Closed captions on children's movies (aka almost every Disney movie ever) do this all the time!! Even as a child, when I was terrible at reading but still very much hard of hearing, I knew the CC didn't match what was being spoken. It's so frustrating
I have two deaf brothers so we grew up on closed caption. Sadly it's off sometimes but in reality shows you get the results maybe a second before they announce it. That makes missing the actual action all the more worth it for me.
My son is deaf, and I’ve always wondered how he will perceive/understand written words. I guess if they aren’t totally deaf, then they can still “sound it out” in their head. Otherwise words just seem like a visual code that must be memorized by a totally deaf person, I assume.
Teacher at a school for the Deaf here - that's pretty much how it works, and why so many of my learners are extremely weak readers.
Please, please make sure that you sign to your son. Work out how best to help him to read - it'll likely be a two-person job unless you use one of the Signed English type methods that break words down into signed syllables. It'll save him and his future teachers a world of grief!
Interesting, I will look into that.
And yes we are signing. We probably know 30-40 signs but he is 2 and I am noticing we need to increase that number now as more complex situations arise.
Both of my brothers are over 80%. They are exceptionally intelligent one is a professor of math and the other a teacher as well. What ever resources your son needs get them for him. My brothers went to a far better school than I did and they had some advantages. I know that sounds simple. My parents fought the school district because we had no deaf kids in our district and they refused to make changes. The moment I learned they were deaf I rode my bike to the first Baptist church every Sunday on Main Street to learn sign.
Thank you, I have very high hopes for him. He has thrown his own diapers away in the trash since 18 months old and looks all around the house when we sign “where remote” for the TV at 2 years now. Lol.
We are also in Silicon Valley so I hope that will be to his benefit for school and employment.
I was watching Mary Poppins on Disney+ and the subtitles were so wrong I had to turn them off. That movie is almost 60 years old. How could no one think to check the subtitles for it?
This happens a lot with media that needs translating because they often hire different companies to translate for the dub and the sub separately instead of having some universal version.
Generally, foreign shows only come with one track - Direct translation, so eg directly translating what they said in Japanese to English. This is what people refer to as “subs”
Rarely does something come then with a second, closed captaining track which transcribed the English Dub (which is not a direct translation, as you need to fit mouth movements and such)
So the likely problem was you had the Japanese subs over the English Dub. Dubtitles are the colloquial term for what you’re looking for, but can be hard to find - eg sometimes Netflix, Funimation, etc have them (Hulus been the best for having them, in my experience) but not always. And more annoyingly RARELY do they come on the DVDs
I learned at an early age while growing up in a deaf household that the quality of the CC or subtitles was dependent on which company was hired to do the translating. Like the CC for the live news coverage was crappy and slow at best. But the CC for companies like Disney was a better (and probably more expensive) company. And no, idk the names of the different translating and typing companies. I never thought to research this.
Yeah, especially in the case of foreign shows where you can tell they added the english subtitles before they dubbed it (*looking at you, Money Heist*)
If you thought Money Heist subtitles were bad, check out Dark. It's originally in German, and the mismatch between the English dub and English subtitles is about 10X worse
This is also the reason why subtitles make much more sense (than english audio dub) in non-english speaking movies/series.. subs are direct translations when dubs are more "approximate" which sometimes completely miss the point of the original source.. for example you can try watching Money Heist on Netflix with eng dub and subs 🤦♂️
Nakama is a word that means your closest friend like in one piece and there really is no English equivalent to how powerful that word is so we have decided to keep it as nakama.
I especially hate watching a movie in English and they don't offer English subtitles so I have to set them to my native language and half the dialogue either isn't properly translated or based on the dubbed version.
I have seen some content on Netflix with “edited” CCs that either changes or completely leaves out curse words. Makes me so fucking mad. Deaf people watching the movie can’t know what was really said because some weirdo refuses to type a bad word? Insane.
I have totally random criteria for whether I excuse the subtitles being slightly different. Sometimes I will be fine with it like if I know the actor improvises a lot and I'm interested to see what kind of liberties they are given with the script, or speculating if they changed the script and have subtitles based on a different version of the script or something. Usually I end up back at the conclusion that the subtitles should be written from the actual filmed material and not directly from the script, though.
They do that so it fits on one or two lines. Writing out all sentences literally as they're being said would result in too much text and therefore subtitles blinking on and off your screen too fast.
It felt like this when I could make up some of the foreign words being said. Like I could tell he the person in the movie or whatever said it differently but they just had to change it rather than giving the proper translation.
This is a whole debate in the Deaf community, it depends massively on whether or not we're supposed to understand the foreign language that is being spoken. I'm of the opinion that if it isn't supposed to be understood by a hearing, english-speaking audience, instead of putting \[speaks french\] or whatever in the CC, they should put the actual french words in the CC (or whatever language it is)
iirc that just shows that the team that coded the subtitles were handed the script and whoever handed the subtitle team the script didn't go through the film to adjust the variances that the actors introduced during filming. I don't know how improvised scenes get subtitles if that is the case, though.
I applied for a subtitling job and it was actually generated by voice recognition software and hand edited! The reason for discrepancies was more because there can only be around 40 characters per line and only 2 lines on screen at once so sometimes you'd have to cut filler words or use a shorter similar word to fit everything into the subtitle.
I don't mind it on foreign films, sometimes the subtitles are translated more accurately than the dubbed English track, so it's a little window into the original language
Drives me insane. Especially when they aren’t even consistent throughout the movie. Like they spell a name differently. But I hate when the subtitles are lazy. Like when you can clearly hear somebody mumbling and it actually adds to the movie but the subtitle just says [mumbles quietly]
Agreed, and I notice on some films they abbreviate the subtitles to make them have the same overall meaning, leaving out unnecessary words or phrases. I don't like it. I could read the unabridged edition just fine
So the large majority of TV shows have been pre captioned by a company who pays its workers very little. Their “report card” or grade is based on how quickly they deliver and the accuracy of the words. Not how well timed they are or how they are delivered.
