Accepted Solution

Problem Solved

FYI, here is the standard template response you get if you ask them why the don't do subtitles for the hard of hearing:-

Right now, to make this possible requires considerable development andindustry-wide coordination. For example, the right holders to the films we acquire and stream to customers need to actively support thisdevelopment.

TH commentary: This suggests that the rights holders would allow them to distribute a film but not distribute it with a subtitle overlay option. Very difficult to believe this is true, even on Christmas Day after a lot of alcohol / good cheer. Given that a lot of their content would have (or at least could have been) originated from DVD / BD copies already embedded with subtitle content / timing data in the main, it's hard to see what technical support they are waiting for, so it must just be too hard for them to ask / negotiate with the license holders (assuming the rights holders even care enough for it to be an issue to distribute their content with subtitles).

Of course, we will continue to raise this with thelicensors and will play our part in bringing this type of content to our customers. However, this is a big undertaking and we cannot be madesolely responsible for this essential issue to be resolved. As thisprogresses, we will ensure that we keep our customers fully updatedabout this ongoing development.

TH commentary: still very unclear why this is such a 'big undertaking'. Also, they can be considered as an individual case because their service is covered in the UK by the Equality Act 2010, which states that service providers need to make 'reasonable adjustments' to make their service available to the disabled. Unless they can provide a more convincing explanation of why it is 'too hard', I think they fail this test. They are also effectively excluding about 8 million members of their potential UK market from being able to use their service, so I would have expected more of a sense of urgency from them.

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What I can advise is that the majority of our DVD titles do provide anoption for subtitles and this can be confirmed via the individual filmproduct page so you still have access to the 70,000+ titles we are able to offer.

TH commentary: I have to say that when I received this response, I came to the conclusion that they don't take this matter very seriously. My advice on this? Don't hold your breath.....

Accepted Solution

Problem Solved

FYI, here is the standard template response you get if you ask them why the don't do subtitles for the hard of hearing:-

Right now, to make this possible requires considerable development andindustry-wide coordination. For example, the right holders to the films we acquire and stream to customers need to actively support thisdevelopment.

TH commentary: This suggests that the rights holders would allow them to distribute a film but not distribute it with a subtitle overlay option. Very difficult to believe this is true, even on Christmas Day after a lot of alcohol / good cheer. Given that a lot of their content would have (or at least could have been) originated from DVD / BD copies already embedded with subtitle content / timing data in the main, it's hard to see what technical support they are waiting for, so it must just be too hard for them to ask / negotiate with the license holders (assuming the rights holders even care enough for it to be an issue to distribute their content with subtitles).

Of course, we will continue to raise this with thelicensors and will play our part in bringing this type of content to our customers. However, this is a big undertaking and we cannot be madesolely responsible for this essential issue to be resolved. As thisprogresses, we will ensure that we keep our customers fully updatedabout this ongoing development.

TH commentary: still very unclear why this is such a 'big undertaking'. Also, they can be considered as an individual case because their service is covered in the UK by the Equality Act 2010, which states that service providers need to make 'reasonable adjustments' to make their service available to the disabled. Unless they can provide a more convincing explanation of why it is 'too hard', I think they fail this test. They are also effectively excluding about 8 million members of their potential UK market from being able to use their service, so I would have expected more of a sense of urgency from them.

﻿﻿

What I can advise is that the majority of our DVD titles do provide anoption for subtitles and this can be confirmed via the individual filmproduct page so you still have access to the 70,000+ titles we are able to offer.

TH commentary: I have to say that when I received this response, I came to the conclusion that they don't take this matter very seriously. My advice on this? Don't hold your breath.....

Accepted Solution

Problem Solved

I know this is an old thread, but I was doing a Google search and it came up. Does anyone have any idea how to put subtitles on if it's available to use on that movie? I'm hard of hearing and can't pick up a lot of words.