SCC (CEA
Decode broadcast closed caption data into universally readable SRT subtitles with accurate timing.
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Supports .scc files up to 50 MB
Free Online SCC to SRT Converter
Our SCC to SRT converter decodes Scenarist Closed Captioning files into plain-text SubRip subtitles. SCC files store caption text as hexadecimal byte pairs following the CEA-608 standard, making them unreadable in a text editor and incompatible with most consumer video players. This tool decodes common CC1 pop-on caption data, extracts the visible text, and converts the SMPTE timecodes (HH:MM:SS:FF at 29.97fps) into SRT timestamps (HH:MM:SS,mmm). The result is a standard .srt file with broad player support.
SCC to SRT Code Syntax & Structure Inspection
Side-by-side code inspection illustrating header definitions, timestamp syntax, and cue payload formatting
SCC vs SRT Technical Specifications
SCC
SCC (Scenarist Closed Captioning) is the industry-standard format for delivering closed captions to North American broadcast television and major streaming services. Developed by Leitch/Scenarist, SCC files encode CEA-608 (Line 21) caption data as hexadecimal byte pairs, paired with SMPTE timecodes in HH:MM:SS:FF format (hours:minutes:seconds:frames at 29.97 fps). The file starts with a header line (Scenarist_SCC V1.0) followed by timecode-tab-data triplets. Because the caption text is hex-encoded, SCC files are not human-readable without a decoder.
SRT
SRT (SubRip) is the most universally supported subtitle format. Each entry has a sequential index number, a timestamp line in HH:MM:SS,mmm --> HH:MM:SS,mmm format (comma before milliseconds, arrow separating start and end), and subtitle text. SRT files are plain text and recognized by virtually every media player, smart TV, video editor, and streaming platform.
Format Differences
Conversion Troubleshooting & Gotchas
Practical solutions for player compatibility, character encoding, and timing synchronization
Subtitle timing drifts or appears out of sync on media players
Video files frequently differ in framerate (e.g., 23.976 fps vs 25 fps). If the timing drifts steadily, use our Subtitle Sync tool to adjust the global offset or framerate stretch.
Characters appear as garbled symbols or question marks (Mojibake)
Legacy files saved in Windows-1252, Shift-JIS, or GBK may render incorrectly. Our exporter standardizes output to clean UTF-8. Use our Subtitle Encoding Converter if the source file is corrupted.
Overlapping captions when multiple speakers talk simultaneously
Different formats handle overlapping dialogue differently. If your target player cannot render stacked cues cleanly, open the file in our Subtitle Editor to adjust individual cue timings.
Video editing software (Premiere, DaVinci, Final Cut) rejects the file
Professional NLE software enforces strict syntax rules. Our converter eliminates malformed line breaks and non-standard tags, producing clean, standardized files.
Features
Why Convert?
Common Use Cases
Broadcast Caption Extraction
Decode SCC files delivered by broadcast networks or captioning vendors into readable SRT for quality checking and content verification.
Streaming Platform Delivery
Convert SCC captions to SRT for delivery to platforms that accept SRT but not SCC, such as Vimeo OTT and some CMS systems.
Post-Production Editing
Load decoded SRT captions into Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve for timing adjustments, text corrections, or re-translation.
Media Server Library
Add readable subtitles to your Plex or Jellyfin library by converting SCC files to SRT, which these servers auto-detect.
Caption Quality Review
Decode hex-encoded SCC data to verify caption accuracy, check for encoding errors, or audit compliance with captioning standards.
Legacy Content Migration
Convert old broadcast SCC archives to SRT for modern video workflows, web delivery, or archival standardization.
Related Formats
SCC (Scenarist Closed Captioning)
The input format: hex-encoded CEA-608 caption data with SMPTE timecodes, used for North American broadcast delivery.
VTT (WebVTT)
The web alternative: if your target is HTML5 video or YouTube, convert SCC to VTT instead of SRT.
STL (EBU STL)
The European broadcast equivalent: used in EBU-standard workflows for European television and DVD production.
How It Works
- 1
Upload your .scc file by dragging it into the converter or browsing.
- 2
The parser reads each timecode line and its associated hex data block.
- 3
Hex byte pairs are decoded into CEA-608 character codes and control commands.
- 4
Caption text is reconstructed from the decoded characters, with control codes removed.
- 5
SMPTE timecodes are converted to SRT timestamp format and sequence numbers are added.
More Subtitle Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
SCC (Scenarist Closed Caption) is the standard file format that stores CEA-608 (Line 21) broadcast closed captions as hex byte pairs. Converting SCC to SRT translates these broadcast closed captions into standard, human-readable subtitles for web players and video editors.
SCC uses HH:MM:SS:FF format where FF is a frame number at 29.97fps. The converter multiplies the frame number by approximately 33.37 milliseconds (1000/29.97) to convert it to SRT millisecond format (HH:MM:SS,mmm).
SCC includes mid-row attribute codes for italic, underline, color, and flash effects. These are CEA-608 specific and have no equivalent in SRT. The converter removes these control codes and outputs plain text.
SCC encodes caption text as hexadecimal byte pairs following the CEA-608 standard. The converter decodes printable character pairs from supported pop-on caption data back into readable text.
SCC can carry pop-on, roll-up, and paint-on caption modes. This converter extracts common CC1 pop-on captions and may not fully decode roll-up or paint-on streams.
SCC is defined at 29.97fps drop-frame timecode. The converter uses the standard 29.97fps frame-to-millisecond conversion. If your content uses a different frame rate, you may need to adjust the timing manually after conversion.
Related Articles
How to Convert SRT to SCC Closed Captions | AllSubConverter
Convert SRT subtitles to SCC (CEA-608) closed captions for US broadcast and captioning workflows.
Convert YouTube JSON3 Subtitles to SRT, VTT, or LRC | AllSubConverter
Download YouTube captions as JSON3 and convert them to SRT, VTT, or LRC. Step-by-step guide covering yt-dlp, the JSON3 format, and free online conversion.