There is a set template that everyone uses and it is frame by frame. So basically they’ll just see what everyone says within 5 seconds or frames and type that, then move to the next line.
Are you using a soundbar or TV speakers?
I say this because a lot of dialogue is designed to come through a centre channel and if you're using anything less than a 3 channel system , it splits it between the left and right and mixes it with the other audio - hence, turning it up to hear the dialogue increases everything as well.
If you use a 3 channel system then it doesn't solve the issue outright, but definitely mitigates it.
Also, I'm talking about legitimate sources of content here.
Maybe that helps.
Quick edit: an example of a soundbar with this setup is the Samsung B650 which is a 3.1 system. The 3 is for how many channels in the soundbar and .1 is for the included sub. It's relatively inexpensive and a decent model for the price. Will improve sound on every TV around.
Also a lot of TVs, video players, etc have a dedicated option to boost the center channel volume when it is downmixed into the left and right. It significantly improves dialogue on a stereo system.
I remember back in the early 2000's, i watched the escaflowne movie in English and i absolutely hated it. The music and sound effects were so loud that it drowned out the voice cast. What annoyed me more was the fact that the subtitles didn't match what they said in the movie.
No. I have good speakers and I want high dynamic range.
If I just want to use the TV speakers there's a setting on most TVs and streaming devices to compress that range and make it easier to hear everything (also useful for quiet night-time viewing). But that doesn't work the other way. I can't add dynamic range to an audio source that's already lost it (not easily or practically, at least).
> don't y'all hate it when a movie that was mixed for the cinema gets released on home video/streaming services without a remaster? So all dialogue is quite quiet incomprehensible whispers, while music and sound effects are absolutely deafening.
Huh. So that's why it happens for some videos? I always hated that, but wasn't sure why they did it.
The next evolution of the "smart TV" will be some sort of tech that actively adjusts a film/show's audio so that you don't have to adjust the volume every time the dialogue is low followed by a violently loud battle scene
I wouldn't say the problem is that bad, but a lot of shows do this too where the dialogue is just a little too quiet if I'm adjusting to volume for it to not be too loud during action scenes.
I can say from experience, subtitles are definitely 100% the greatest thing ever. I hate watching movies (or even youtube videos) where the person's voice is quiet as hell but everything else is louder than a jet taking off, y'know?
Many theaters in the U.S. would offer Closed Caption Devices that you can attach to your armrest if asked. As an English language learner it helps me a lot!
not only this, but you get to watch things at a quieter level. which is super nice if you have neighbors or roommates.
My dream is still to cast something to my tv and have the audio play through my airpods. There's a way to do it i'm sure but i haven't decided i want to deal with the frustration yet. Or buying a new device to make it work.
I hate when people call me at work. Not because I don't want to talk, but because I can't hear them through my shitty phone. Just email me people it's 2022.
As a native English speaker, I started using subtitles as a default when I married someone who learned English as a second language. I am amazed at the things I have missed or misheard multiple times in watching various films. I wish there were pop-up video versions (like from DVDs) of some of my favorites on streaming services.
I hate subtitles so much because without them I can’t tell what the fuck anyone is saying, but I cannot help but read them 100% of the time and I cannot make myself look at what is happening on screen.
Something happened in the background during dialogue? I’m either not going to see it, or not going to hear it. Can’t have both
Yep i admit it, i just can’t read fast enough. Then if i’m reading it fast i’m not fully understanding and the words and what’s being said.
I don’t have a problem understanding what anyone is saying if it’s the language i speak.
Well subtitles dont replace audio, but they are nice when you are not sure if you heard a word/phrase correctly, so you glance over the subtitles and continue watching, + snacking is **loud**
For me, subtitles supplement the audio. If I feel I missed something, I can glance down and read that part without missing too much. I have ADHD so subtitles are generally helpful to me in this way.
I have to boost my 5.1's center speaker so much for Netflix (HDMI ARC), it's not funny anymore.
Sometimes I shut off my receiver and let it play over the TV speakers, because otherwise the side channels (music, effects) drown out all the voices.
And if you’re not in an English speaking country, you can only choose “English (CC)” so you get every fucking sound effect read out to you in the subtitles
Yeah I went through a phase of putting subtitles on for everything then realised I was barely watching what was on screen. All the cinematography, art design, facial expressions and small little hints were going unnoticed. I figure I'm watching a show/movie and if I wanted to just read I'd open up a book. I'd rather miss the occasional word than miss all the visuals in the movie. In any case if a word is in the subtitles that is inaudible it was probably a conscious decision by the director for that dialogue not to be heard/read anyway.
subtitles often come in handy with the quiet scenes in a movie, where the dialogue is actually important
the one problem with action movies these days: you have to constantly change the volume because the volume balance is always fucked (explosions and gunfights are way too fucking loud, quiet scenes with dialogue are always too quiet)
I'd be interested in why this is.
I always assumed it was because the films were mixed for a theater or high quality surround sound audio and not just your basic TV speakers but I have never been able to test it.
Worse. Even when they're not on the screen I'm looking where they will be for the next one's.
And I hate subtitles and have my audio set up so I don't need them. But if someone else turns them on I'm staring at the bottom of the TV regardless even when they're not there 😡
One of the first shows I watched with subtitles was 3% on Netflix. I was actually amazed how much more aware I was of all the characters and what was going on as a result.
In addition it totally beats bad English dubs (squid games is a great example)
I make a point of ALWAYS watching anything in the original / native language because I personally believe that the expression in the dialogie is done much more better than compared to a dub version.
