shastar

We purchased a 3 season set of a favorite TV show. The container says CC and subtitles in 3 different languages, but not English. The subtitles for foreign languages work, but none are English. Then the closed captioning does not work at all. There is nothing in the setup menu to turn on closed captioning for the English hearing impaired.

This is not the first time this has happened to us. Several boxed sets of the Simpson's series says it is closed captioned, but they are not closed captioned and there is no way to go into a setup screen to turn on captioning.

Why are manufacturers putting "CC" on the containers, but the show on the DVDs are not captioned. It is misleading and bugs me to death as I would not buy it if I knew it was not closed captioned.

Also, is there someplace I can write to complain about this?

Deafness

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sequoias

A good place to complain is contact FCC. They're responsible for media regulations. Sounds like false advertising for sure.

Banjo

The Simpsons are closed captioned, I have them.

Watermelon

I quoted the above line as it seems like CC is being confused with subtitles, based on the issue description. Closed captioning (CC) is not the same as subtitles. So, the option to "turn on" closed captioning would not be in the DVD setup menu. Rather, closed captioning is handled by the TV. Is the TV's Closed Caption enabled?

shastar

Yes, all our TVs handle closed captioning. In regards to Banjo's reply, what are you doing that I am not doing to see all of the Simpson's season's closed captioned? Then we bought three seasons of The Nanny for Christmas and same thing, says it is closed captioned, but it is not. Same experience as the Simpsons. I wrote someone about the Simpson's a long time ago, but got no response.

I wrote Steve Jobs when I purchased movies for my Ipod that were not closed captioned and I got my money back. However, I am not getting responses for others that state CC on the box and it is not.

souggy

What devices are you using?

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PowerON

Yeah, what kind DVD player do you have? What cable do you use to plug to? Did you turn CC enable ON on your media player?

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Banjo

I think you may be confusing closed captioning with subtitles. Sony and Fox TV shows on DVD are closed captioned.

shastar

Closed Captioning is what I believe is when the black background has white text. Subtitiles do not have the black background. Correct me if I am wrong.

Our upstairs set up is Panasonic HDTV & Samsung DVD player
Downstairs is Samsung HDTV plasma with Samsung Blue Ray.

Best Buy set up both TVs & blue ray a year ago. They went to a lot of trouble to make sure closed captioning worked.

I just put in DVD into the BR called Kung Fu Panda, which says it is closed captioned for English and subtitles for English. It will play subtitles, but not closed captioning.

I put another DVD into the BR called Runaway Jury, which says it is CC and subtitled in English. It will play subtitles, but not closed captioning. Just like the Panda movie.

Watermelon

Shastar, I found this other thread of a similar issue:
Vizio won't show DVD CC; why?!

In the thread I linked, it discussed a bit on how some TV's can't read the CC data when connected via component.

Perhaps, it would help if you could detail how the DVD and TV are connected with one another? Component? RCA? S-Video? HDMI?

Jason

well to share my experience, I have the same problem but when I first had the big flat screen television, I got it in settings to play closed captions for DVD movies but when we got the movies with subtitles, we decided to turn the settings off in the TV to play subtitles in movies only but leaves the closed caption on for regular televisioned shows. Then later I found few movies that is supposed to be subtitled under pixar and other companies... one of many, surprised to see that happen so I tried to get the television to go back to the settings to play closed caption for the DVD movies but I forgot how I did it and the television manual didn't explain very clear in that field. So obviously I am still struggling because I did witness that it worked both ways. I took few out of all to my other television (original) and DVD player in other room, bingo.. closed caption works just fine. So I hope one day, I finally get the flat screen taken care of in the field. Oh for the flat screen I was using HDMI and top components hook ups.

One more thing, if the movie producing companies advertise that they are closed captions or subtitled, they are supposed to be since they do not want to get in trouble and pay big fines or blacklabelled by people for not doing their job. So it got to be no matter what. So just be sure you fix your end first before you build the confident it is their error.

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shastar

It is HDMI cables, but like I said, Best Buy tech spent a lot of time with making sure captioning worked and it does with the TV programs. It sounds like closed captioning on DVD or Blue Rays won't work through HDMI cables, but will work for TV programs.

shastar

If I am correct, is there some way for me to get closed captioning to work?

