[zoey67]

I was just curious how many of you use subtitles when watching movies on dvd or BD? I never did it until couple yrs ago while watching a movie they were talking so quietly and had accents that I had to use subtitles.


But ever since then I've discovered that using subtitles all the time now with a few exceptions like Kung fu panda or something the Hulk that it makes the watching a movie much easier to follow. And this comes in really handy late at night or when there's too much yapping from family members while watching the movie.


And after just watching The Watchmen on dvd is a real good example why it's needed because the dialogue was not your normal 5th grade level and some of the voices like whats his name with the white mask was grumbling and mumbling most of the time when he talks.


At 1st you may not feel comfortable it being on the screen, but trust me after a while you won't even notice it and it becomes a habit like putting on seatbelts.

 

[cardaway]

I too am having them turned on more an more often. Partially because of my infant daughter making noise or because these days the dialog is so hard to hear in some movies.


If they would put them in exclusively in the black bars (when possible) things would be perfect.

 

[Bing]

I turned them on often because I can't make out what the actors are saying. Slurring, mumbling, accents, dialects (esp Ebonics), unfamiliar topics, old English, and on and on. I don't like to miss things.

 

[darkedgex]

I've had them on since about 2000 or so, and generally keep them on unless somebody objects. Mostly it's nice to be able to quickly scan down if something wasn't intelligible when spoken, but otherwise they're fairly easy to ignore (unless they extend in to the main viewing area too much).


To me it's simpler to always have them on than to have them off, have someone not hear a piece of dialog, and then have to back the movie up to re-listen to a piece of dialog (or to pause and repeat what was said).

 

[arock]

Acoustic treatments for your viewing room make a huge difference on hearing the dialogue. After I treated my room for first reflections, I actually turned the overall volume down because I could hear everything so clearly. My wife loves it because my new listening level does not disturb anyone late at night.

 

[TRT]

If I needed to use subtitles, I surely would not have invested big money in a home theater system. If for some reason, there needs to be a moment of silence, we use the mute button. For all other times when loud play is not desirable, I use headphones. Really good headphones.

 

[DCSholtis]

I use them when watching a movie at night if I'm not in a mood to wake up others in the house. If I am in the mood then others be damned, no subtitles.

 

[zoey67]



Quote:
Originally Posted by TRT /forum/post/16871529


If I needed to use subtitles, I surely would not have invested big money in a home theater system. If for some reason, there needs to be a moment of silence, we use the mute button. For all other times when loud play is not desirable, I use headphones. Really good headphones.

I think you missed the point by a country mile, the subtitles is a supplement not a replacment for your 5.1 set up. But it's normal, I had that similar thought too before....like it's beneath me to use subtitles like a crutch. But it's there for a good reason and lots of ppl will missing out on a good "free" service.

 

[johndn]

No! I like to see the picture when watching a movie, not verbiage. HUGE distraction. I do, however, occasionally turn it on to replay a scene where I didn't catch the script the first go around.

 

[xradman]

I do when I don't understand the language.

 

[TRT]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zoey67 /forum/post/16871752


I think you missed the point by a country mile, the subtitles is a supplement not a replacment for your 5.1 set up. But it's normal, I had that similar thought too before....like it's beneath me to use subtitles like a crutch. But it's there for a good reason and lots of ppl will missing out on a good "free" service.

No, I didn't miss the barn when I threw the baseball. My systems audio presentation is crystal clear. I don't need subtitles. If I were hearing impaired, that would be a whole different can of tuna....but I'm not! I don't need to read the transcript at the bottom of the screen in order to understand what is being said.

 

[Hughmc]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zoey67 /forum/post/16871752


I think you missed the point by a country mile, the subtitles is a supplement not a replacment for your 5.1 set up. But it's normal, I had that similar thought too before....like it's beneath me to use subtitles like a crutch. But it's there for a good reason and lots of ppl will missing out on a good "free" service.

I can't speak for him and maybe he was talking in general terms of listening volumes, but I think you are missing his point. With respect to you and your system, if you are having problems hearing dialogue within reason of a decent soundtrack being properly encoded, the center channel or other channels for that matter should be clearly presenting the dialogue at "normal" and reference volumes. Years ago when I first got into this hobby with a cheapo Aiwa system, I could barely hear dialogue from the center channel over action scenes or any loud background noise on DVD's. It was annoying.


Having said that there are a few rare occasions when I can't exactly hear a line or word properly and I use subtitles, but just to look at what I missed hearing and then subs get turned back off. I also use them with foreign films I watch in their native language.


If I am off base or your making a different point then what you are trying to get across please correct me.

*EDIT* he posted as I was typing mine. TRT and I are on the same track.

 

[zoey67]

YOu brainyacs understood every word in " You Don't Mess with The Zohan? yeah I thought so.

 

[xraffle]



Quote:
Originally Posted by johndn /forum/post/16871785


No! I like to see the picture when watching a movie, not verbiage. HUGE distraction. I do, however, occasionally turn it on to replay a scene where I didn't catch the script the first go around.

Same here. If I keep the subtitles on all the time, I end up looking at the subtitles instead of what's going on in the scene.

 

[Urza]

Wife is hearing impaired, so subs are VERY important.

 

[Bing]

Why do some people assume that if dialogue is unintelligible, it's because of a crappy center?

 

[cardaway]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Bing /forum/post/16872610


Why do some people assume that if dialogue is unintelligible, it's because of a crappy center?

Don't know, but I watch enough other things to know that when I do have the issue it's with mumbling actors and poor mixes, not my setup or equipment.

 

[Hughmc]



Quote:
Originally Posted by zoey67 /forum/post/16872889


uh huh, exactly...that Horschach character in the Watchmen with that ski mask over his face + he had that scratchy flu voice...you need subtitles ok.


GEt of your high horse with this...oh, my audio set up is crystal clear jibberish. Probably POS HTIB.

Haha, you definitely aren't hearing properly and should NOT need subtitles and must not know much about psychology. It is Rorschach, as in Rorshach test.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_inkblot_test


Seriously, if you couldn't hear that said correctly or what he was saying your center is NOT working or calibrated accurately.


And I agree there can be some poor recordings done, but for the most part they are good without having any issues of being able to hear dialogue or need subtitles.

 

[pacpisces]

I always use subtitles. I wear hearing aids. And yes, my friends comment thanking me they used subtitles too, because they pick up more than watching without them. For instance, had a friend glad he got to watch Sweeny Todd with subtitles the other day because he found he was wrong on some of the lyrics he thought he heard in the car and watching the movie so many times already.


I was extremely let down when I found that Battle in Seattle didn't have any subtitles at all. The studios should never do this, they should always have an english one too in america. IMO

 

[Hughmc]

^^ With respect I was not referring to anyone that is hard of hearing and this really has little to do with the quality of one's sound system. It has more to do with how the center channel outputs dialogue itself and when sound is simultaneously coming out of the other speakers as well that could help "drown" out the dialogue in the center or other channels. I sit 7 feet dead center from my center channel and listen or close to reference often. I don't have a dedicated theater. I have a dedicated media room that is 18x13x8, so it gets cranking in here. When dialogue is hard to hear it is usually a word or phrase or in some foreign accent I couldn't understand that I then turn the subs on briefly to make sure it is what I thought it was or wasn't, then the subs go back off.