Source: I watch anime, korean shows and a variety of netflix shows/ movies.
Same here, even a big show like Squid Game the english dub takes a lot away from the experience. Its just so hard to match the actual sounds that go along with the dialogue. For real immersion, original audio with subs is the way. (IMHO)
Do native english speakers have problems understanding dialogue in tv shows, movies and songs?
It depends on the accent, sound mixing? I've seen the memes about Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. Great singer and composer, but sometimes can't understand what he's singing even if I'm reading the transcript, and apparently that's something common
So, is this a regular problem for native english speakers?
My partner is native speaker and struggles with some specific accents. Sound editing is also a factor sometimes.
95% of the time is fine but we still watch everything with subtitles because I struggle in probably around 20% of the stuff we watch.
I also prefer to watch things in original language (ie: anime, no way I watch dubs)
Yeah dubs are bad for all media, unless the dubs have fully re written localized scripts and good voice actors, which they pretty much never do. They're usually just rough translations with sub par voice actors.
It's why most dubbed anime gives a childish, cheesy tone that makes it hard to take anything seriously.
> Yeah dubs are bad for all media, unless the dubs have fully re written localized scripts and good voice actors, which they pretty much never do.
The germans put a great deal of effort in their mainstream dubbing of imported movies, with big-name actors, localized scripts and consistent casting.
Still looks and sounds ridiculous to anyone not used to it. Works for cartoons IMO but for live action even a slight discrepancy between the motion of the lips and the sounds coming out will throw people off.
Yeah sometimes. For different reasons. Sound mixing, accent, some people just have a problem with auditory processing (like sometimes people say something and I’m like, “huh?” Then I realize what they said when they’re repeating it)
Also helps if you have less than perfect hearing!
It's all about sound editing. It's the audio equivalent to pitch black shots.
Like when a scene has that deep driving bass while another character is doing expository dialog
> So, is this a regular problem for native english speakers?
Yes, it's a very common issue for native English speakers. It depends on the sound mixing but it's common for me to miss about 10% of what's being said in a movie without subtitles especially if there's background music with the dialogue. TV shows seem to be better for some reason but I still use subtitles with those too.
For myself I can enjoy a movie or TV show with subs or dub, it really depends on my mood and what I'm watching but for music I prefer the original every time.
I believe the vocals are just as much of an instrument as a guitar or piano and attempting to translate or explain any of those can easily change the song entirely.
I think Radiohead is a great example where some songs are difficult to understand the actual lyrics but the emotion in the vocals helps create the song. It also allows people to create their own interpretations of the song to create their own connections.
I prefer subs so that I can hear the content expressed in its native language.
Dubs take me time to get used to. I might reject a person’s voice for a character in English, but I have no basis for objecting in an unfamiliar language if that makes sense.
I don't like that Netflix doesn't have the non-CC subtitles in English. It's either French, Dutch or English (CC).
I don't want to see [Ominous music], [Door closing] and [[Eleven pants](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angryupvote/comments/vsogxr/eleven_pants)], I can hear that. I can't understand what everyone is saying though.
I have ADHD and subtitles fuck with me so much. They are like constant pop ups that completely distract me from whatever else is going on in the movie lol
That's understandable too. It could likely depend what subtype you lean towards. I lean heavily towards the inattentive side. Somehow having both the audio and text helps the dialogue "lock in" to my brain.
As a non-native speaker who started to passively learn English a few years ago I can say - this is literally me. Everything becomes much more clear with the subtitles. But real life people don't have subtitles, that's why I'd be kinda scared to talk to them
I'm a hard subtitle lover and imo this is the most valid complaint.
I don't know what the process is like behind making subtitles but I feel like there should be a way to time surprise noises to be in sync with the video.
As for jokes, I don't think the effort would pay off as deaf humour doesn't really revolve around timing
If you have ever been into anime, good fansub groups have found ways to retain anticipation with their subs. It all just requires more work than companies are willing to put into timing subtitles. And since most streaming services now design their subs for hearing impaired people (hence all the annoying "[whooshing, gushing squish sounds]", there's even less incentive to incorporate timing that might be slightly difficult to follow.
Be cool if that had two sets of subtitles: closed captioning for hearing impaired, and subs for the rest of us who just want to watch something late at night or have subs on without needing to have every sound effect transcribed.
> Be cool if that had two sets of subtitles: closed captioning for hearing impaired
Is this not how it used to be?
I swear this used to the norm? I remember having options for subtitles or closed captioning, maybe not every movie but I feel like some media definitely had both.
Maybe I’m having a brain fart though and mixing up DVDs over the years and streaming services or something
Yeah it used to be more common but in recent years you only get cc a lot of the time. Sometimes there are foreign versions that have normal English subtitles.
I used subtitles in 2003 watching Pirates of the Caribbean and it literally showed me SO many things about the plot that I'd missed. It literally "solved" the film for me so I never looked back.
Also helps if you want to watch but someone is sleeping. You can have the volume down to where you can hear background noises, but dialogue tends to be harder to discern at lower volume unless you have subtitles.
It's also better when I'm watching English movies dubbed into my language, I open english subs so that I don't miss a joke or a pun (since they sound shit when translated)
The new batman movie is absolutely unwatchable without subtitles. For that reason alone the film is trash. A lot of media is having this issue lately. They’re not putting in the effort to properly record their actors.
Isn't it the worst when there are actually subtitles, but they are not 100% what they say? Like sometimes they mumble so much or there is a super strong cockney accent or whatever and I prefer to turn them on, but then the guy is like 'okay, we better stay here' and the subs go "okay, we should stay here" and I instantly turn them off.
For me my hearing is so bad that subtitles help so that I don't have to blast the volume lol. Also sometimes they say words that are WEIRD due to accents or some language from the early ages. It becomes easier to understand.
