Heroes in (con)text

Palo Alto-based PLYmedia, a company that specializes in enhancing online video, published the results of a trial study on the impact of adding subtitles and closed captions on viewing habits.

PLYmedia's closed captioning app converts audio video into text video, opening up additional viewing opportunities for the hearing impaired. It is very popular with office workers who want to watch videos (silently) at their desks.

When subtitles are overlaid on video, people spend more time watching it, the study found. Without subtitles, videos were watched (on average) 66% to completion, compared with 91% with subtitles — an average improvement in audience viewing of 38%.

Furthermore, 80% more people watched the entire video to completion where subtitles appeared - of particular interest to advertisers who run post-roll ads. The trial also showed that viewers watched videos in 'mute' significantly more when there were subtitles versus when watching without subtitles.

The impact of subtitles was most pronounced among Spanish-speaking audiences. Viewers watched nearly 50% more of the video when subtitles were present.

Along with SubPLY, the company introduced another tool for online video publishers called ProPLY. Editors and publishers can superimpose interactive contextual information on videos and contextually link stories to their archives, thus promoting video content and maximizing interaction with viewers.

The informational overlay attracts a greater audience and synchronizes online video to user interest, which translates into higher revenue, said Yoni Silberberg, PLYmedia's co-founder and director of business development.

It works on several different video and player formats and is based on either a service fee or revenue share based model.

Last month Euclid Media launched a technology that enables users to monetize streaming videos, letting advertisers insert brand images and ads right into the content itself.