Bitfocus Companion Hardware Bridge
Zip Captions Companion Extension
Acts as a bridge to allow Bitfocus Companion to send commands to and receive status from an open Zip Captions tab. Add support for Bitfocus Companion with Zip Captions directly on your local computer.
Key Capabilities
Engineered for effortless accessibility, reliability, and speed.
Start & Stop Captions
Map physical hardware triggers or stream buttons to start and stop caption transcription sessions instantly.
Play & Pause Controls
Temporarily pause and resume live speech recognition during breaks, musical interludes, or off-the-record discussions.
Return Status to Companion
Sends real-time session feedback to Companion so your controller keys illuminate and change colors reflecting active states.
Show Last Captioned Word
Transmits the most recently transcribed word or phrase directly onto your Stream Deck LCD screen for immediate visual verification.
Local Host Security
Operates strictly over localhost on the same machine as Bitfocus Companion—no cloud servers or internet transit required.
Broadcast Automation
Integrate Zip Captions triggers seamlessly into complex multi-action production macros alongside cameras and audio mixers.
Hardware Control for Zip Captions
Acts as a bridge to allow Bitfocus Companion to send commands to and receive status from an open Zip Captions tab.
Supported Commands & Statuses:
- Start / Stop captioning
- Play / Pause active sessions
- Return Captioning Status to Companion
- Show last captioned word in Companion
At a Glance
Good to know before you start
Supports Elgato Stream Deck, Loupedeck, and any control surface supported by Bitfocus Companion.
Runs alongside Bitfocus Companion on the same local computer for secure, direct communication.
Start, stop, pause, and resume captioning sessions with live color status feedback right on your keys.
Displays the most recently spoken words directly on your Stream Deck LCD screen so you never lose your place.
Solving Real Classroom, Venue & Production Hurdles
Real-World Questions & Practical Answers
During a live show, the Zip Captions browser tab gets buried under 10 other production windows, so the AV operator can't tell if captioning accidentally paused. How does Companion prevent that?
The Zip Captions Companion extension links your background Zip Captions tab to Bitfocus Companion and your physical Elgato Stream Deck. Even when Chrome is minimized or on another monitor, your physical Stream Deck button changes color to show live transcription status and displays the most recently transcribed words right on the LCD key.
Can I trigger live captions and my camera/microphone macros with a single physical button press?
Yes. Inside Bitfocus Companion, you can combine Zip Captions start/pause/clear actions into multi-action macros alongside your vMix, OBS, Behringer/Allen & Heath soundboard, or ATEM switcher commands—so unmuting the podium mic automatically starts live captioning.
Take physical control of your live captions
Streamline your live production desk with tactile hardware controls for Zip Captions.