What is fun, is that I’m currently working for the biggest captioning company in the US. You wouldn’t believe the kind of stuff we still use to get those captions to you all.
Yes! When I go to my parents house they watch my Netflix but then complain to turn the subtitles off, and then they end up going back a bunch of times because they "couldn't understand what was being said" it drives me insane. Subtitles are excellent.
I also love knowing how things are spelled, sometimes it matters especially in fantasy content where it's an uncommon or made up word.
do english-speaking people actually watch stuff with english subtitles? you learn something new everyday huh, I was under the assumption that only foreigners like me did that, but it's reasonable, I understand 95% of what's being said in a movie but there's always that one or two scenes when the characters speak so damn quietly so it's good to have subtitles on if you're not native
I watch EVERYTHING with subtitles because I don't want to miss a single word. Especially when it comes to films. Missing anything would take away from the complete understanding of their meaning. I also watch/ have watched plenty of foreign (to the English language) films, independent films, and big and small productions with low sound quality. So I've grown accustomed to being able to read the subtitles and pay full attention to the viewing. This meme is just literal to me.
I am currently watching the Simpson in my language because I love the voices and grew up with them but sometimes I put the English subs just to know how they translated certain dialogue, it is always interesting to see how they adapt to each culture
This is the entire argument around sub vs dub. For me, I need dubbed anime because of my auditory processing disorder because if I am hearing one thing and reading another, I won't be able to understand either. At the same time however, I still put on closed captions, because it can still be difficult to understand what is being said. Remember, subtitles are for the hearing impaired, while dubbed is for the visually impaired.
This meme was brought to you by the deaf gang/incredibly cheap speaker gang.
Feel free to fart as loudly as possible, they’re too busy reading to hear anything.
Recently I noticed some streaming services have completely dropped the subtitles when a song in the movie is playing. It may flash what song is playing but only for a second. Why is this?
usually I only use subtitles with live action movies that have English audio. But for animation I don’t usually since it’s recorded with a microphone close up to the mouth so that you can hear the characters pretty clearly.
Used to not use it, but I started watching Critical Role so I put on subs because they don't always say things loud enough or multiple people talk at the same time. Because of that I also started using it everywhere else, because background music in movies is sometimes hella overpowering. And nothing is worse than having to rewind during some epic scene.
I absolutely hate subtitles because I don't want to read text on a screen and actually use my ears to hear which sucks because my family uses them often and unless I absolutely need to watch with subtitles I hate them
I fucking hate when the subtitles are even just a little tiny bit different from the actual dialogue
Closed captions on children's movies (aka almost every Disney movie ever) do this all the time!! Even as a child, when I was terrible at reading but still very much hard of hearing, I knew the CC didn't match what was being spoken. It's so frustrating
I have two deaf brothers so we grew up on closed caption. Sadly it's off sometimes but in reality shows you get the results maybe a second before they announce it. That makes missing the actual action all the more worth it for me.
My son is deaf, and I’ve always wondered how he will perceive/understand written words. I guess if they aren’t totally deaf, then they can still “sound it out” in their head. Otherwise words just seem like a visual code that must be memorized by a totally deaf person, I assume.
Teacher at a school for the Deaf here - that's pretty much how it works, and why so many of my learners are extremely weak readers. Please, please make sure that you sign to your son. Work out how best to help him to read - it'll likely be a two-person job unless you use one of the Signed English type methods that break words down into signed syllables. It'll save him and his future teachers a world of grief!
Interesting, I will look into that. And yes we are signing. We probably know 30-40 signs but he is 2 and I am noticing we need to increase that number now as more complex situations arise.
Both of my brothers are over 80%. They are exceptionally intelligent one is a professor of math and the other a teacher as well. What ever resources your son needs get them for him. My brothers went to a far better school than I did and they had some advantages. I know that sounds simple. My parents fought the school district because we had no deaf kids in our district and they refused to make changes. The moment I learned they were deaf I rode my bike to the first Baptist church every Sunday on Main Street to learn sign.
Thank you, I have very high hopes for him. He has thrown his own diapers away in the trash since 18 months old and looks all around the house when we sign “where remote” for the TV at 2 years now. Lol. We are also in Silicon Valley so I hope that will be to his benefit for school and employment.
And whenever he sees the moon in the sky, he will sign it and let us know lol that is too cute to leave out.
I was watching Mary Poppins on Disney+ and the subtitles were so wrong I had to turn them off. That movie is almost 60 years old. How could no one think to check the subtitles for it?
i watched a japanese show once and the subtitles were WAY off from what was being said both the subtitles and the dub were in english
This happens a lot with media that needs translating because they often hire different companies to translate for the dub and the sub separately instead of having some universal version.
Dubs are localized not translated usually, which can make for a big difference when subs are directly translated.
Generally, foreign shows only come with one track - Direct translation, so eg directly translating what they said in Japanese to English. This is what people refer to as “subs” Rarely does something come then with a second, closed captaining track which transcribed the English Dub (which is not a direct translation, as you need to fit mouth movements and such) So the likely problem was you had the Japanese subs over the English Dub. Dubtitles are the colloquial term for what you’re looking for, but can be hard to find - eg sometimes Netflix, Funimation, etc have them (Hulus been the best for having them, in my experience) but not always. And more annoyingly RARELY do they come on the DVDs
I learned at an early age while growing up in a deaf household that the quality of the CC or subtitles was dependent on which company was hired to do the translating. Like the CC for the live news coverage was crappy and slow at best. But the CC for companies like Disney was a better (and probably more expensive) company. And no, idk the names of the different translating and typing companies. I never thought to research this.
Netflix is bad for that
Yeah, especially in the case of foreign shows where you can tell they added the english subtitles before they dubbed it (*looking at you, Money Heist*)
I almost always prefer to watch with subs than a dubbed film/TV show, with the only exception maybe being animated stuff.
