Mumble Jumble

[#1]

Reading a report earlier about the increasing number of people that now choose to watch television with subtitles even if they have normal hearing - and not just because of the mumble jumble, but because of others watching on devices such as tablets and laptops at the same time. Unwanted surround sound I've always called it, but now its getting worse.

My hearing has always been poor so subtitles even the bad ones that came with foreign language films have been a Godsend but now, the unimpaired are joining the ranks of caption watchers as they struggle to both hear and understand what is being said.

The Mrs says she cannot follow subtitles and watch at the same time, but having done so for years m'self I find it quite easy. Just a pity that Sky unlike the BBC and Netflix do not have subtitles as standard.

Not the only downside though, one clip from Orange is the New Black (which I have never watched) shows a woman on the toilet and the caption reads "woman urinating loudly".

As the article suggests, too much information!

[#2]

The vast majority of what we watch has subtitles, we find few programs that we can watch without subtitles.

Certainly we have poor hearing but that (censored) music often louder than the speech or actors mumbling or whispering makes subtitles essential.

Funny how some very old films do not have that problem, along with adverts, we can clearly hear those.

As for scenes of people sitting on the toilet, yes we all use the toilet, what does it add to the story including such scenes which seem to be on the increase.

Thank goodness for All4 along with the option of switching subtitles on.

[#3]

@gleneagles 

I usually watch All 4 on Sky.... No subtitles 

[#4]

I think Jamaica Inn a few years ago on TV was when a huge number of viewers complained that the sound quality was so bad that they could not tell what was being said,  it came out then that production companies no longer employ sound engineers as they thought they were an unnecessary expense....  well the result is there for everyone to see ( but not hear ) that sound quality is now pretty pants - I don't know how much it has to do with digital formats now used ( I have also noticed that sound quality on DAB radio is far inferior to FM ).   Another thing I have noticed is that there does not seem to be a standard sound level on different programs / channels, as you flick through programs the sound level can go from a whisper to very loud and anywhere in-between. 

[#5]

Even if you dont need them subtitles can be fun....My favourite is on a program about puffins..'you should be careful when putting your hand in a puffin hole '(puffins live in burrows)---- subtitles You should be careful when putting your HAND INTO A PUB IN HULL????

[#6]

@wotsup 

And if memory serves me correctly it was not just the sound in Jamaica Inn  it was the picture as well, it was so dark it was almost impossible to see what was going on.

[#7]

A bit like the penultimate episode of The Game of Thrones then?