Screen Systems PAC (Poliscript)
- .pac
- Read
- Write
Closed Caption Converter reads and writes PAC files. Convert PAC to and from 56 other caption and subtitle formats in the web app, with the REST API, or offline with the CLI.
What is a PAC file?
PAC is the native binary subtitle format of Screen Systems’ subtitling software, including Poliscript and the WinCAPS family. Screen Systems tools have long been used by broadcasters and subtitling vendors in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, so PAC files are a regular part of broadcast and DVD subtitle archives.
A PAC file stores each subtitle with frame-based in and out timecodes, vertical position, alignment and text. Text is encoded in a code page chosen for the language: Latin, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Greek and others. The code page is not always obvious from the file, and decoding with the wrong one is the classic PAC conversion failure. Accented letters turn into the wrong characters, and right-to-left text comes out scrambled.
Closed Caption Converter reads and writes PAC. A PAC Code Page option can be left on auto or set explicitly when you know the language of the file.
Convert PAC files
Every readable format converts to every writable format, through the web app, the API or the CLI.
Popular PAC conversions
Convert PAC to
- Cavena 890
- iTT
- Closed Caption Creator Project
- Caption Inc.
- LMS Transcript
- JSON
- Substation Alpha
- Advanced Substation Alpha
- SCC
- MCC
- Rich Text Format
- SRT
- WebVTT
- Subviewer
- Sofni
- Micro DVD
- DVD Architect
- Avid DS
- Adobe Encore
- Apple DVD Studio Pro
- EZ Title
- PowerPixel Format
- ProCap Transfer
- QuickTime Text
- Eclipse
- EBU-STL
- Spruce STL
- Cheetah (binary)
- Videotron Lambda
- NCI Caption
- Cheetah (ASCII Text)
- TTML
- DFXP
- DLP Cinema
- Netflix TT Captions
- Netflix TT Subtitles
- MAGIC TT
- EBU-TT
- SMPTE-TTML
- IMSC Text Captions
- IMSC Text Subtitles
- DCDM Subtitle
- Verizon TTML
- Bento MP4-DASH IMSC
- Netflix DFXP
- Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange
- Comma-Separated Values
- As-Broadcast Dialog List
Convert to PAC from
- Cavena 890
- iTT
- Closed Caption Creator Project
- Caption Inc.
- LMS Transcript
- JSON
- Substation Alpha
- Advanced Substation Alpha
- SCC
- MCC
- Rich Text Format
- SRT
- WebVTT
- Subviewer
- Canvass SST Project
- Sofni
- Micro DVD
- DVD Architect
- Avid DS
- Adobe Encore
- Apple DVD Studio Pro
- EZ Title
- PowerPixel Format
- ProCap Transfer
- QuickTime Text
- Eclipse
- EBU-STL
- Spruce STL
- Cheetah (binary)
- Videotron Lambda
- NCI Caption
- Cheetah (ASCII Text)
- TTML
- DFXP
- DLP Cinema
- Netflix TT Captions
- Netflix TT Subtitles
- MAGIC TT
- EBU-TT
- SMPTE-TTML
- IMSC Text Captions
- IMSC Text Subtitles
- DCDM Subtitle
- Verizon TTML
- Bento MP4-DASH IMSC
- Netflix DFXP
- Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange
- Comma-Separated Values
- Google STT Transcript
- Assembly AI STT Transcript
- Deepgram STT Transcript
- RevAI STT Transcript
- Voicegain STT Transcript
- Speechmatics STT Transcript
- Vitac
PAC questions
The file was decoded with the wrong code page. PAC text is stored in a language-specific code page. Set the PAC Code Page decoding option to match the file’s language (for example Arabic or Hebrew) instead of relying on auto-detection.
Yes. Both are binary broadcast formats, and the conversion maps the PAC code page onto an EBU-STL character code table and fills in the STL header. See PAC to EBU-STL.
Contact us with a sample file. We add and extend profiles based on customer samples.
Convert your PAC files in minutes
Upload a file in the web app, or automate conversions with the API and CLI. No credit card required to start.