How can I capture closed captions from cable/DVD/etc and save in a text file?

[smalanw]

I am trying to find a solution for the following: for all programs that might go into my TV (an HDTV), I would like to capture just the closed caption portion of the signal and save it in an on going text file.

It sounded like a straightforward project and I was told by various people they did just that through some ATI TV tuner some two years ago. However, when I tried to follow the footsteps and bought a ATI TV Wonder 600 HD (USB version) the Closed Caption function is nowhere to be found and the best their tech support can come up with is "I do not know".

I then tried the ccextractor over some conversion I found from this forum and it seems to be an ideal solution fro the 'last mile'. However, when I wrote to the programmer who wrote ccextractor, he indicated that the software can only take input from a built file, so I think that implies that I still need to find a solution for the 'first mile', a hardware which takes probably a split from the coax plus a device driver, and plus perhaps a software which does the trick by turning the input signal into some file format.

I am really sorry for this long description and I am just wondering would anyone might know a solution that is working in today's environment (vs. say three years ago with ATI)?

[Ghitulescu]

Concerning the DVD there is at least one thread here - how to extract CCs from VOBs. Also at least two pages on the net - I don't have the links at hand because I have no longer any interests in CCs, see below.

About the cableTV, I remember there were once a project, involving a programmable microprocessor that red the signal and output the CCs on a LCD.

CCs are not very useful in my own view, I did this once for testing purposes, and I had one line of text every 20 seconds or so, totally useless for a DVD heavily relying on dialog (for shoot'm up it's probably Ok). Our teletext based subtitles is much better from this point of view and can be used with good results for creating DVDs with subtitles.