# Who turns on the English subtitles when watching films on DVD? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698 "2005-10-04T04:23:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/1 "2005-10-04T04:23:38Z")
I only ask because when I watch a flick with the missus (who’s Chinese, though a phenomenal English speaker - she teaches English) on DVD (we’ve recently graduated from VCD), we turn the subtitles on. Now I find that if I watch a movie on my own, I will sometimes turn the subtitles on, especially if the actors speak heavily accented English, or there’s a lot of background noise, or they have a funny pronunciation, like most Americans. Anyone else turn on the English subtitles for English language films? ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/2 "2005-10-04T04:28:50Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > I only ask because when I watch a flick with the missus (who’s Chinese, though a phenomenal English speaker - she teaches English) on DVD (we’ve recently graduated from VCD), we turn the subtitles on. Now I find that if I watch a movie on my own, I will sometimes turn the subtitles on, especially if the actors speak heavily accented English, or there’s a lot of background noise, or they have a funny pronunciation, like most Americans. > > Anyone else turn on the English subtitles for English language films? I do. I don’t like loud noises, and many movies have a tendency to have loud music and quieter dialogue. A volume level that would allow me to consistently hear the dialogue clearly will usually have the loud parts be too loud. I _really_ don’t like loud noises. Hence, the subtitles. Usually, I don’t need them, but they help with loud noises. Also, I like being able to read the lines, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/3 "2005-10-04T04:30:30Z")
I _always_ have the closed captioning or English subtitles turned on when watching a DVD. But then again, I’m deaf, so I use CC whenever I can anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/4 "2005-10-04T04:35:37Z")
Another yes vote; I also use it on regular TV as well. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/5 "2005-10-04T05:01:21Z")
I have rather crappy tinnitus and my hearing has definitely deteriorated (at the ripe old age of 23. :: sigh :: ), so when I’m not watching tv with someone who’s annoyed at captions, they’re on. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/6 "2005-10-04T05:12:25Z")
I do it if I’m working out. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/7 "2005-10-04T05:19:42Z")
I do. Note - not Swedish subtitles, English. Since English is my second language, I sometimes miss a word or two. For full comprehension, it helps to read it in English, as well as hearing it. All non Swedish shows are subtitled on tv here, dubbing is only made for shows aimed at pre school kids, so I’m used to it. And why not Swedish subtitles? They miss nuances and sometimes important stuff is lost in translation. However, with French, Chinese,German, Japanese, Italian flicks, I use Swedish subtitles, not English. ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/8 "2005-10-04T05:19:42Z")
No, only if an accent is **extremely** heavy will I turn the subtitles on. Actually, my DVD player has an annoying little quirk where about half the time I put a DVD in and hit play, it has the subtitles on automatically, and I have to go back to the menu and turn them off. Drives me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/9 "2005-10-04T05:23:25Z")
I use subtitles all the time because I came from a large family, so no matter what, there’d be loud background noises and such. Now that I’m by myself, I keep them on through habit. ---
**Author:** ![La\_Llorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@La\_Llorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/La_Llorona)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/10 "2005-10-04T05:41:01Z")
I do! But only if the actors use funny pronunciations, like the English. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/11 "2005-10-04T05:52:58Z")
I have in the past, but only because I always have volume problems with DVDs. Sound effects can be ridiculously loud and important dialogue will go slightly above a whisper. I got really sick of having to keep my fingers on the volume button so I wouldn’t miss dialogue but not be deafened by other sound. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/12 "2005-10-04T05:57:36Z")
I always have the CC on for TV, and I usually turn the DVD subtitles on too. Spanish if I’m feeling like learning, and English the rest of the time. I’m so used to having them on that I don’t like having them off. ---
**Author:** ![roger\_thornhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d9b06d/32.png) [@roger\_thornhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/roger_thornhill)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/13 "2005-10-04T06:31:49Z")
> [@La Llorona](#): > > I do! But only if the actors use funny pronunciations, like the English. 😉 Funny, last DVD we watched was just last evening, Jim Jarmusch’s - hope I spelt that right - _Coffee and Cigarettes_ (ditto - might be wrong way round). I thought the best segment was the two “Brits” (Alfred Molina and Steve Coogan), but not because they are Brits but because they got written the best bit. What has happened to Steve Coogan, AKA Alan Partridge? He looks years younger in that 2003 released film than he did in his later TV stuff. Quite agree about the volume changes between dialogue and sound effects. I got cramp in my hand during _Master and Commander_. Bee-have! I had it on the remote. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/14 "2005-10-04T06:49:33Z")
I always turn subtitles on for every movie I watch, it’s just easier that way. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/15 "2005-10-04T07:33:08Z")
Never. I only use the subtitles when somebody said something I cannot pick out by ear, or when I’m listening to the commentary track and I don’t want to lose the thread of the actual on-screen dialogue. Oh, and I use the subtitles when somebody says something in a foreign language (Hovitos, for instance, or Klingon) and I want to see how diligent the subtitle people were. The Klingon on Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country appears to be subtitled, though… _cough_ … I wouldn’t know. Honest. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/16 "2005-10-04T08:18:13Z")
I watch a lot of foreign language movies, so the subtitle track on my DVD player is on most of the time. 🆒 As for English-speaking DVDs, I’ll only turn on subtitles or captions if there’s a bit of mumbled dialogue that I can’t decipher. The only time I needed to have subtitles on for the whole program was the documentary on an Iron Maiden DVD. (Cripes, Steve Harris! What fucking language were you speaking??) ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/17 "2005-10-04T08:45:17Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > I do it if I’m working out. Same. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/18 "2005-10-04T09:23:04Z")
I do. My tv in the bed room is quite a bit of a distance away. Also, the air conditioner can be annoying and I don’t want to turn the TV up too loud. It is also useful if the movie has actors with a thick accent. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/19 "2005-10-04T12:10:11Z")
I do it if there’s some bit of dialog that I’m missing and it’s bugging me. On some movies, I do it to figure out what a foreign speaker is saying. And it sometimes reveals interesting details. In the opening of _Saving Private Ryan_, two german soldiers are surrendering to americans who just shoot them down instead. When you turn on the subtitles it reveals that the “germans” were actually Czechs. There were quite a few non-germans serving in the Wermacht and it was interesting that the filmmakers included this detail in such a subtle way. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698/20 "2005-10-04T12:23:53Z")
I occasionally do with anime movies, though that’s slightly different. I prefer a good dub to subs generally (I find I miss a lot when watching subs), but sometimes it’s just interesting to see how much was changed between the two languages. So sometimes, when I’m bored, I’ll turn on the subtitles next to the dub track. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-turns-on-the-english-subtitles-when-watching-films-on-dvd/324698.md?page=2)