Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
What about fixing the option for the font size and font color for the captions without having that big black stripe behind it it makes it too busy to watch. All other streaming channels have it except Netflix on Hulu Disney Apple TV, TUBI and Amazon they all have that option that way I can watch and have the captions on and not be distracted with the black stripe behind it. Should they have the budget to fix this?, as for the new deal, I think we should have the option because sometimes people are trying to learn the language and if you put the description of the audio what happened horses, galloping or birds, quaking, etc. etc..
 
Of course it will only be for new programmin; but itis about time the USA catches up to the rest of the world, when it comes to subtitles.

I have very good hearing but the audio levels are often way off with lack of prominence given to dialogue ... and/or the actors or person on screen are just mumbling ... that you go : what did he/she just say ? ... quick rewind, nope still did not get it ... ???

So, yeah, sometimes you're forced into subtitles. And, I am glad I am not alone, that half the viewing public must experience it the same way.
 
Currently using the no video or audio family plan, my brother uses a different Wi-Fi name than my Wi-Fi name so Netflix has cut me off in the same household and wants to charge me for my own account on our family plan. o_O
It’s based on your public IP, so as long as you are on the same gateway (router, usually) you should be fine. That said, if he or you are using a VPN, that can affect he network Netflix thinks you are on.
 
I can see the benefit of this option, since sometimes subtitles get cluttered with all kinds of descriptive text that the non-deaf don't need. But sometimes the caption format we currently have is useful, as when it describes subtle sounds you often can't hear well enough, if at all, due to bad audio mixes, like "creaking door", which are often important parts of the action.
 
Last edited:
Funny, this is how we are used to watching subtitles in languages other than English in the rest of the world…

In Germany it’s even worse. The subtitles don’t match what is being said and it’s like from a different script or something with the sentences being shortened. I noticed the same with Spanish.

For instance the character would say „I went for a run this morning“ but the subtitles would say „I was running earlier“.

Thankfully I watch most things in English with English subtitles so it isn’t such a big deal for me
 
  • Like
Reactions: VicVendrell
Actually, dialog-only subtitles were/are the usual ones. When you see a foreign-language film in the cinema, you don't get subtitles for the deaf. For whatever reason, the streaming providers liked to save these normal subtitles ... and now this is being sold as great news. 😂
 
  • Like
Reactions: Aeronauts
It’s based on your public IP, so as long as you are on the same gateway (router, usually) you should be fine. That said, if he or you are using a VPN, that can affect he network Netflix thinks you are on.

that method also has its problems if your ISP uses CGNAT, which means you'd have the same WAN IP as someone else.
mac address of the router along with WAN IP is more likely the method being used.

both the devices i use netflix on are ethernet connected with WIFI disabled so it would never be able to use SSID to check.
 
  • Like
Reactions: AppleTO
In Germany it’s even worse. The subtitles don’t match what is being said and it’s like from a different script or something with the sentences being shortened. I noticed the same with Spanish.

For instance the character would say „I went for a run this morning“ but the subtitles would say „I was running earlier“.

Thankfully I watch most things in English with English subtitles so it isn’t such a big deal for me
I hope you also know that you can say more with fewer words in English than in German, Spanish, Italian or French (and many other languages). Also, in German we sometimes have very long words. Accordingly, what we say in German takes more time, but is often more precise and clearer. The dubbing studios have to struggle with this and have to rephrase and shorten things. Otherwise the dubbing wouldn't work at all ... the same applies to translated subtitles. It is also conceivable that the dubbing studios are not responsible for the subtitles. So different translations of the original voice track can also be used here. Synchronization is always a compromise ...
 
Nice! Many of us may need dialogue-only subs on because sometimes it’s hard to hear the words with all the things going on screen. All in the name of “Dynamic Range”

Soft or fast spoken english are also hard to understand even for native speakers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wbeasley
Wow, there are really people watching the TV without subtitles? How is that possible to catch every word? The majority of the sound tracks are not crisp clear enough.
I have Samsung Q950t soundbar with rear speakers. I specifically bought it because it’s strong on dialogue. It works well both at high and low volumes. Likewise with my previous soundbar I bought one that’s very strong on dialogue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wbeasley
I'm deaf and while I guess I can see the option, I hope this doesn't lead to a trend of not having proper closed captions. All the stuff that Netflix cutout for their subtitle only mode is essential for deaf viewers.
I don't have Netflix and I hope other streaming services (including Netflix) don't get lazy drop CC and use English subtitles instead. I am Deaf and need them 100%.
Subtitles and Closed Captions are different things, or should be.

e.g. as discussed here

In UK subtitles is only thing we have and it is same as Closed Captions. So in UK based streaming like BBC iPlayer it will call it subtitles and it will be same as Closed Captions. Most streaming services are USA or international so will have Closed Captions AND subtitles, I will always pick CC option.
 
I don't have Netflix and I hope other streaming services (including Netflix) don't get lazy drop CC and use English subtitles instead. I am Deaf and need them 100%.

In UK subtitles is only thing we have and it is same as Closed Captions. So in UK based streaming like BBC iPlayer it will call it subtitles and it will be same as Closed Captions. Most streaming services are USA or international so will have Closed Captions AND subtitles, I will always pick CC option.
I do some work for a (UK) disability charity and it is fascinating to consider the requirements of those living with disabilities. To me the subtitling of broadcast TV hasn’t changed in 30 years, whilst tech has moved on immeasurably.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wbeasley
Nice. Not sure how many will use it. But good to have an option to choose from. Not sure whether existing shows will get this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mganu
Except being burned in doesn't work if it's being watched in some foreign country that is neither of the languages involved.
Yet if you watch the film in the cinema it has those subtitles, but not if you watch it on Netflix. So that doesn’t work really.
 
Yet if you watch the film in the cinema it has those subtitles, but not if you watch it on Netflix. So that doesn’t work really.

disney+ is the same.

streaming services seem to not have "forced" subtitles for the parts where someone is speaking in a language that is different from the native language of the show/movie, which is strange as it doesn't need anything extra to support it, it's just an another subtitle track.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Pezimak
An audio option to make dialogue clearer and cut the surround stuff would help people with hearing aids.

We watch with subtitles but the volume of the effects means my deaf partner constantly yells and has to cut the volume until it goes back to speaking.

I dont hate having subtitles on as I find a lot of shows are very murky mixes on a tv.
But I find I end up reading instead of watching the action. It's just crazy.

Just provide some better user selectable mixes. You can do multiple different languages.
Add a stereo mix and a stereo dialogue focused one and we'd all be happier.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jonnod III
I wish they would have an option to show the text in the black bars on the top and bottom instead of on top of the video.

those black bars top and bottom are not part of the video stream. subtitles can only be place within the actual video stream.
 
  • Like
Reactions: VicVendrell
Wow, there are really people watching the TV without subtitles? How is that possible to catch every word? The majority of the sound tracks are not crisp clear enough.
Because some of us have actual surround systems everywhere we have TVs that we watch movies on. I've not had any issue with the dialog on the center channel.

Captions are annoying. I don't want text on the screen unless it's a translation from a language I don't understand.

And the systems were all cheap/free because people keep buying stupid soundbars that sound awful.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: wbeasley
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.