DeafDoc1

I believe the distinction is that subtitles are just the words in English. Closed captioning includes explanations of all sounds like doors creaking, cars crashing, sighs, and other non-dialogue audio. Subtitles are for hearing and Deaf; CC is specifically for D/hoh.

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shastar

I never thought of it that way, but you did clarify it. My question still is not answered. How can I get closed captioning from the DVDs that specify CC on the outside container. I see a pattern that I am getting stuck into when the DVD is subtitled in every language except English and is CC. I buy the DVD thinking I will be able to see CC in English, but I am not getting the captioning.

It hurts because my family buys favorite TV series they know I watch on live TV with captioning. They think I am going to love getting the series to watch on DVDs, but I end up not watching them because the closed captioning does not work & if there is no English subtitles, I go off and find something else more worthwhile to do.

radioman

I think the movie companies are using the open captioning (subtitles) and close captioning interchangably. I find it frustrating that I enabled subtitles and I forget to turn off the closed captioning and I get both sometimes. makes for a delayed enjoyment.

Now with my built in DVD player in flat screen and my cable box handles the CC, I just turn on the subtitles.


I find it pretty odd for you to buy a DVD set with NO english subtitles! question- does the closed captions show in english with no subtitles on ? let us know, cuz that would be false advertising for sure if no english for both OC and CC.

Be sure you try the DVD set on a different tv/dvd setup and try both. sometimes it could just be the equipment you were using.

evil_queen_lisa

try turning the subtitles totally off and making sure CC is enabled on the TV. Ive heard that CC won't work with HDMI cable when going from DVD player to TV
*EQL*

Jason

Well you will have to find a way through the settings in the television, what kind of DVD, Television and hookups you got? I have everything working but my flat screen.. its the settings from my memory but it can be because of the hookups, I will test it later, have too many things to do in order before this.

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shastar

I went to Best Buy Geek Squad. Two of the guys and myself went to their home movie theater area. We did a lot of testing on different DVD & BR players. After we all figured it out, THEN the manager from the back told one of them he already knew what we had just discovered.

The HDMI cable can only hold the highest technology signals with all those pixels, and there is no more room for CC signals.

The old AV2 analog (white, red & yellow) cord can transmit the CC because it is not transmitting all those wonderful pixels.

Useless to by the HDTVs if I have to go back to AV2 cords, but I have already bought the HDTVs with HDMI cables.

With more research, I found the Digital TV Converter box is necessary to transmit the closed-captioning for hearing impaired. I happen to have one by RCA that I was using on my father's old TV when the industry dropped analog TV transmissions.

So, I tried it out on my Blue Ray, but finding their is no input plug on Blue Ray that will match the plug on the converter cord.

So, as soon as I have time I will try it on my other DVD player.

I will post again or if you have any replies, I will check it out too.

DoDaDew

Shastar...

There is nothing wrong with your DVDs. Your television is set up right. As you just found out, HDMI is the culprit. It is a well known issue of HDMI interferring with closed captioning. The industry knew about it so did FCC but nothing has been done to address it. I am hoping that the industry will address it someday so you and others can enjoy closed captioned DVDs on HDTV. Please do tell us how well the Digital Converter box performed so we all can enjoy our HDTV.

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TXgolfer

yup

VamPyroX

That's right...

My dad had the same problem when he hooked up his blu-ray to his television. He used HDMI and the captioning didn't work when he played DVDs that had closed captions. I told him about what needed to be done. So, he added a second output using RCA and it worked.

So, whenever we watch blu-ray... it's subtitled. If we watch DVDs that are not subtitled, but captioned instead... we switch to a different mode.

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RonJaxon

I hate it when that happens too.

Here's an option that'll allow you to watch them such subtitles on your computer.

Download the VLC player.

Search for and download the subtitles that match the movie you want to watch.

Open the DVD in the VLC player. Pause the video. Right click and open the subtitles file.

Now you can watch it with subtitles.

If any of you need any help with this let me know.

Ron

shastar

VamPyrox - Is that RCA Digital TV Converter you are referring to?

RonJaxon - I found a link to download VLC for free. So are u downloading to ur laptop and then running the DVD movie from ur PC connected to ur HDTV for closed captioning when English subtitles are not on the DVD movie, but closed captions are on the DVD movie?

