diff --git a/ext/closedcaption/gstccconverter.c b/ext/closedcaption/gstccconverter.c
index 6971c2e62e..6177c5bc7c 100644
--- a/ext/closedcaption/gstccconverter.c
+++ b/ext/closedcaption/gstccconverter.c
@@ -621,6 +621,10 @@ cc_data_extract_cea608 (guint8 * cc_data, guint cc_data_len,
     gboolean cc_valid = (cc_data[i * 3] & 0x04) == 0x04;
     guint8 cc_type = cc_data[i * 3] & 0x03;
 
+    GST_TRACE ("0x%02x 0x%02x 0x%02x, valid: %u, type: 0b%u%u",
+        cc_data[i * 3 + 0], cc_data[i * 3 + 1], cc_data[i * 3 + 2], cc_valid,
+        cc_type & 0x2, cc_type & 0x1);
+
     if (cc_type == 0x00) {
       if (!cc_valid)
         continue;
@@ -1081,27 +1085,41 @@ convert_cea708_cdp_cea708_cc_data_internal (GstCCConverter * self,
   memset (tc, 0, sizeof (*tc));
 
   /* Header + footer length */
-  if (cdp_len < 11)
+  if (cdp_len < 11) {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet too short (%u). expected at "
+        "least %u", cdp_len, 11);
     return 0;
+  }
 
   gst_byte_reader_init (&br, cdp, cdp_len);
   u16 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint16_be_unchecked (&br);
-  if (u16 != 0x9669)
+  if (u16 != 0x9669) {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet does not have initial magic bytes "
+        "of 0x9669");
     return 0;
+  }
 
   u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
-  if (u8 != cdp_len)
+  if (u8 != cdp_len) {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet length (%u) does not match passed "
+        "in value (%u)", u8, cdp_len);
     return 0;
+  }
 
   u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
   fps_entry = cdp_fps_entry_from_id (u8);
-  if (!fps_entry || fps_entry->fps_n == 0)
+  if (!fps_entry || fps_entry->fps_n == 0) {
+    GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet does not have a valid framerate "
+        "id (0x%02x", u8);
     return 0;
+  }
 
   flags = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
   /* No cc_data? */
-  if ((flags & 0x40) == 0)
+  if ((flags & 0x40) == 0) {
+    GST_DEBUG_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet does have any cc_data");
     return 0;
+  }
 
   /* cdp_hdr_sequence_cntr */
   gst_byte_reader_skip_unchecked (&br, 2);
@@ -1111,20 +1129,32 @@ convert_cea708_cdp_cea708_cc_data_internal (GstCCConverter * self,
     guint8 hours, minutes, seconds, frames, fields;
     gboolean drop_frame;
 
-    if (gst_byte_reader_get_remaining (&br) < 5)
+    if (gst_byte_reader_get_remaining (&br) < 5) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet does not have enough data to "
+          "contain a timecode (%u). Need at least 5 bytes",
+          gst_byte_reader_get_remaining (&br));
       return 0;
-    if (gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br) != 0x71)
+    }
+    u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
+    if (u8 != 0x71) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "cdp packet does not have timecode start byte "
+          "of 0x71, found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
 
     u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
-    if ((u8 & 0xc0) != 0xc0)
+    if ((u8 & 0xc0) != 0xc0) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "reserved bits are not 0xc0, found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
 
     hours = ((u8 >> 4) & 0x3) * 10 + (u8 & 0xf);
 
     u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
-    if ((u8 & 0x80) != 0x80)
+    if ((u8 & 0x80) != 0x80) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "reserved bit is not 0x80, found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
     minutes = ((u8 >> 4) & 0x7) * 10 + (u8 & 0xf);
 
     u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
@@ -1135,8 +1165,10 @@ convert_cea708_cdp_cea708_cc_data_internal (GstCCConverter * self,
     seconds = ((u8 >> 4) & 0x7) * 10 + (u8 & 0xf);
 
     u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
-    if (u8 & 0x40)
+    if (u8 & 0x40) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "reserved bit is not 0x0, found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
 
     drop_frame = ! !(u8 & 0x80);
     frames = ((u8 >> 4) & 0x3) * 10 + (u8 & 0xf);
@@ -1151,14 +1183,22 @@ convert_cea708_cdp_cea708_cc_data_internal (GstCCConverter * self,
   if (flags & 0x40) {
     guint8 cc_count;
 
-    if (gst_byte_reader_get_remaining (&br) < 2)
+    if (gst_byte_reader_get_remaining (&br) < 2) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "not enough data to contain valid cc_data");
       return 0;
-    if (gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br) != 0x72)
+    }
+    u8 = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
+    if (u8 != 0x72) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "missing cc_data start code of 0x72, "
+          "found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
 
     cc_count = gst_byte_reader_get_uint8_unchecked (&br);
-    if ((cc_count & 0xe0) != 0xe0)
+    if ((cc_count & 0xe0) != 0xe0) {
+      GST_WARNING_OBJECT (self, "reserved bits are not 0xe0, found 0x%02x", u8);
       return 0;
+    }
     cc_count &= 0x1f;
 
     len = 3 * cc_count;