If you thought Money Heist subtitles were bad, check out Dark. It's originally in German, and the mismatch between the English dub and English subtitles is about 10X worse
I love the ones on Stranger Things (squelches wetly)
Every single anime with English voice acting. There needs to be a subtitles (English) and a subtitles (Translated English).
The dub has to match the mouth movements of the character, so that's why they have to change it up a bit.
This is also the reason why subtitles make much more sense (than english audio dub) in non-english speaking movies/series.. subs are direct translations when dubs are more "approximate" which sometimes completely miss the point of the original source.. for example you can try watching Money Heist on Netflix with eng dub and subs 🤦♂️
Subs are not always 100% translated. Jokes and alliteration is changed in the text to make sense when it is necessary.
Bring back the fansub days of having a goddamn paragraph at the top of the screen to explain a one liner throwaway joke
Nakama is a word that means your closest friend like in one piece and there really is no English equivalent to how powerful that word is so we have decided to keep it as nakama.
All according to keikaku
All according to keikaku*. *keikaku means plan
If you already read the subs, why English voice translation?
More like when you’re watching the English dub, but you want to follow along with English dub subtitles
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I especially hate watching a movie in English and they don't offer English subtitles so I have to set them to my native language and half the dialogue either isn't properly translated or based on the dubbed version.
I have seen some content on Netflix with “edited” CCs that either changes or completely leaves out curse words. Makes me so fucking mad. Deaf people watching the movie can’t know what was really said because some weirdo refuses to type a bad word? Insane.
I have totally random criteria for whether I excuse the subtitles being slightly different. Sometimes I will be fine with it like if I know the actor improvises a lot and I'm interested to see what kind of liberties they are given with the script, or speculating if they changed the script and have subtitles based on a different version of the script or something. Usually I end up back at the conclusion that the subtitles should be written from the actual filmed material and not directly from the script, though.
They do that so it fits on one or two lines. Writing out all sentences literally as they're being said would result in too much text and therefore subtitles blinking on and off your screen too fast.
I know it has a logical reason, it still annoys me
It felt like this when I could make up some of the foreign words being said. Like I could tell he the person in the movie or whatever said it differently but they just had to change it rather than giving the proper translation.
Also when they don't translate foreign speakers
This is a whole debate in the Deaf community, it depends massively on whether or not we're supposed to understand the foreign language that is being spoken. I'm of the opinion that if it isn't supposed to be understood by a hearing, english-speaking audience, instead of putting \[speaks french\] or whatever in the CC, they should put the actual french words in the CC (or whatever language it is)
iirc that just shows that the team that coded the subtitles were handed the script and whoever handed the subtitle team the script didn't go through the film to adjust the variances that the actors introduced during filming. I don't know how improvised scenes get subtitles if that is the case, though.
I applied for a subtitling job and it was actually generated by voice recognition software and hand edited! The reason for discrepancies was more because there can only be around 40 characters per line and only 2 lines on screen at once so sometimes you'd have to cut filler words or use a shorter similar word to fit everything into the subtitle.
I don't mind it on foreign films, sometimes the subtitles are translated more accurately than the dubbed English track, so it's a little window into the original language
Here… this guy knows how we all feel.
Community on Netflix is terrible with this. The show has quick humor or complex sentences and Netflix’s captions reduce them to basic sentences
Drives me insane. Especially when they aren’t even consistent throughout the movie. Like they spell a name differently. But I hate when the subtitles are lazy. Like when you can clearly hear somebody mumbling and it actually adds to the movie but the subtitle just says [mumbles quietly]
I know, it actually annoys me more than it should though
Agreed, and I notice on some films they abbreviate the subtitles to make them have the same overall meaning, leaving out unnecessary words or phrases. I don't like it. I could read the unabridged edition just fine
For anything but comedy it's great. I read faster than they speak usually so it ruins the genuine delivery of a joke.
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Netflix is just lazy with their subtitles in general. But then they're lazy with a lot of things so that isn't too surprising
So the large majority of TV shows have been pre captioned by a company who pays its workers very little. Their “report card” or grade is based on how quickly they deliver and the accuracy of the words. Not how well timed they are or how they are delivered. There is a set template that everyone uses and it is frame by frame. So basically they’ll just see what everyone says within 5 seconds or frames and type that, then move to the next line.
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On the bright side, it’s 100% remote work with a pretty cushy role. Just sit and watch tv all day and type what you hear haha
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Are you using a soundbar or TV speakers? I say this because a lot of dialogue is designed to come through a centre channel and if you're using anything less than a 3 channel system , it splits it between the left and right and mixes it with the other audio - hence, turning it up to hear the dialogue increases everything as well. If you use a 3 channel system then it doesn't solve the issue outright, but definitely mitigates it. Also, I'm talking about legitimate sources of content here. Maybe that helps. Quick edit: an example of a soundbar with this setup is the Samsung B650 which is a 3.1 system. The 3 is for how many channels in the soundbar and .1 is for the included sub. It's relatively inexpensive and a decent model for the price. Will improve sound on every TV around.
Also a lot of TVs, video players, etc have a dedicated option to boost the center channel volume when it is downmixed into the left and right. It significantly improves dialogue on a stereo system.
Thanks man! That’s genuinely interesting and helpful.
If the source is streaming like netflix for example. You can switch the source from 5.1 surround to stereo and that will also fix it
Is there any software that can do this?
You would need a stereo system that supports multiple channels. It’s not just about software.
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Thanks for the soundbar suggestion. I've loved our 2.1 soundbar, but it misses the center channel and have been looking for a good one with a center.
