Boxfish Live uses closed captioning data to deliver real-time TV programming info. Its success could help boost career opportunities for closed captioning specialists, Florida's Stenotype Institute says.

A new online service aims to revolutionize real-time TV search and just might boost job opportunities for closed captioning specialists. Introducing Boxfish Live – “Search every word spoken on television. Live.”

The Silicon Valley startup’s tagline pretty much nails Boxfish’s service. Founded last year in Palo Alto and finally hitting the internet with its beta search interface in March, Boxfish essentially captures closed captioning information, indexes it and makes the data searchable via a Twitter-esque style interface – all in real time. So, rather than channel surfing, a searcher can quickly find out which TV programs are talking about Lady Gaga or Joe Biden or the Kentucky Derby or the Avengers’ wallop on the weekend’s box office numbers right now.

Boxfish translates the paper TV Guide or that on-screen channel grid into an internet experience, making searching for programming faster, more precise and more relevant to the moment.

“It makes total sense,” industry analyst Ben Arnold told reporters about Boxfish recently. “You think about all that content – it’s not really indexed that well.”

Until now, anyway. And if all goes well, things just might get even more interesting. Plans are in the works for integrating Boxfish Live directly into your television set from not only your wireless computer, but your iPad, smartphone or other mobile device. For instance, while writing this blog, our ADD kicked in and we decided we must know all about that lacy, feathery getup that Beyonce wore at the Met Gala last night. So, we typed “Met Gala” into Boxfish’s search field and immediately saw that it was being discussed on both ABC’s Live! With Kelly and E! Entertainment’s Fashion Police, and that it was mentioned in a scripted line in last night’s episode of CBS’ Broke Girls.

At this precise moment, we could continue writing this blog or let fashion distraction get the best of us, turn on the TV and flip over to ABC or E! In the future, we’ll be able to change the channel on our digital TV right from our laptop or smartphone.

There’s no indication that Boxfish will be hiring closed captioning specialists itself. But if the service proves a hit – and analysts are predicting just that – it could make television producers all the more insistent upon providing real-time closed captioning for audiences. After all, the potential viewership boost is a major incentive.

Make sure you’re up to the job by enrolling in the Stenotype Institute’s Closed Captioning program. Taught at our Jacksonville and Orlando campuses, the program helps prepare students for lucrative careers, though some additional specialized training may be required by some employers. The school best known for court reporting training serves students from cities throughout Florida and South Georgia including Naples, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Cocoa Beach, Gainesville, Ocala, Lake City, Ft. Walton Beach, Panama City, Tallahassee, Pensacola, Tampa, St. Petersburg , Sarasota, Albany, Brunswick and Savannah. Call 800-273-5090 to get started today.