Technique SM7:Providing audio description in SMIL 2.0

Applicability

Applies whenever SMIL 2.0 player is available

This technique relates to:

1.2.3: Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Sufficient when used with G173: Providing a version of a movie with audio descriptions)
1.2.5: Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Sufficient when used with G173: Providing a version of a movie with audio descriptions)

Description

The objective of this technique is to provide a way for people who are blind or otherwise have trouble seeing the video in audio-visual material to be able to access the material. With this technique a description of the video is provided via audio description that will fit into the gaps in the dialogue in the audio-visual material.

Examples

Example 1: SMIL 2.0 audio description sample for RealMedia player

<smil xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2001/SMIL20/Language">
  <head>
    <layout>
      <root-layout backgroundColor="black" height="266" width="320"/>
      <region id="video" backgroundColor="black" top="26" left="0" 
      height="144" width="320"/>
    </layout>
  </head>
  <body>
    <par>
      <video src="salesdemo.mpg" region="video" title="Sales Demo" 
      alt="Sales Demo"/>
      <audio src="salesdemo_ad.mp3" begin="33.71s" title="audio description" 
      alt="Sales Demo Audio Description"/>
    </par>
  </body>
</smil>

The example shows a <par> segment containing an <audio> and a <video> tag. The audio stream is not started immediately.

Other sources

No endorsement implied.

Tests

Procedure

Find method for turning on audio description from content/player (unless it is always played by default)
Play file with audio description
Check whether audio description is played

Expected Results

#3 is true