I remember back in the early 2000's, i watched the escaflowne movie in English and i absolutely hated it. The music and sound effects were so loud that it drowned out the voice cast. What annoyed me more was the fact that the subtitles didn't match what they said in the movie.
No. I have good speakers and I want high dynamic range. If I just want to use the TV speakers there's a setting on most TVs and streaming devices to compress that range and make it easier to hear everything (also useful for quiet night-time viewing). But that doesn't work the other way. I can't add dynamic range to an audio source that's already lost it (not easily or practically, at least).
> don't y'all hate it when a movie that was mixed for the cinema gets released on home video/streaming services without a remaster? So all dialogue is quite quiet incomprehensible whispers, while music and sound effects are absolutely deafening. Huh. So that's why it happens for some videos? I always hated that, but wasn't sure why they did it.
The next evolution of the "smart TV" will be some sort of tech that actively adjusts a film/show's audio so that you don't have to adjust the volume every time the dialogue is low followed by a violently loud battle scene
I can't tell if this is shitting on subtitles or op genuinely need subtitles in his life
it's shitting on how every movie nowadays has awful audio and the dialogue is barely audible
I wouldn't say the problem is that bad, but a lot of shows do this too where the dialogue is just a little too quiet if I'm adjusting to volume for it to not be too loud during action scenes.
When there's a quiet scene and you turn it up to hear and then the next scene fucking rattles your bones
I started watching Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix and I’m having the same problem. Even old TV shows aren’t immune
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walter
>headphones if you want to squash the dynamic range what
Dune was guilty of this. Loved the movie but the dialogue got real quiet sometimes.
I can say from experience, subtitles are definitely 100% the greatest thing ever. I hate watching movies (or even youtube videos) where the person's voice is quiet as hell but everything else is louder than a jet taking off, y'know?
Many theaters in the U.S. would offer Closed Caption Devices that you can attach to your armrest if asked. As an English language learner it helps me a lot!
that's awesome! thanks for the tip
not only this, but you get to watch things at a quieter level. which is super nice if you have neighbors or roommates. My dream is still to cast something to my tv and have the audio play through my airpods. There's a way to do it i'm sure but i haven't decided i want to deal with the frustration yet. Or buying a new device to make it work.
You potentially can buy just a Bluetooth audio cable to plug into the TV. Unless airpods are locked down to only connect to Apple devices.
I need subtitles in real life, I have bad hearing.
I hate when people call me at work. Not because I don't want to talk, but because I can't hear them through my shitty phone. Just email me people it's 2022.
That's the trouble with this meme format
As a native English speaker, I started using subtitles as a default when I married someone who learned English as a second language. I am amazed at the things I have missed or misheard multiple times in watching various films. I wish there were pop-up video versions (like from DVDs) of some of my favorites on streaming services.
Fuckin love subtitles. All my homies love subtitles.
I hate subtitles so much because without them I can’t tell what the fuck anyone is saying, but I cannot help but read them 100% of the time and I cannot make myself look at what is happening on screen. Something happened in the background during dialogue? I’m either not going to see it, or not going to hear it. Can’t have both
I find subtitles help me catch things I might not have noticed eg when I can't actually hear it and it's off screen.
I always prefer to watch a movie with subtitles it helps me understand foreign movies I've always love to watch..
Or phone conversations where you didn’t even know there was supposed to be a voice coming from the other end, so you get even more context and dialog.
Since I joined to subs club I can't help but wonder how much a fast reading film snob like myself missed out on before. It's so much richer.
Same, and I feel like it messes up a lot of the humor, like when you read the punchline before the setup is complete.
Yep i admit it, i just can’t read fast enough. Then if i’m reading it fast i’m not fully understanding and the words and what’s being said. I don’t have a problem understanding what anyone is saying if it’s the language i speak.
Well subtitles dont replace audio, but they are nice when you are not sure if you heard a word/phrase correctly, so you glance over the subtitles and continue watching, + snacking is **loud**
Yeah i can see that benefit. But just as the comment i was responding states. I find the the subs distracting because i only end up focusing on them
Git gud
Yeah, sadly this is a git gud moment.
For me, subtitles supplement the audio. If I feel I missed something, I can glance down and read that part without missing too much. I have ADHD so subtitles are generally helpful to me in this way.
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I have to boost my 5.1's center speaker so much for Netflix (HDMI ARC), it's not funny anymore. Sometimes I shut off my receiver and let it play over the TV speakers, because otherwise the side channels (music, effects) drown out all the voices.
come to Switzerland where cinemas show movies with double language subtitles, four lines at a time.
French and German? What about the other national languages?
git gud
lose adhd
I'd rather just git gud at hearing Which I am :) Don't need subtitles
And if you’re not in an English speaking country, you can only choose “English (CC)” so you get every fucking sound effect read out to you in the subtitles
Skill issue
Yeah I went through a phase of putting subtitles on for everything then realised I was barely watching what was on screen. All the cinematography, art design, facial expressions and small little hints were going unnoticed. I figure I'm watching a show/movie and if I wanted to just read I'd open up a book. I'd rather miss the occasional word than miss all the visuals in the movie. In any case if a word is in the subtitles that is inaudible it was probably a conscious decision by the director for that dialogue not to be heard/read anyway.
subtitles often come in handy with the quiet scenes in a movie, where the dialogue is actually important the one problem with action movies these days: you have to constantly change the volume because the volume balance is always fucked (explosions and gunfights are way too fucking loud, quiet scenes with dialogue are always too quiet)
I'd be interested in why this is. I always assumed it was because the films were mixed for a theater or high quality surround sound audio and not just your basic TV speakers but I have never been able to test it.
rewatch with subs.
