Languages
Choose original audio and subtitle tracks
Check audio, subtitles and captions separately for the title and region you intend to watch.
Check audio, subtitles and captions separately for the title and region you intend to watch.
How it works
A title may carry several audio tracks and separate subtitles. Captions can include sound cues that ordinary translated subtitles omit. A track listed in a store description may still vary by edition or playback device.
What to do
- Choose one exact episode or programme.
- Open the playback track menu and note its audio and text choices.
- Test readability and synchronization for a short scene.
- Ask support with the exact title, language and device when a required track is missing.
Choose the language and accessibility features separately
Open the audio menu while the programme is playing and select the spoken language you want. Then open the subtitle or caption menu. A track labelled English audio changes what you hear. English subtitles change the text on screen. An English CC or SDH track can include speaker names, music and other sounds. An audio description track adds spoken description for visual action.
Record the exact title or episode and which version you opened. Live, replay and on-demand editions may have different tracks. Use the track menu for the actual item and viewing territory.
| What you want | Where to look | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Original dialogue with translated text | Audio and subtitle menus | Select original audio and your chosen subtitle language |
| Dialogue and sound cues in text | Caption or subtitle menu | Look for CC or SDH where the player identifies it |
| Spoken descriptions during action | Audio menu | Look for Audio Description or AD where offered |
| No commentary or narration change | Audio menu | Check which language and descriptive options are selected |
Check the item before changing device preferences
Play one point in the same programme on two supported devices using the same service and region. If the phone lists two caption choices while the television lists none, record the exact track labels and the TV app version. That gives the provider a concrete app-side difference to check. If the menu is empty on both, ask whether that programme edition includes a caption track.
System caption settings can change the size or appearance of captions in apps that honour those preferences. For a missing translation, check the item with the service. If a track is present but the text is hard to read, try a larger size first. If it is present but garbled, check how the file or app decodes its text.
Sources and further reading
- W3C · WebVTT
- Google TV accessibility settings · Caption display preferences depend on the device and app.