Subtitles for Movies

[Zeostar]

Does anybody prefer subtitles on for movies?

For me it helps catch quiet dialogue. It does take away from viewing specific scenery or detail because my eyes are reading along with the text, but for me it's worth the trade off.

 

[ReKoil]

They're usually on by default on TV here. I grew used to them being there as a child.
They are handy for when someone speaks in a hard to understand accent though, or talks really softly.

 

[CoolKid575]

I always use them if I have the chance.

 

[Explorer of Time]

They're necessary for me, I cannot "tune out" ambient noise to listen to dialogue so movies and TV are very difficult for me to watch without them.

 

[Charcadet121]

I don't use them mainly bc my hearing is too good...but then again, I am scared of climatic points in movies...

 

[Starlight]

I always use them if they're available. I struggle to process conversations and the extra help from the text really makes a massive difference to me.

I can't read very quickly though, so if I manage to catch one of the rare subtitled screenings in the cinema then I do miss quite a lot of the subs, but they still help overall. At home the usual default is subtitles on and rewind if I can't catch something between the sound & subs. I really wish more films were screened in the cinema with subs 😢

One major plus point to screenings that do have them is that they're usually much quieter. I've been to opening screenings of major blockbusters where there isn't another soul in the theatre, while the screens without subs were jam-packed!

 

[Hermione Granger]

I'm used to subs when I watch movies at my grandmothers place, but when I'm at my home I don't use them unless the movie is a foreign movie like the Japanese Godzilla movies.

 

[Inky]

I never used to, but!! When I lived with flatmates and we'd have the TV on in the kitchen, they became a necessity just because there'd invariably be other noise making it harder to hear at times — so since about late 2022 I've basically watched everything with subtitles!! I also studied with largely international students, so whenever we watched anything together subtitles were often present too. I'm very used to it now and appreciate being able to pick up on some lines and such I might have missed — it does frustrate me a little when I read ahead and get something spoiled moments before I actually get to see it happen on screen, but that's a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things really. It feels weird watching stuff without them now

 

[Ranger_Lark]

I used to not use them at all and find them distracting. Then I got used to them (a mix of friends who used them, and being in noisy environments) and now they're not only my default, I feel like I need them. I've read articles saying that sound quality in movies has actually gone down for a variety of reasons (e.g. actors wanting more realistic or subdued performances, belief that the sound can be fixed in post, etc.) So I find using subtitles a lot better than having to keep adjusting the volume constantly to catch mumbling and whispering between ear-splitting loud action.

 

[Cherrim]

I have captions on all the time when it's an option. idk what it is about streaming in particular but sound mixing just feels so off in TV and movies these days. One moment everyone is speaking so low and the next you're bombarded by the Loudest Sound You've Ever Heard In Your LIfe so it just sucks to keep the volume high so you can hear the actors whispering to each other in every other scene. It's much easier to just pick a medium volume and throw subtitles on so you can actually follow along at every point of the show. u_u

 

[Palamon]

I really only use subtitles on stuff that isn't English since I don't really need subtitles most of the time... usually?

 

[gimmepie]

I watch a decent amount of non-English media, so I use subtitles for that. I generally don't have any need of them for anything in English though.