[Dramatic music plays]
Worse. Even when they're not on the screen I'm looking where they will be for the next one's. And I hate subtitles and have my audio set up so I don't need them. But if someone else turns them on I'm staring at the bottom of the TV regardless even when they're not there 😡
One of the first shows I watched with subtitles was 3% on Netflix. I was actually amazed how much more aware I was of all the characters and what was going on as a result. In addition it totally beats bad English dubs (squid games is a great example)
I make a point of ALWAYS watching anything in the original / native language because I personally believe that the expression in the dialogie is done much more better than compared to a dub version. Source: I watch anime, korean shows and a variety of netflix shows/ movies.
Same here, even a big show like Squid Game the english dub takes a lot away from the experience. Its just so hard to match the actual sounds that go along with the dialogue. For real immersion, original audio with subs is the way. (IMHO)
Do native english speakers have problems understanding dialogue in tv shows, movies and songs? It depends on the accent, sound mixing? I've seen the memes about Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam. Great singer and composer, but sometimes can't understand what he's singing even if I'm reading the transcript, and apparently that's something common So, is this a regular problem for native english speakers?
My partner is native speaker and struggles with some specific accents. Sound editing is also a factor sometimes. 95% of the time is fine but we still watch everything with subtitles because I struggle in probably around 20% of the stuff we watch. I also prefer to watch things in original language (ie: anime, no way I watch dubs)
Yeah dubs are bad for all media, unless the dubs have fully re written localized scripts and good voice actors, which they pretty much never do. They're usually just rough translations with sub par voice actors. It's why most dubbed anime gives a childish, cheesy tone that makes it hard to take anything seriously.
> Yeah dubs are bad for all media, unless the dubs have fully re written localized scripts and good voice actors, which they pretty much never do. The germans put a great deal of effort in their mainstream dubbing of imported movies, with big-name actors, localized scripts and consistent casting. Still looks and sounds ridiculous to anyone not used to it. Works for cartoons IMO but for live action even a slight discrepancy between the motion of the lips and the sounds coming out will throw people off.
Yeah sometimes. For different reasons. Sound mixing, accent, some people just have a problem with auditory processing (like sometimes people say something and I’m like, “huh?” Then I realize what they said when they’re repeating it) Also helps if you have less than perfect hearing!
A lot of modern movies have really odd sound mixing where the dialouge is darn near silent compared to the action scenes
It's all about sound editing. It's the audio equivalent to pitch black shots. Like when a scene has that deep driving bass while another character is doing expository dialog
I could’ve done with subtitles for Tenet, no idea what 30% of the dialogue was.
> So, is this a regular problem for native english speakers? Yes, it's a very common issue for native English speakers. It depends on the sound mixing but it's common for me to miss about 10% of what's being said in a movie without subtitles especially if there's background music with the dialogue. TV shows seem to be better for some reason but I still use subtitles with those too.
I thought I didn't understand some words in English shows because it's my second language, turns out this happens with native speakers too
Same here. While I think it happens way more to me, it's still reassuring that, even to a much smaller extent, it happens to some native speakers too.
For myself I can enjoy a movie or TV show with subs or dub, it really depends on my mood and what I'm watching but for music I prefer the original every time. I believe the vocals are just as much of an instrument as a guitar or piano and attempting to translate or explain any of those can easily change the song entirely. I think Radiohead is a great example where some songs are difficult to understand the actual lyrics but the emotion in the vocals helps create the song. It also allows people to create their own interpretations of the song to create their own connections.
people talking < #EVERY OTHER SOUND
I prefer subs so that I can hear the content expressed in its native language. Dubs take me time to get used to. I might reject a person’s voice for a character in English, but I have no basis for objecting in an unfamiliar language if that makes sense.
I’m actually so weirded out how everyone seems to have dubs for non-kids movies. In Poland it’s either subs or a guy talking over the dialogue
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Subs > Dubs always no matter the medium. Just a fact of life.
I like subtitles for when I come home at 3am from my job and my roommates are sleeping so I get to stay quiet and watch my tv.
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Do some movie directors just realize their dialogue is shite and just turn the background sound way up? It's infuriating
I don't like that Netflix doesn't have the non-CC subtitles in English. It's either French, Dutch or English (CC). I don't want to see [Ominous music], [Door closing] and [[Eleven pants](https://www.reddit.com/r/Angryupvote/comments/vsogxr/eleven_pants)], I can hear that. I can't understand what everyone is saying though.
The worst for me is when they put [speaks other language] and it covers up the translation of said other language.
Lol. I think this happened to me in Tehran, I think it was.
It should be easy for them to just skip everything surrounded by square brackets or written in italics.
I prefer watching everything with subtitles, and I am happy that my husband doesn’t mind/prefers them too
I have ADHD and struggle to follow movies and books, so subtitles are a must. It helps me massively with following the movie.
I have ADHD and subtitles fuck with me so much. They are like constant pop ups that completely distract me from whatever else is going on in the movie lol
That's understandable too. It could likely depend what subtype you lean towards. I lean heavily towards the inattentive side. Somehow having both the audio and text helps the dialogue "lock in" to my brain.
As a non-native speaker who started to passively learn English a few years ago I can say - this is literally me. Everything becomes much more clear with the subtitles. But real life people don't have subtitles, that's why I'd be kinda scared to talk to them
I use subtitles cause my snacks are often crunchy and the volume I watch at is low due to others sleeping.
Makes it easier for the sleepers to enjoy the sounds of your snacks.
Subtitles ruin timing.
I'm a hard subtitle lover and imo this is the most valid complaint. I don't know what the process is like behind making subtitles but I feel like there should be a way to time surprise noises to be in sync with the video. As for jokes, I don't think the effort would pay off as deaf humour doesn't really revolve around timing
If you have ever been into anime, good fansub groups have found ways to retain anticipation with their subs. It all just requires more work than companies are willing to put into timing subtitles. And since most streaming services now design their subs for hearing impaired people (hence all the annoying "[whooshing, gushing squish sounds]", there's even less incentive to incorporate timing that might be slightly difficult to follow. Be cool if that had two sets of subtitles: closed captioning for hearing impaired, and subs for the rest of us who just want to watch something late at night or have subs on without needing to have every sound effect transcribed.
