§ 79.103 - Closed caption decoder and display requirements for apparatus.

§ 79.103 Closed caption decoder and display requirements for apparatus.

(a) Effective January 1, 2014, all digital apparatus designed to receive or play back video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound, if such apparatus is manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States and uses a picture screen of any size must be equipped with built-in closed caption decoder circuitry or capability designed to display closed-captioned video programming pursuant to the provisions of this section, if technically feasible, except that apparatus that use a picture screen less than 13 inches in size must comply with the provisions of this section only if doing so is achievable as defined in this section.

Note 1 to paragraph (a):

Apparatus includes the physical device and the video player(s) capable of displaying video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound that manufacturers install into the devices they manufacture before sale, whether in the form of hardware, software, or a combination of both, as well as any video players capable of displaying video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound that manufacturers direct consumers to install after sale.

Note 2 to paragraph (a):

This paragraph places no restrictions on the importing, shipping, or sale of apparatus that were manufactured before January 1, 2014.

(b) Exempt apparatus —

(1) Display-only monitors. Apparatus or class of apparatus that are display-only video monitors with no playback capability are not required to comply with the provisions of this section.

(2) Professional or commercial equipment. Apparatus or class of apparatus that are professional or commercial equipment not typically used by the public are not required to comply with the provisions of this section.

(3)

(i) Achievable. Manufacturers of apparatus that use a picture screen of less than 13 inches in size may petition the Commission for a full or partial exemption from the closed captioning requirements of this section pursuant to § 1.41 of this chapter, which the Commission may grant upon a finding that the requirements of this section are not achievable, or may assert that such apparatus is fully or partially exempt as a response to a complaint, which the Commission may dismiss upon a finding that the requirements of this section are not achievable.

(ii) The petitioner or respondent must support a petition for exemption or a response to a complaint with sufficient evidence to demonstrate that compliance with the requirements of this section is not “achievable” where “achievable” means with reasonable effort or expense. The Commission will consider the following factors when determining whether the requirements of this section are not “achievable:”

(A) The nature and cost of the steps needed to meet the requirements of this section with respect to the specific equipment or service in question;

(B) The technical and economic impact on the operation of the manufacturer or provider and on the operation of the specific equipment or service in question, including on the development and deployment of new communications technologies;

(C) The type of operations of the manufacturer or provider; and

(D) The extent to which the service provider or manufacturer in question offers accessible services or equipment containing varying degrees of functionality and features, and offered at differing price points.

(4) Waiver. Manufacturers of apparatus may petition the Commission for a full or partial waiver of the closed captioning requirements of this section, which the Commission may grant, upon a finding that the apparatus meets one of the following provisions:

(i) The apparatus is primarily designed for activities other than receiving or playing back video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound; or

(ii) The apparatus is designed for multiple purposes, capable of receiving or playing back video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound but whose essential utility is derived from other purposes.

(c) Specific technical capabilities. All apparatus subject to this section shall implement the following captioning functionality:

(1) Presentation. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that the caption text may be displayed within one or separate caption windows and supporting the following modes: text that appears all at once (pop-on), text that scrolls up as new text appears (roll-up), and text where each new letter or word is displayed as it arrives (paint-on).

(2) Character color. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that characters may be displayed in the 64 colors defined in CEA-708 and such that users are provided with the ability to override the authored color for characters and select from a palette of at least 8 colors including: white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, and cyan.

(3) Character opacity. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that users are provided with the ability to vary the opacity of captioned text and select between opaque and semi-transparent opacities.

(4) Character size. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that users are provided with the ability to vary the size of captioned text and shall provide a range of such sizes from 50% of the default character size to 200% of the default character size.

(5) Fonts. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that fonts are available to implement the eight fonts required by CEA-708 and § 79.102(k). Users must be provided with the ability to assign the fonts included on their apparatus as the default font for each of the eight styles contained in § 79.102(k).

(6) Caption background color and opacity. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that the caption background may be displayed in the 64 colors defined in CEA-708 and such that users are provided with the ability to override the authored color for the caption background and select from a palette of at least 8 colors including: white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, and cyan. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that users are provided with the ability to vary the opacity of the caption background and select between opaque, semi-transparent, and transparent background opacities.

