Skip to main content

API: Timeshift

Updated

Timeshifting allows you to remove the captions at the very beginning, or very end of a media file.

  • This will only work when content has been added or removed to the BEGINNING or END of your media file. This WILL NOT work for an edit made in the middle of the source material.  The Advanced Timeshift API document may also be used to navigate Timeshift, however if substantial edits have been made to the middle of your file, or the duration has changed, you may need to order new services for your edited file. 

Prerequisites

  • Content Publishing must be enabled
  • This service is not available to Express customers

 

Note:  Timeshifts are only applied to the version of your file that is opened in a new web browser via a publishing link ( as detailed in steps 4-6). Once a timeshift is applied, the altered file can then be downloaded to your computer however the timeshift is not applied permanently to the file stored in the 3Play Media account system.

 

Steps to use Timeshift

1. Click the File

Once logged into your account, click on the file's name to open the file show page.

Select transcript

2. Click Quick Link

Click the Quick Link icon.

Captions Publish link

3. Select format

From the drop down menu that appears select from one of your Favorite Formats.

Caption Transcript format select

  • If you have yet to configure this setting the drop-down menu will contain an option to navigate to this project setting. Once saved, the Favorite Formats will be the default choices when either Quick Download or Quick Link is clicked.
  • Favorite Formats can be edited at any time.

4. Open the file in a new window

Click on the link to your file and it will open in a new browser window in the format that was selected in step 3.

SCC caption format link

 

5. Modify the URL

  • The values used for offset= in this step are for demonstrative purposes.
  • The values you add for your offset will be unique to the edits made to your content.

Time can be added to offset a file using either seconds, milliseconds, or minutes:seconds.

Seconds
Offset in seconds: 10s would be an offset of 10 seconds. -10s would be an offset in the negative direction making the captions begin 10 seconds earlier. For this to work an "s" must be added after the value.

You can also use tenths of seconds for a more precise shift. For example, 14.5s or 1.7s are acceptable values.

 

Milliseconds
Offset in milliseconds: 4200 would be an offset equaling 4.2 seconds. -4200 would be an offset in the negative direction making captions begin 4.2 seconds earlier.
For this to work simply add a number value.
"ms" should not be added.

 

Minutes:seconds
Offset in minutes:seconds: 01:22 would be an offset equaling 1 minute and 22 seconds. -01:22 would be an offset in the negative direction making captions begin one minute and twenty-two seconds earlier.

 

To make your captions start later add a value at the end of the URL.

Add:

&offset=30s

...to the end of the captions' URL. This modification must be added after the file format extension.

The example above will offset your captions making them start 30 seconds later

 

To make your captions start earlier add a negative value in seconds similar to the example below.

Add:

&offset=-12s

 

...to the end of the captions' URL. This modification must be added after the file format extension.

The example above will offset your captions making them start 12 seconds earlier.
Note: Offsets in the negative direction can inadvertently remove text from the beginning of your transcript but that shifting over the API does not permanently timeshift the file that is stored in your account. 

 


Only the version being viewed/manipulated in the open window is affected.

Below is an example of what your URL should look similar to once it has been modified.

http://static.3playmedia.com/p/projects/00000/files/000000/output_formats/116.srt?offset=-30s

Once you have added the desired offset, click Enter/Return to apply this offset.

 

6. Adjusting Start and End Times

Additionally, you can modify the start and end times of the caption file.

  • The values used for start, end, and offset in this step are for demonstrative purposes.
  • The values you add for these parameters will be unique to your specs.
http://static.3playmedia.com/p/projects/00000/files/000000/output_formats/5.scc?start=5:00&end=6:00

 

7. Download the file with offset

After clicking Enter/Return on your keyboard to apply the offset...

Add:

&dl=1

to the URL after the offset value. Click Enter/Return again and the offset file will download to your computer.

Here is an example of a modified URL that includes the offset value and the call to download the file.

https://static.3playmedia.com/p/files/1268059/threeplay_transcripts/3285981.srt?format_id=7&project_id=20419&offset=-12s&dl=1

 

Related articles