Subtitles - Do you need them?

It seems that whenever the casting director chooses an actor with a regional accent they seem to instruct them to 'exaggerate it a bit, for realism'. There was a series called Sutherland's Law in the 1970s, and the titular character was played by Ian Cuthbertson. This actor was born in Glasgow but his accent was not only a delight to the ear, but perfectly clear to anyone who is an English language speaker. This would never now as he sounded too 'posh'.

We have subtitles on most the time, usually turn them off for football as they cover the score, & the commentators are often annoying anyway.

Yes I can only watch tv IF subtitles are available. The news I can cope with without. I send emails every week to programnes not subtitled as there is no excuse. Normally if a reply is received I get “we are working towards providing subtitles”. I tell the companies it is pure discrimination.

I might use subtitles for different reasons from other people! Women can always multitask, we have done it for years!! So as music is so important in my life, I hate horrible , inappropriate music usually too loud as well being on, so will press mute, and put subtitles on whilst at the same time may have radio 3 listening to a concert, and for me Bach is the tops, so if there is a concert of Bach on , but I really dont want to miss the last part of a serial on goes the subtitles and I listen to Bach but can follow the story! I also have some fun when they have plays in foreign languages such as the scandinoir sort of things and as I speak various languages enjoy reading their subtitles version of the conversation, whilst knowing on occasions something quite different has been said by the actor!!

I used them all the time. My DC in their 20s do as well so it's not all about hearing.

shysal, the first 12 seasons of the block are on Prime if you have that. There were even more but they have disappeared for some reason.

Nandalot

*shysal*, the first 12 seasons of the block are on Prime if you have that. There were even more but they have disappeared for some reason.

Thank you Nandalot. I don't have Prime, I have always resisted, but it might be worth subscribing because I would then be able to see Jeremy Clarkson as well as getting free postage.

Always have subtitles on if available.

I’m not hard of hearing, but just struggle with some accents, especially American and Scottish ones.

I'm still struggling with the left ear deafness I got in the last couple of years (Covid? Another virus?) and that's a nuisance generally. It's nerve deafness in that ear - and not "age - one of those things" - so I'm still looking out for ways to cure it and get back to normal - as it's definitely a nuisance.

Meanwhile - I watch a noticeable number of YouTube videos and have come to find it very annoying when ditsy type women speak in "little girl" voices. I'm okay with men and women with normal voices. But "little girl" voices are a right nuisance - and I still swear they could talk more normally if they chose to, but wish to use that voice to tell people "Me I'm a feminine little thing......" and it's more important to them to put over that impression than to be understood by everyone. I have yet to hear an older woman doing the "feminine little voice" - and they always speak normally.

People can change their voices - I know that one personally...as I apparently went off to my first primary school speaking in very "standard" English (basically toned-down received pronunciation maybe???) and emerged weeks later speaking broad Devonian - and, even though I am a Devonian, my mother threw a fit and sent me to an elocution teacher to get my own voice back again. Cue for me then swopping to a very posh voice. Then subsequently swopping back to my own voice I had originally.

So - yep...people can change their voices if they wish to.

But - meanwhile - I've given up asking these girly girls to speak more clearly - and I request they put up subtitles instead.

Subtitles are indeed pretty poor - but they're a lot better than nothing and I guess they will improve soon. Now if only YouTube didn't do those subtitles in the wrong language for me sometimes - loadsa fun when they go up in Arabic for instance!

Subtitles are also very handy on there for the fact that I like to watch cookery programmes from Germany for instance and gardening programmes from Eastern Europe (those Eastern European gardeners know a thing or two about gardening on a budget and with very few resources available).

I always have them on .
It's just a habit really !
Our house is small and sometimes my father would get irritated if he didn't like the TV programme .
I like foreign language films and benefit from subtitles !

I have hearing aids, so should be able to do without, but the mumbling drives me nuts. I also find that if you have the volume right for the actual programme, the volume is crazy high when the adverts come on! Then you have to turn it down or mute it, until it resumes!

I have tinnitus and hearing loss, so can’t watch anything without subtitles. However even my son uses them and he’s not deaf.
I was annoyed recently when I purchased an episode on Amazon prime, to find it came without subtitles and glad I hadn’t bought the whole series. They have a cheek to carry on this way…
I watch old tv period dramas on YouTube with (often frustrating) subtitles, but the actors speak clearly as the repertory system hadn’t completely died out. ‘Natural’ acting has a lot to answer for🙄

I don’t have hearing problems but really can’t tell what actors are saying these days, they mumble and use very thick accents so I use subtitles.
Matthew MaConnaghey - sorry I know that spelling is wrong - in Interstellar muttered incessantly with a very thick Southern drawl.
Impossible!

hence I like the old films! don`t need subtitles for them.

I've watched Dept Q with subtitles.

I use subtitles all the time as I have had quite a severe hearing impediment since small when I also learned to lip read as I was forced to pretend there was nothing wrong. I too am very frustrated when new TV dramas don't make subtitles available. I wanted to watch the new "cosy crime" drama Bookish on Now TV but there are currently no subtitles available. I will have to watch it on my iPad Pro and wear my Apple air pods which usually make things very clear, fortunately. Apparently skim reading subtitles quickly as you watch TV is very good for your brain and since many actors don't seem to be able to enunciate their words very clearly, they become a godsend for the likes of me.

It's not you, I have the same problem, eve.Don't know what the answer is.ryone mumbles, can't make out a word or follow anything.

this is why I will not subscribe to netflix unless I know everything is subtitled there is no point as even on full blast I cannot hear the tv as I am deaf, they need to make it accessible to all to get more subscribers

BlueBelle

My hearing is fine, passed all tests but I cannot watch tv without subtitles, I used to use it for dramas but I like it for everything now. My one moan is the do not give sub titles about what is on a letter or card or telephone screen which can be paramount to the story and I always miss what is written

Yes, I'm the same as you BlueBelle. I've taken to freezing the screen and going up to the TV to read the writing which drives my husband bonkers.

I have excellent private hearing aids now but still find subtitles helpful. They keep the volume down to manageable levels.

Am not sure why the recent trend in acting requires actors to mumble and mutter, the last time we went to see Shakespeare at the Globe the actors were mumbling a bit as well, it used to the case that Shakespearean actors had perfect diction with voices that could project to the back of the theatre.

I need subtitles as don't sleep well and am awake 3am ish nearly every night....so , i put tv back on mute and read subtitles...agree with lots of different accents, i don't get all the substance of a programme/film without the necessary subtitles

I also watch films/series in German/French/Norwegian/ etc and enjoy seeing the subtitles of course

Another Gran unable to enjoy most programmes without subtitles.
I find high (female) tones much harder to decipher and if these women are American, no chance without my beloved subbies.
God bless Talking Pictures T V, most programmes are subtitled, ironically many are older British films with crystal clear enunciation so titles not always needed!
I also relish the plentiful mistakes in live programmes, not a common word I know but Malvolio was rendered,"mild polio" [shock}

We watch Netflix with subtitles. Can't remember how. Some place have an option called CC = Close captions, otherwuse subtitles.

I rarely watch TV without doing something else at the same time (probably ADD), so I am usually knitting, or surfing the net etc, which means that subtitles don't help. I use them for foreign films, but tend to plan when to watch them - ie at times when I won't want to be doing other things. Thank goodness for streaming and the chance to watch things when it's convenient.

My hearing is fine, but I do wish actors wouldn't mumble. I often switch off a film because I can't make out what is going on, and I find Americans are the worst.