topic Re: Subtitle display and positioning in Sky Accessibility

Subtitle display and positioning

Myke+B — Tue, 21 Sep 2021 19:54:41 GMT

Is there any reason why the subtitles on Sky are so obtrusive and positioned so they pretty much always obscure the important parts of the screen?

Surely they can be positioned consistently at the bottom or top of the screen out of the main viewing area? Or even scale the picture so it's all displayed and the subtitles sit underneath the picture.

Kinda hard to believe that with all the technology in the Q system we're still looking at what looks like teletext.

Mike

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

DaveAccess — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 16:13:21 GMT

Hi @Myke+B

Thanks for posting. The whole area of how subtitles look is certainly one of the more common topics on this board.
What I can say is that it is under investigation. Our colleagues are looking into how to ensure any improvements meet the wide range of needs for customers who use subtitles, while also meeting Sky’s regulatory obligations.
We don't have a timeline right now, but will update here when we have more info to share.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Myke+B — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 17:41:38 GMT

@DaveAccess Thanks for the reply. It does seem to have been dragging on for a long time unfortunately. Trying to watch Bake Off the other night was impossible. The titles were all over the screen which is distracting when you're trying to follow them and the main position seemed to be bang in the middle of the "Lower Third" area which is where most of the detail is in most shows of this type.

I've not seen any questionnaires or surveys made by your colleagues asking what deaf customers actually want, but if there are any I'd be more than happy to fill one in.

Mike

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

mahcq — Tue, 02 Nov 2021 20:52:26 GMT

Subtitles are of course hugely useful way beyond the deaf community. What's frustrating is that this should not require "investigation". Amazon and Netflix have way more options. Not all work well but the choice means it's quite difficult to not find the right option.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Pottlewell — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 18:24:53 GMT

Yes I have the same query. Just put it on for my husband who is very hard of hearing. I couldn't believe it came up right across the middle of the screen. Its so distracting & I don't need it. Dreadful.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Nick+Tyrer — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 23:29:21 GMT

How can SKY take this long to sort out subtitle positioning and font size. If you go to iPlayer, Netflix or any other streaming service the subtitles are at the bottom and the right size font. It just seems that the voice of people who use this service isn't loud enough!

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Mark39 — Fri, 23 Dec 2022 08:49:43 GMT

@Nick+Tyrer have you contacted Sky about it, to make your voice heard?

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Shripad+S — Sun, 12 Mar 2023 08:52:00 GMT

The subtitle are annoyingly disturbing & appearing on the picture and disturb view. Sky is taking more than 18Months to sort out a simple problem.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Mrs+C+Lancs — Sat, 06 May 2023 09:37:26 GMT

Had this ever been resolved.?

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

kpellam — Sun, 07 May 2023 19:46:30 GMT

Why has this problem still not been resolved as its so annoying and surely can't be hard to solve !!

Action needed quickly please !

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Mrs+C+Lancs — Mon, 08 May 2023 06:18:51 GMT

The sub titles are great. They just done need to be stamped over the picture.
My poor mother had to chose between watching the coronation or reading it. Mutually exclusive it seems.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Myke+B — Mon, 08 May 2023 13:12:17 GMT

They're still all over the place as others have already mentioned. We don't actually use them now as we found that a set of bone-conductance earphones (the Shokz open-run) let wife hear the sound quite clearly. She has eardrum damage, but as the bone conduction tech effectively bypasses the eardrums she can now listen to tv/music etc with both ears and hear everything clearly.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Kat70 — Wed, 17 May 2023 19:05:10 GMT

Who can we actually contact with regards to this. Over the last few months the position of the subtitles has been rising. They are now smack in the middle of the screen and obscure actors faces.
it's simply not acceptable when other platforms have smaller text and no black background.
It annoys me every time I'm watching TV now and I struggle to follow programs without subtitles.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

kpellam — Wed, 17 May 2023 19:20:44 GMT

Totally agree! Sky just say they are working on it, but as you point out they have been working on it for a very very long time,!
any ideas anyone??

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Nick+Tyrer — Wed, 17 May 2023 19:40:38 GMT

I tried to speak with someone regarding this but they could/would not put me through to "technical" because they don't take customer calls. I replied that they don't do subtitles in the correct position or font size either but the person I was speaking to simply didn't get it! I've thought of not paying my monthly subscription and leaving but that doesn't really serve my purpose 🤷🏻‍♂️.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

kpellam — Thu, 18 May 2023 07:19:23 GMT

it's hopeless!

letters to The Times maybe or ??

watchdog ? or similar ?

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

Nick+Tyrer — Thu, 18 May 2023 08:37:51 GMT

I think we would be better writing to the regulatory body, Ofcom. They have a duty to respond to complaints and they also have the power to demand action or at the very least, some kind of substantive answer that we have so far not been able to get!

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

kpellam — Thu, 18 May 2023 15:14:58 GMT

very happy to write to them do you have their contacft details?

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

oggy812 — Sun, 21 May 2023 20:20:20 GMT

The subtitles for the Chelsea flower show on BBC tonight were ridiculous, dam nigh in the middle of the screen!

Really annoying.

Re: Subtitle display and positioning

PIFNUFC — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 19:20:02 GMT

Two years later and still nothing has been done. I have just purchased Sky stream and I am stunned by the incompetence.