Video Transcription

Use When

The input is a video file and the goal is speech extraction, timed transcript, caption generation, multilingual transcript, or edit-prep timestamps.
Use media-analysis instead when the user needs semantic visual analysis.

If a timed transcript already exists and only subtitle output is requested, skip transcription and read the local subtitle conversion reference.

Do Not Use When

The task needs new creative generation or visual analysis rather than speech or subtitles.
Required inputs are missing and guessing would change the result.

Execution Boundary

Hosted video transcription runs through the public postplus media transcribe verb and is async. The generated example below shows the endpoint key.
Pass a local path, HTTPS URL, existing PostPlus media reference, or data URI directly to --video. The CLI validates and prepares local media before the single hosted submit.
Request timestamps by default when results drive subtitles or edit decisions.
Hosted video transcription is async. Submit records the run handle, current status, and transcript artifacts when available. Inspect the returned format; do not assume a fixed normalized transcript schema.

Source And Path

Before submit, derive durationSeconds from the source video or URL and pass it through the endpoint's duration flag for request validation.
Start with one source file before larger batches.
Keep internal requests, responses, normalized transcripts, and downloaded artifacts under .postplus/video-transcription; keep final user-facing transcript exports outside .postplus.

Handoff

If status is pending, preserve the result path and follow the CLI-returned action or resume command for the same operation. Do not submit another job. Stop and report when the CLI wait/recovery boundary is reached.
When SRT/ASS is requested, use the actual timed transcript and read local subtitle conversion. Convert locally without another hosted request; do not invent a CLI export command.

Stop Conditions

Stop when required user intent, source evidence, or owned input artifacts are missing and guessing would change the result.

Public Command Boundary

Choose the smallest matching command or workflow from the user input and run it directly.
Readiness diagnostics: postplus doctor --skill video-transcription.
Use postplus media schema --json only when you need the full endpoint, flag, and enum contract or are repairing an unknown request shape.
Run the hosted transcription job with the generated command below; do not use another execution interface.
Pass the source directly through --video; do not pre-upload it or construct a manual request object.
If the CLI returns a quote-confirmation challenge, obtain user approval for its scope and cost before running postplus quote confirm --json --challenge-file <challenge.json> and retry with the returned token.

postplus media transcribe transcription-video \
  --video ./reference.mp4 \
  --duration-seconds 1 \
  --wait \
  --output ./result.json

Follow the CLI's structured result and reported next action; do not infer recovery from free-text messages. Wait for explicit user approval when requested; an action does not authorize spending, publishing, or overwriting. Resume the same operation through its returned checkpoint or action; never resubmit uncertain work, repeat exhausted recovery, or switch providers to bypass failure.

video-transcription