Why do people find subtitles 'annoying'?

[ebikeerwidnes]

I used to find that I needed subtitles on most things

probably because the speakers on new TVs point backwards and are so small that they limit the rangle of sounds

but since I got hearing aids this is no longer necessary on most things

I didn;t realise that my hearing had started to go - was probably getting worse for years!

still need it on a few things - some series seems to think that it adds to the atmosphere for the characters to mutter in dark places!

 

[All uphill]

Because deafness is an invisible disability most people seem to find it difficult to accommodate in others.

I have a (former?) friend who habitually puts his hand in front of his mouth when he speaks; I used to tell him I can't understand unless I can lipread along with listening. Now I just let it go and don't respond.

I have no idea what the solution is.

 

[kynikos]

They're great, apart from those from the BBC which appear around 4 seconds after someone's said something.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I appreciate them especially for watching US content.

Americans speak so fast and with a heavy accent that it is almost unitelligable, imo.

Made worse as movies are optimised for big screen environments and not TV's. Even the Movie sound mode on our TV has little discernable effect.

Maybe we need a new TV or maybe we need to stop watching American produced content as it is fairly dire in general and has an alien sense of humour.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

It's definitely a fairly modern thing with American films/TV.

We saw Odyssey recently at an IMAX cinema and the volume was so loud as to shake the entire building but that didn't mean that either I or my wife could understand the dialogue.

Contrast that with any classic Hollywood movie in black and white, such as Casablanca, and everything is as clear as a bell.

 

[fossyant]

I don't like them, but I wouldn't have an issue if someone in the room needed them. They annoy me - find them distracting. That said, I did watch a lot of the Mexican Drug Dealer shows in native Spanish with subtitles as I was on the turbo trainer - it was weird when I switched to the English dubbed episodes, just didn't 'fit'.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I too am unable to watch most tv programme these days without subtitles. I wish somebody would invent them for the radio too !

 

[fossyant]

I appreciate them especially for watching US content.

I actually find it quite funny when there is a 'global' programme, and they put sub titles up for broad English accents, perfectly understandable to us, but not to say, an American.