Page 1 of SUBTITLES

Sorry to be a pain here, but I would like to ask y`all what y`all think of subtitles on films ! And in the Extra Features !

It may be a pain for some of you, maybe most of you actually, but for us deaf people, yes, me included, subtitles is a way of me following the story !

There have been a few films, some quite new, that do not have subtitles, take for example Ali !

I bought it from Tesco`s went home and a fellow "deafie" pointed it out that it didnt have subtitles, so I had to take it back, which was rather disappointing indeed.

Can you let me know what y`all think of this?

Thanks

That sucks, big time.

Surely the whole idea of the DVD format is to enable the HOH to enjoy movies at home at their chosen time without having to rely on the 888 service all the time.

You only have to look at any article extolling the virtues of DVD and "subtitles" is invariably mentioned in the first sentence.

If I were in your position, I`d be writing in very strong terms to the studio about this short-sightedness (pardon the mixed metaphor, by the way) : empowered consumers can get things changed.

Not in the same league at all, but here`s a f`rinstance. My Mum was well miffed with Sainsbury`s and asked them why they only sold bakewell tarts in 5 packs, as everyone else sold them in 6 packs. Their written reply was well humourous, with the summary of "do you know, we have absolutely no idea!" : a week later : 6 packs emerged on Sainsbury`s shelves ! It can be done.

I have to agree that I too am surprised with the lack of subtitles on a lot of titles coming out. Since I like clubs and heavy metal and going to gigs, I`m starting to lose some of my hearing and subtitles are a godsend on DVDs, especially when I watch late at night and can`t have the sound up full blast.

It`s one of the things I try to point out in my reviews since I think it`s an important feature. I`d write to the studios and check other regional discs for subtitles that might be lacking in my region. We could always start an online petition...

I`m surprised that a high profile title like Ali doesn`t have any.

Get Ali on region 1 and you will find subs( but it is RCE)

I don`t have a hearing problem(yet) but it really sucks having no subs on DVDs. I don`t understand why EIV didn`t put any on ALI or Traffic. IS it actually legal not putting them on as it is a sort of discrimination???
My parents and sister are not that good in english( we are from Luxembourg) and they see DVDs as a way of learning it. So they like to watch the films in english with english subs and when they don`t understand something they can read it.
That is of course not possible with ALI and Traffic.
I would also like to see subs on director`s commentaries. Sometimes you have loads of people talking and it`s difficult to find out whos saying what. I think it`s also nice to watch the movie with the original track but reading the director` commentary.
Subs on all extras: I don`t personnaly need them but others do and as DVD has the possibilty to have`em its just plain stupid and discriminating to not put them on discs. You should send a letter/email of complaint to EIV or phone them. Or maybe watchdog or other consumer orientated programmes are interested in it.
HTH
EDIT: just changing regions is not a solution studios force(at least try to)us to buy R2 and then they should also provide the propper discs. This is not aout some extras but allowing a lot of people to enjoy films, why shouldn`t they??
Some studios like Pathé even put those audio descriptive tracks on DVDs that`s how its supposed to be. And they can`t tell us that a Subtitle or a stream of 192Kbs or less take up too much space.

This item was edited on Thursday, 25th July 2002, 22:43

look up new website now set up recently to stop fool Deaf people into buying DVD film which do not have Eng. sub on film or extra feature.

it is www.dvd-subtitles.com

There is no law to provide English subtitle even we know it is discriminating against Deaf people.

Hope this help

Neil

The thing that really bugs me, is discs that are released with no subtitles, but that the encoding has already been done i.e. discs of TV shows like-
The Complete Thin Blue Line- A show made by the BBC so it MUST have been transcribed to subtitles.
The Men Behaving Badly discs- I`ve only bought the one, at the time it never occurred to me that the BBC could release a disc without the subtitles as the work had already been done. Had the The Men Behaving Badly discs been subtitled, I`m sure that I would have bought them all, but without subs, I will not be buying any of the other discs. This was the first ever disc I`d got without subtitles. Up to this point I`d bought about 250 DVD`s so it never occurred to me that the first disc I would pay for that didn`t have subs would be from the BBC!
The Sweeney shows have all been encoded but not one of the DVD`s carries subtitles.
Why the hell can`t the BBC or whoever owns the rights to a show sell the subtitles with the master tapes?
Channel 4 seem to be just as bad, selling shows like Porterhouse Blue which they must have subtitled for broadcast without any subtitles on the disc.
Despite the fact that almost every TV program is subtitled it seems that discs of TV shows are the most likely ones to be the ones sold missing subtitles.