As u know I found no input jacks to Blue Ray to hook up my RCA Digital TV converter. So I last said I was going to try it on our DVD player, which I did this am. I did not see an input for antenna on the back of DVD player. My only other hope it the DVD writer - VHS Player device that Best Buy is fixing right now has an input jack for antenna when we get it back.

shastar

Ron Jaxon - excuse me, I think I misread your message. My new question for you is if the DVD that I have for TV Series on it does not have English subtitles, how is VLC player going to do it? I just downloaded VLC on my laptop. I will see what I can figure out.

shastar

RonJaxon - I just put the DVD Tv Series in my laptop and ran it through VLC player. I think perhaps you misunderstood my problem.

The TV Series that is on the DVD is closed captioned with a 3 subtitles that are not English subtitles.

So, VLC does have options to play the subtitles in other languages, but not English and I can't get the closed captioning to work because I have HDMI cables running to my HDTVs.

Wish your idea worked, but it doesn't because the DVD would have to have English subtitles in the first place. If it did, I would not be trying to figure out how to make the closed captioning to work. This scenario is happening to me over and over with lots of movies & TV series my family is buying for me.

cdmeggers

if you ever want to watch DVDs on your computer WITH close captionings (that is, if the DVD has CC logo on it), Windows Media Player has the Closed Caption option, and WMP is usually standard on any PCs. WMP, DVDs and CC works great for me. My poor portable DVD player is in bad shape now, that I've had to resort to using my computer to watch my DVDs haha. At least computer has caption, the DVD player did not.

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VamPyroX

Blu-ray uses composite or HDMI connection. That's why I said it varies on the devices you're using or what you want to hook up. From what you've just said, I'm guessing you'll need a better quality switch box.

I suggest you make a list of everything you want to hook up (including the kind of wiring involved) and bring it to your local electronics store like Best Buy, Target, etc. Someone there should be able to help you.

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RonJaxon

cdmeggers is correct. If you are using windows media player 9 or higher it'll place closed captioning on DVD's. Upgrade if you're isn't 9 or higher. Here is more information on that.

Let me clarify what I meant about opening them in VLC player and adding subtitles to them.

Here's the bottom line to it. If you want watch the DVD on your computer with the VLC player. Then you can play a subtitles file on it too. I'll walk you through it.

The first step is to find subtitles that match your video. Let's use an example here. Let's say the DVD is the movie start wars. You'll have to find and download subtitles for "Star Wars". There are many sites that you can download subtitles from. Click here to see a list of subtitles you can download for the movie "Star Wars". As you can see they come in a variety of languages. Find one in the language you want (English) and download the subtitles file.

Subtitles files are very small text files. I have a folder on my desktop that I keep all my subtitles in.

Now. Open the DVD so it's playing in the VLC player. While the video is playing (Or you can pause it). Right click on the video and in the menu that appears under "Video" then "subtitle Track" Click "Open subtitles". Find the subtitles you downloaded and open them.

Now the video will play with the subtitles.

Here's a video I just made that'll show you how to open the subtitles file in the VLC player.


Things to keep in mind.

Subtitles files are made by people so some will be better then others.

Not all subtitles files will be timed to your video. Videos come in different frame rates and some videos start at different points (such as some containing opening credits and some don't). So if the timing of the subtitles file does not match your DVD. Then try another one.

Another option is to download the free Time Adjuster program. This will allow you to change the time of your subtitles file. So for example if your subtitles are 3 seconds to soon then you can move the time of them 3 seconds forward.

Let me know if you have any trouble.

Ron Jaxon

shastar

RonJaxon, I would be okay with trying your suggestion if I can feed the DVD movie or TV series with the downloaded subtitles through to the HDTV, which has the HDMI cables.

I do not see my family sitting around the laptop watching the movie or TV series that they have purchased for me.

I am still waiting for Best Buy to complete repair on our DVD writer/VHS player so I can see if there is input slots that I can insert the Digital TV Converter box. It says on the outside of the Digital TV Converter box that it transmits Closed Captioning. That would solve the problem of the DVD movies & TV series that my family is buying me that is CC, but do not have English subtitles.