> Be cool if that had two sets of subtitles: closed captioning for hearing impaired Is this not how it used to be? I swear this used to the norm? I remember having options for subtitles or closed captioning, maybe not every movie but I feel like some media definitely had both. Maybe I’m having a brain fart though and mixing up DVDs over the years and streaming services or something
Yeah it used to be more common but in recent years you only get cc a lot of the time. Sometimes there are foreign versions that have normal English subtitles.
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Makes sense. I forgot how much licensing shenanigans surrounds the script / dialogue in these cases.
Thank you, they ruin jokes and spoil unexpected things
*speaking in Japanese* No shit dude.
This is me for real. At this point I can't even focus on a movie/tv shows without subtitles.
TIL English speaking countries only have slow readers, lol.
I used subtitles in 2003 watching Pirates of the Caribbean and it literally showed me SO many things about the plot that I'd missed. It literally "solved" the film for me so I never looked back.
Also helps if you want to watch but someone is sleeping. You can have the volume down to where you can hear background noises, but dialogue tends to be harder to discern at lower volume unless you have subtitles.
Oi
Glad I’m not the only one!
It's also better when I'm watching English movies dubbed into my language, I open english subs so that I don't miss a joke or a pun (since they sound shit when translated)
that makes me feel less bad to like them haha. Sometimes, i’m just not i’m the mood to put my full attention to understand something.
I never turn em off !
The new batman movie is absolutely unwatchable without subtitles. For that reason alone the film is trash. A lot of media is having this issue lately. They’re not putting in the effort to properly record their actors.
This sub died so hard holy shit
Isn't it the worst when there are actually subtitles, but they are not 100% what they say? Like sometimes they mumble so much or there is a super strong cockney accent or whatever and I prefer to turn them on, but then the guy is like 'okay, we better stay here' and the subs go "okay, we should stay here" and I instantly turn them off.
Me watching english youtubers be like: (I'm italian)
Subtitles are fine, dubbing is a hate crime.
For me my hearing is so bad that subtitles help so that I don't have to blast the volume lol. Also sometimes they say words that are WEIRD due to accents or some language from the early ages. It becomes easier to understand.
What is fun, is that I’m currently working for the biggest captioning company in the US. You wouldn’t believe the kind of stuff we still use to get those captions to you all.
Can't stand it when the text is there early. Read it then hear it? Fuck that. Time them better! Not such a problem in foreign language films.
Yes! When I go to my parents house they watch my Netflix but then complain to turn the subtitles off, and then they end up going back a bunch of times because they "couldn't understand what was being said" it drives me insane. Subtitles are excellent. I also love knowing how things are spelled, sometimes it matters especially in fantasy content where it's an uncommon or made up word.
Also allows me to not miss any important dialogue while I'm destroying a bag of Lays.
do english-speaking people actually watch stuff with english subtitles? you learn something new everyday huh, I was under the assumption that only foreigners like me did that, but it's reasonable, I understand 95% of what's being said in a movie but there's always that one or two scenes when the characters speak so damn quietly so it's good to have subtitles on if you're not native
I HATE subtitles I WANT TO FUCKING not have my immersion shattered
I fucking hate subtitles I don't want to read the fucking dialogue before it's been said
I watch EVERYTHING with subtitles because I don't want to miss a single word. Especially when it comes to films. Missing anything would take away from the complete understanding of their meaning. I also watch/ have watched plenty of foreign (to the English language) films, independent films, and big and small productions with low sound quality. So I've grown accustomed to being able to read the subtitles and pay full attention to the viewing. This meme is just literal to me.
I am currently watching the Simpson in my language because I love the voices and grew up with them but sometimes I put the English subs just to know how they translated certain dialogue, it is always interesting to see how they adapt to each culture
Confession: I need subtitles on because Im usually eating
My parents are deaf, I've had subtitles on everything I've watched for like 90% of my life
This is the entire argument around sub vs dub. For me, I need dubbed anime because of my auditory processing disorder because if I am hearing one thing and reading another, I won't be able to understand either. At the same time however, I still put on closed captions, because it can still be difficult to understand what is being said. Remember, subtitles are for the hearing impaired, while dubbed is for the visually impaired.
This meme was brought to you by the deaf gang/incredibly cheap speaker gang. Feel free to fart as loudly as possible, they’re too busy reading to hear anything.
Belgian here. We get to enjoy Dutch and French subtitles at the same time in the cinema!
I hate when the subtiltel just says "something in urdur" ... Common disney+ you can do better
I have a hard time understanding words sometimes so subtitles are great
Recently I noticed some streaming services have completely dropped the subtitles when a song in the movie is playing. It may flash what song is playing but only for a second. Why is this?
usually I only use subtitles with live action movies that have English audio. But for animation I don’t usually since it’s recorded with a microphone close up to the mouth so that you can hear the characters pretty clearly.
Used to not use it, but I started watching Critical Role so I put on subs because they don't always say things loud enough or multiple people talk at the same time. Because of that I also started using it everywhere else, because background music in movies is sometimes hella overpowering. And nothing is worse than having to rewind during some epic scene.
Thats how i learn English.
the amount of good foreign films I would've passed on if it wasn't for subtitles... good for learning another language too.
I still remeber the one time my dad got kissed I turned on subtitles for a musical 12 seconds later he had no clue what they were singing lol
yeah
I absolutely hate subtitles because I don't want to read text on a screen and actually use my ears to hear which sucks because my family uses them often and unless I absolutely need to watch with subtitles I hate them