(7) Character edge attributes. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that character edge attributes may be displayed and users are provided the ability to select character edge attributes including: no edge attribute, raised edges, depressed edges, uniform edges, and drop shadowed edges.

(8) Caption window color. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that the caption window color may be displayed in the 64 colors defined in CEA-708 and such that users are provided with the ability to override the authored color for the caption window and select from a palette of at least 8 colors including: white, black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta, and cyan. All apparatus shall implement captioning such that users are provided with the ability to vary the opacity of the caption window and select between opaque, semi-transparent, and transparent background opacities.

(9) Language. All apparatus must implement the ability to select between caption tracks in additional languages when such tracks are present and provide the ability for the user to select simplified or reduced captions when such captions are available and identify such a caption track as “easy reader.”

(10) Preview and setting retention. All apparatus must provide the ability for the user to preview default and user selection of the caption features required by this section, and must retain such settings as the default caption configuration until changed by the user.

(11) Safe Harbor. Apparatus which implement Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Timed Text format (SMPTE ST 2052-1:2010 incorporated by reference, see § 79.100) with respect to the functionality in paragraphs (c)(1) through (10) of this section shall be deemed in compliance with paragraph (c) of this section.

Note to paragraph (c):

Where video programming providers or distributors subject to § 79.4 of this part display or render captions, they shall implement the functional requirements contained in paragraphs (c)(1) through (10) of this section unless doing so is economically burdensome as defined in § 79.4(d).

(d) Interconnection. All video outputs of covered apparatus shall be capable of conveying from the source device to the consumer equipment the information necessary to permit or render the display of closed captions.

(e) Access to closed captioning display settings. Manufacturers of apparatus subject to paragraph (a) of this section and multichannel video programming distributors must ensure that consumers are able to readily access user display settings for closed captioning on apparatus designed to receive or play back video programming transmitted simultaneously with sound, if such apparatus is manufactured in the United States or imported for use in the United States and uses a picture screen of any size, if technically feasible, except that the requirement does not apply to third-party, pre-installed applications, and for apparatus that use a picture screen of less than 13 inches in size the requirement is mandated only if doing so is achievable as defined in this section.

(1) In determining whether closed captioning display settings are readily accessible, the Commission will require compliance with the following factors:

(i) Proximity. This factor considers whether the closed captioning display settings are available in one area of the settings that is accessed via a means reasonably comparable to a button, key, or icon.

(ii) Discoverability. This factor considers whether the user has the ability to easily find the closed captioning display settings. To ensure settings are discoverable, manufacturers of apparatus subject to paragraph (a) of this section and multichannel video programming distributors are required to:

(A) Conduct usability testing to determine if caption display settings can be easily found by working with consumers and disability groups as part of the testing process;

(B) Make good faith efforts to correct problems identified during the consumer testing process; and

(C) Train customer-facing employees on how to advise customers with regard to caption display settings.

(iii) Previewability. This factor considers whether viewers are able to preview the appearance of closed captions on programming on their screen while changing the closed captioning display settings.

(iv) Consistency and persistence. This factor requires covered entities to:

(A) With regard to an MVPD's provision of navigation devices, expose closed caption display settings via an application programming interface (API) or similar method that an over-the-top application provider can use upon launch of their application on the device. The API or similar method must enable the application provider to use the device-level caption settings for its own content, if it chooses, and covered entities must notify application developers about this API or similar method through any reasonable means;

(B) With regard to providing an MVPD's own video programming application hosted on third-party devices, utilize the operating system-level closed caption settings of the apparatus upon launch of the application on the device; and

(C) Ensure that apparatus they manufacture make closed caption settings available to applications via an API or similar method.

(2) Compliance with this requirement is required for devices that use next generation operating systems deployed after FCC publishes a rule in the Federal Register establishing the compliance date.

Note:

The compliance date is after the Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of any information collection requirements that the Media Bureau determines is required under the Paperwork Reduction Act or August 17, 2026, whichever is later.

(3) This paragraph (e) places no restrictions on the importing, shipping, or sale of apparatus that were manufactured before August 17, 2026.

[77 FR 19518, Mar. 30, 2012, as amended at 78 FR 39628, July 2, 2013; 89 FR 66282, Aug. 15, 2024]