DTVCC Decoder Requirements and Default Region Styling

Regarding default style values for a default region, it would be useful to
review the following FCC requirements on DTVs in the US (summarized in a
WGBH/NCAM article [1]). Note that user is granted override control on
colors, fonts, font sizes, etc.

Glenn

[1] http://ncam.wgbh.org/publications/docs/whenGoodCaptionsGoBad.doc

SUMMARY OF FCC DTVCC REQUIREMENTS

Decoder Operation 

The Order adopts the requirement of Section 9 of EIA-708, with the following
modifications:

§  Decoders must support the standard, large, and small caption sizes and
must allow the caption provider to choose a size and allow the viewer to
choose an alternative size.
 
§  Decoders must support the eight fonts listed in EIA-708.[1]   Caption
providers may specify 1 of these 8 font styles to be used to write caption
text. Decoders must include the ability for consumers to choose among the
eight fonts.  The decoder must display the font chosen by the caption
provider unless the viewer chooses a different font.
 
§  Decoders must implement the same 8 character background colors as those
that Section 9 requires be implemented for character foreground (white,
black, red, green, blue, yellow, magenta and cyan).
 
§  Decoders must implement options for altering the appearance of caption
character edges.
 
§  Decoders must display the color chosen by the caption provider, and must
allow viewers to override the foreground and/or background color chosen by
the caption provider and select alternate colors.
 
§  Decoders must be capable of decoding and processing data for the six
standard services, but information from only one service need be displayed
at a given time.
 
§  Decoders must include an option that permits a viewer to choose a setting
that will display captions as intended by the caption provider (a default).
Decoders must also include an option that allows a viewer¹s chosen settings
to remain until the viewer chooses to alter these settings, including during
periods when the television is turned off.
 
§  Cable providers and other multichannel video programming distributors
must transmit captions in a format that will be understandable to this
decoder circuitry in digital cable television sets when transmitting
programming to digital television devices.
 
[1] The eight font styles are defined as follows: default (undefined),
monospaced with serifs (similar to Courier), proportionally spaced with
serifs (similar to Times New Roman), monospaced without serifs (similar to
Helvetica Monospaced), proportionally spaced without serifs (similar to
Arial and Swiss), casual font type (similar to Dom and Impress), cursive
font type (similar to Coronet and Marigold), and small capitals (similar to
Engravers Gothic). In parentheses following each font style is a reference
to one or more fonts which are similar to the style.