# When watching TV, do you usually have closed captioning on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2016, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133 "2016-12-19T14:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/41 "2016-12-23T16:53:07Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > I love them and I have no hearing problems. Sometimes people mumble, or accents are thick, or say something in slang I don’t understand, or other assholes in the house are being loud, or an airplane is flying over, or a truck rolls by outside. This is my answer too. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/42 "2016-12-23T18:12:26Z")
I don’t watch TV shows (other than live sports–for which the cc is horribly, comically bad); but I do watch a ton of movies on DVD. For about 10 years, about 9 out of 10 DVDs I watched were foreign-language, so I got very used to having subtitles on. So used to it, that now I turn on subtitles for all DVD movies, whether in foreign language or English. I prefer subtitles rather than captioning (I don’t need to read [door creaking while opening] or [rain splattering on windshield] common to captioning), but sometimes that’s the only option to toggle on. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/43 "2016-12-23T18:46:37Z")
Only for programs that aren’t in English or French. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/44 "2016-12-23T18:49:16Z")
> [@divemaster](#): > > I prefer subtitles rather than captioning (I don’t need to read [door creaking while opening] or [rain splattering on windshield] common to captioning), but sometimes that’s the only option to toggle on. I never knew their was a difference. Thank you, this makes sense. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/45 "2016-12-27T01:39:55Z")
Not usually, but if an actor/actress mumbles a line or the environmental noise (or background music) inserted into a scene makes it incomprehensible, I’ll turn it on and back up to replay it. Happens way too often. After the line, if they become properly audible I turn the CC back off. I always turn on subtitles in video games that have the option. Much harder to go back and get the line clarified in those. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/46 "2016-12-27T14:47:39Z")
Hate closed captioning, it’s too intrusive. Annoying stuff like _music playing_, _sound of thunder_, _people laughing_, etc drives me crazy, I can’t watch anything with it on. It’s certainly a blessing for the deaf or hard of hearing, and I can understand consulting it for unfamiliar accents, etc, otherwise I don’t know how people put up with it. Each to his own I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/47 "2016-12-28T16:37:41Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > No, I find it too distracting. Instead of watching the show, I’m reading the text. > > I have no difficulty with hearing or with accents. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Hell, no. Partly what **Leaffan** said about it being distracting, and partly that it messes up the timing (particularly with things like comedy) if I know what people are going to say before they say it. Both of these. My brother and I went to our dad’s house on Christmas and we decided to watch the holiday episodes of _The West Wing_, and I was surprised to find that Dad was using captioning. I know that his hearing isn’t what it used to be, but he has a sound bar that he keeps right next to his chair and I didn’t expect him to also use captioning. When I commented on it, my brother – who is younger than me – said that he likes to have it on, too! I had to keep my eyes at the top of the screen and pretend the words weren’t there. Very distracting. I’ll use subtitles for foreign-language shows/movies, but I generally have no problem with UK or Australian accents (or Canadian ;)). Sometimes a particularly thick brogue might give me some trouble, but I’d rather miss a word here or there than have captions on. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2016, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/48 "2016-12-28T17:17:53Z")
No, and I’m not even sure how to enable it. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2016, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/49 "2016-12-31T00:00:18Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I prefer to use closed captions. Sometimes they’re really bad, like on some youtube shows so will turn them off but for Hulu and Netflix I always keep them on. I think it must help me follow along. I don’t really have a hearing problem. A processing problem maybe. My daughter has a diagnosed auditory processing disorder so maybe I’m just used to captions for her. Some years ago I developed epilepsy, caused the right temporal lobe becoming atrophied and dysfunctional. Eventually it was removed, and I am cured. However, the temporal lobe handles short-term memory and auditory processing, so I have half the brain power of most people. CC/subtitles help me keep up with shows, and I wish I could have them for dealing with the public, who will start talking to me and then turn their heads away, or shout at me from 10-20 feet away.:smack: Sometimes, I watch CC for comedy value. The spelling can be laughably bad, and mistakes can be hilarious.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/50 "2017-01-02T15:58:37Z")
I have severe hearing problems, so my captioning is on constantly. I can’t pick up enough dialogue to understand it otherwise. My wife does not have the hearing loss that I do, but I noticed she never shuts the captioning off when watching tv alone. She has told me that there is dialogue she misses without captioning (quietly spoken words or background speech mostly). I think the early 90’s was when they started trying to get most shows captioned - in Pittsburgh anyway, not sure about other areas. It seems like pretty much everything except an occasional commercial has the captioning option nowdays, so I am very grateful for that. The one thing that bothers me is that dvd’s of older movies hardly ever have captioning. My mom watches a lot of these, and I can’t pick up even 1/4 of the dialogue in them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/51 "2017-01-02T16:28:41Z")
I live in a duplex and I often watch TV at night. So I turn the volume down to a relatively low level. I generally turn the closed captioning on so I don’t miss any quiet dialogue. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/52 "2017-01-02T19:32:13Z")
> [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](#): > > Only when watching British stuff. I like to know what they are saying. This. Plus Elementary, since Jonny Lee Miller is otherwise incomprehensible. ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2017, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133/53 "2017-01-02T20:02:56Z")
I generally have CC on all the time. The only exceptions are news and other live programming where there’s a significant lag, which can be quite distracting. Years ago, I discovered that _Simpsons_ captioning sometimes varies from the spoken dialogue—sometimes there are completely different jokes! I assume this is the result of captions being prepared from earlier versions of the script. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-watching-tv-do-you-usually-have-closed-captioning-on/775133.md?page=2)