We know captions as the small inserts of text which appear at the bottom of our screens when watching TV. Many associate them being solely for deaf / hard of hearing people, or when watching a movie or show in a language they don’t understand. However, captions are used widely for a number of purposes. For example, individuals with auditory processing disorders such as Autism and ADHD use captions for an enhanced viewing experience.
You may have heard a variety of terms for these transcriptions; subtitles, closed captions (CC), and subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing (SDH). Although they all more or less encompass the same thing, there as some differences which are important to address. Here’s all you need to know about them.
How captions affect viewing experience
Without a doubt, captions are excellent for those who suffer from deafness or hard of hearing. They are able to watch what they like without worrying that they will miss key details and storylines. However, for those who do not have a hearing condition, captions are still extremely useful.
All shows and movies are different, and unfortunately many of them feature mumbling, background noises, and accents and dialogues which are difficult to comprehend. Captions help solve this problem so the viewer is always aware of the dialogue being spoken. As a result, this aids concentration and engagement, as it is very easy to become uninterested in a story line if you don’t clearly know what’s going on!
So, what are the different types of captions and what are their advantages?
Subtitles vs CC vs SHD (News - Alert)
In simple terms, subtitles are a direct translation of speech, whereas closed captions are a transcription of dialogue. Closed captions are typically thought to be more suitable for people who are hard of hearing or death, as they include background noises, speaker differentiation, and other important occurrences which cannot be heard. However, closed captions are often auto-generated and can be a lot less accurate than subtitles, which are usually translated in advance for the release of a TV show or movie. Although closed captions are extremely beneficial, they sometimes miss nuances in translation – as highlighted when viewers found that Netflix’s “Squid Game” was more accurate with the “English” captions as opposed to the “English (CC)” option. Unfortunately, subtitles often assume the viewer can hear and do not include important prompts.
Subtitles for the hard of hearing and death are a mix of both subtitles and closed captions. They incorporate the best of both elements so they viewer can have a more nuanced and authentic understanding of what they are watching.
If you have been watching a load of TV recently, and have been struggling to understand large parts – why not take a five minute online hearing test to put your mind at ease?
