watching TV with subtitles on

Post Reply New Topic

I use subtitles and closed captioning probably 90% of the time, especially when watching movies. I have a hard time hearing (but not bad enough for hearing aids) and also I get easily distracted because of my ADHD, so it helps me to focus on reading the words as I hear them. But yeah, like a lot of you said, the captions don't always show what they're supposed to and the misspellings bother me.

I always have the subtitles on, for both TV and DVDs. I've done this for ages, not sure why. Sometimes I like to listen to it really quietly, and then I might miss some words if I don't have the subtitles on. What's cool is that sometimes they changed the lyrics of the TV themesong after they'd written up the captions for the first episode of a show, so you get to see what the original themesong lyrics were.

I love having the subtitles and closed captioning on! It's easier to comprehend when I see the words rather than actually listening to them. Of course, the only really annoying thing about CC is that sometimes it's completely off-timed with what they're saying. That can get pretty annoying but otherwise it's good.

I like CC and subtitles as well.

Tim

I love subtitles: speaking and acting (body language!) take way too looooong! I prefer to jump ahead and get to the point!

Wouldn't it be great if no one had to talk? Instant thought transfer and everyone would just KNOW. Would save tons of time.

I LOVE commercials! I watch TV for the commercials! (My husband thinks I'm nuts.)

That's actually how I learned Dutch when I moved to Holland: watching American TV with Dutch subtitles (all foreign programming's subtitled, not dubbed). Much easier than a language course! Of course, now that I'm fluent, I see the heinous liberties the translators constantly take with the text: it's not even about limitations of the target language-- sometimes they just make stuff up!

I love foreign films and always watch my anime shows and foreign films with subtitles on and sometimes I will turn on the english dub and compare the two. I find it interesting to note the differences in the translations. Most likely due to trying to match lip movement with the basic idea of what was said more than a literal translation. It does bother me a bit when a simple phrase is translated weirdly to mean something entirely different. It feels like the DVD is lying to me about what is actually happening.

I watch all the dvd's I do watch with subtitles on in english. I used to watch tv obsessively but I don't watch tv programs at all anymore, (unless its on a tv in a doctor's office or something, and usually I just read instead). I can hear just fine, the sound, but the words sometimes make no sense so I read. I also noticed I used this to look less at the actual speakers in the movie, I read the subtitles, thats why I don't like watching tapes very much.

Subtitles help me understand what characters are saying, probably because I'm a visual person and not a very good listener.

No need to explain apparently everyone but me loves them.
My hearing is good and I tend to listen more than I watch. I think thats related to daydreaming. I can take in audio input why thinking of something else but with visual input the daydreaming process is largely overridden. Oh might be related to not making eye/face contact with people much to. Anyway this thread has been a wake up call to me as to my oddness.

I've been watching TV and movies with subtitles since I was seven.

I dont, but ladyM does all the time. Helps some when you live with loud people.

After watching subtitled foreign films, I start thinking I can actually speak the language, and I suppose if you do it enough it might actually help.

Hm, interesting, I'll have to keep an eye out for that.

I don't usually turn on CC because I hate how slow and silly it is, but I find I love subtitled foreign movies. I've never really figured out why, though I figured it had something to do with being able to ignore the actor and put my own inflection into the line, kinda like a live-action graphic novel...

I mute ads (my boyfriend says he can tune them out & so does not mute them). It (my muting the tv) annoyed my ex-husband, too. It's my attempt to keep out stuff I don't want in my head-there's too much unhelpful junk in there already.
I prefer closed-captioning sometimes. Shows that have great fluctuations in noise level, it's easier to read because I can't comfortably adjust to different baseline levels of sound rapidly. Interactions/conversations that are esp. emotional or painful (mad or sad) occasionally make me uncomfortable & at least with captions I can keep up w/story. Images or sounds f/x that bother me too much, I can blot them out with the words across the screen.
Yes, I do find the frequent glitches (and widely varying quality/accuracy of caption service, depending on the program) both amusing & aggravating, depending on circumstances.

I hate subtitles. It distracts me for some reason. If it's a foreign language film then fine, but if the film's English, I'll be hearing the actors say it, and reading along at the same time - but the subtitles never exactly match. I just find it distracting. What's even more distracting though, is the sign language people they sometimes put in the corner.

I used to do this rather a lot, especially when I was younger. These days? Somewhat less so, I suppose.