Sources → Content Management in your dashboard.
Download the provided CSV template.
Fill in each row with the native-language word and how it should appear in your target languages.
Upload the CSV file — the new words will automatically appear in your UI under My Vocabulary.
Videolinq links your custom terms to your account ID. Whenever these words appear in a live caption or subtitle workflow, Videolinq prioritizes your vocabulary over the AI-generated output.
Sample use cases include:
Ensuring correct spelling of last names or organization names.
Preparing a graduation ceremony list to display student names correctly during the live event.
Adding industry-specific terminology for medical, scientific, or financial broadcasts to ensure accurate rendering in both native and translated captions.
Get Help
If you’re unsure which delay setting or caption mode best fits your workflow, contact Videolinq Support via chat. Our team can help you configure the best setup for your event and maximize caption accuracy using My Vocabulary.