[theora-dev] using Kate for WebVTT encapsulation

[Silvia Pfeiffer]

On Sun, Apr 17, 2011 at 9:33 PM, ogg.k.ogg.k at googlemail.com
<ogg.k.ogg.k at googlemail.com> wrote:
>> Well, it's the same for SRT in Kate. But is it really worth creating a
>> new text track format to encapsulate WebVTT in Kate? I think Kate
>> would be the easiest.
>
> It'd certainly be the easiest.
> I see SRT and WebVTT differently in that regard though: SRT maps to
> a particular case of a Kate stream: styling is the empty set. For example,
> if you create a Kate track from SRT input, you can then edit the track to
> add styling, and the text will inherit that styling. WebVTT is different in
> that it has its own styling information in the text payload, and any Kate
> styling will need to be ignored - hence the baggage.


It would be good to understand the differences that WebVTT styling and
Kate styling offer. Maybe there is a clean mapping? Also, Kate styling
could overrule WebVTT styling?


>>> and support in
>>> various software already,
>>
>> Other than for the simplest SRT-like construct, I doubt that's true.
>
> I meant that various software can get the demuxed/timed text from a Kate
> track already, not that they'd be able to display WebVTT-in-Kate already.

Yes, that's an advantage.


>> I hesitate to do that, because it means we have multiple means of
>> encoding text tracks in Ogg. I'd much prefer if we can use Kate tracks
>> as the solution for encapsulating them all. The header will tell what
>> it actually is. Do you think that's a bad idea?
>
> The category was intended for things like this: to allow software to know
> the semantics of a particular track. Actually, I'd set the markup type (how to
> interpret the text contents) to a new WebVTT type, and set the category
> to something like a "WV:" prefix and whichever WebVTT kind the stream
> is for.

Yes, that makes sense.


> Apart from a general idea that it feels like shoehorning, I don't really have
> a strong opinion on whether it's a good or bad idea, it has pros and cons.

I don't think there is much more shoehorning than with SRT. I think
it's certainly worth a try.

Cheers,
Silvia.