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Adding Synchronized & Non-Synchronized Transcripts

Articles > Transcripts

December 2, 2024 at 7:06:59 PM

Video Tutorial

To import sync files, click on the + sign on the Transcripts tab of the Media Bar, which will allow you to browse/navigate to and select your sync file(s).

Now you will see the transcript registered under the Transcripts tab of the Media Bar.  The transcript is named automatically based on the fields in the .mdb or .xml file for first name, last name and deposition date.  If this data is incorrect, you can easily fix the ID and Name by hitting F2 and renaming.

Once you have added a transcript to your case you will be able to see it in the _transcripts folder of your case folder.

Remember, OnCue will not know where the actual video is until it's been copied to the _synchedvideos folder.

Make sure your video names match what OnCue is looking for, you can see what it needs at the top of the designation editor.

Synchronized Transcripts (Depositions & Video)

OnCue can take a plain text file or a MS Word docx file. These files do not need to have page and line numbers to be able to create designations. OnCue will prompt you to set page and lines, naming convention and date. Creating designation run reports with non-synced transcripts is the perfect way to make a script for reading testimony into the court record.


This is also the way to add transcripts for surveillance videos, meetings, and lectures. If you are want to manual sync a video file this is where you add the *.txt or the *.docx with the words or script to the video.


1. To import non-synchronized file, click on the + sign on the Transcripts tab of the Media Bar, which will allow you to browse to and select your file(s).


2. OnCue asks you for information. You decide how many lines per page, date, type of transcript, even the name.

3. Make your changes (or not) and hit Save Changes. Now you will see the transcript registered under the Transcripts tab of the Media Bar.

4. You can now begin making designations. It is important to know that the transcript will be gray and italicized in the transcript viewer because there is no sync file. Any reports created will not be italicized.

Report –

Non-Synchronized Transcripts (Text Files)
  1. Have sound but no picture on a deposition? Right-click on the file and Optimize Video.

  2. OnCue can't see the file? Make sure the file names match what OnCue is looking for (including extension)

  3. Make sure you copied the files to your OnCue case folder's "_synchedvideos" subfolder in Windows File Explorer (they are not added inside of OnCue like documents, audiovisuals, or transcript files).

  4. One way to verify that a video issue is related to OnCue–and not the video file itself–is to try playing the video in a media player on your machine (VLC or Windows Media Player, for example).

Issues with a Video?

How do I get (add, register, import) my deposition files or text files into OnCue?


What files do I need to create clips from my deposition?

OnCue can't see my videos. Where do I put them?


I don't have video but I do have an ASCII text, what do I do?



Transcript File Formats


The transcript files OnCue currently accepts are *.mdb ("Sanction"), *.cms ("Timecoder") and OnCue *.xml formats for synchronized videos and *.txt or *.docx for non-synchronized transcripts.


It is important to note that you DO NOT add/import/register the underlying deposition video or the audiovisuals you will be syncing (mpg, mp4, avi, wmv, mp3) into your OnCue database, only the transcript file (the .mdb or .xml or .cms or .txt or *.docx).


IMPORTANT: The underlying deposition or video files should be copied to the “_synchedvideos” folder in your OnCue case, put the loose video files in the root of that folder (not in subfolders). OnCue looks for the video in this folder.


NOTE: We recommend *.mdb files over *.cms whenever possible due to the inconsistency in their format.



No Sync – No problem – you can still create reports.


If you don’t care about time estimates and want the reports, OnCue can take a plain text file or Ascii (*.txt) file as detailed below.

Step-by-step Instructions

Media Bar