XL8 Delivers Real-Time Spanish Translation Captions to U.S. Public Broadcasters

XL8, a real-time translation technology company, has commercialized its real-time solution to translate English captions to Spanish. This breakthrough, achieved with the Public Media Venture Group (PMVG), marks the first commercial deployment of artificial intelligence-based real-time translation in U.S. public broadcasting.

This technology was integrated into the broadcast system of a PBS television station in Cookeville, Tenn., where it delivered live translated captions to viewers for the first time. The project was carried ou with DigiCAP, the Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA), and PBS station WCTE, with XL8 serving as the core provider of real-time subtitle translation technology.

"We serve a large number of Spanish-speaking households in our coverage area. Thanks to this real-time captioning technology, they can now access our content more easily and comfortably. We're thrilled with the result," said Avery Hutchins, president and CEO of WCTE, in a statement.

XL8's translation engine detects English closed captions in live broadcasts, instantly translates them into Spanish, and reintegrates them into the broadcast stream. The system is compatible with production and transmission systems, including NextGen TV, allowing viewers with ATSC 3.0-compatible TVs to switch captions to Spanish via TV settings with no additional equipment required.

"This project was not just a technology test; it's a meaningful milestone that proves XL8's real-time translation can be integrated into live broadcast production and delivery. We're excited to continue improving our solutions to provide greater language accessibility for all viewers," said Tim Jung, CEO of XL8, in a statement.