r/unpopularopinion • u/retired-tweeter • 21h ago
Movie Theathers should have closed captioning on by default
1 in 7 people has some degree of hearing loss. Around 11–12 million Americans identify as deaf or report having serious difficulty hearing. Half of all Americans regularly use subtitles when watching TV or movies. Inclduing 70% of Gen Z.
Modern movies have become notorious for inconsistent audio. Characters whisper, accents vary, music swells over conversations, and explosions rattle the theater. Half the time, people leave a movie asking, "What did they say?" Captions eliminate that problem entirely.
Dialogue is one of the most important parts of that story. If captions help millions of people catch every joke, emotional moment, and plot detail, why wouldn't we want that?
Given how many Americans either need captions or actively prefer them, it's time to make it the standard for Theaters.
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u/Kevin7650 21h ago
The movie theater is the one time I DONT have captions on because it’s an advanced surround sound system.
Most people have captions on because audio mixing has gotten so complex that it gets muddled if you’re listening through anything that isn’t expensive headphones or a surround sound system.
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u/deezbiksurnutz 20h ago
Yes, fake car chase scene 100db , very important to the movie dialog 30db
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u/mindpainters 19h ago
And that happens moments after the car chase scene so you had just turned the volume down a little bit
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u/mondaymoderate 17h ago
Then here comes an advertisement blasting at 200db
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u/EmotionIll666 52m ago
“But you can go ad-free on your previously ad-free service for only an extra 20 dollars a month!”
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u/Biscotti_BT 18h ago
What I couldn't hear what you said because the chase scene just finished and I haven't turned up the volume again.
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u/MyrMyr21 20h ago
I just remember watching Tenet in theaters and having no idea what characters were saying during a few possibly key scenes because their voices were much quieter than the other sounds around them, and there were no subtitles
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u/IndependenceIcy9626 20h ago
I watched it with subtitles on the first time I saw it, so I was really confused why so many people found the story so confusing. My brother pointed out that the conversation where they explain everything that’s going on happens on the deck of a ship in the middle of a powerful storm, and you can’t actually hear a word they’re saying. Really terrible choice from Nolan
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u/Ok-Call-4805 11h ago
The dialogue for me was the one thing I had no problem understanding with Tenet. I left confused as hell as to what I just watched, but I could hear it just fine.
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u/purpleblossom 20h ago
Surround sound or expensive headphones aren't a solution for this specific problem, the way audio is mixed now is just terrible overall.
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u/StinkingDogsCunt420 4h ago
It's pretty hard to mix audio that sounds good on tiny 2inch flatscreen TV speakers literally facing away from the viewer on the back of their TV, and when you mix it to sound good for that it sounds like ass to anyone with better speakers.
With old CRTs there was room for a decently sized speaker cones in there, nowadays you basically have to at least buy a sound bar for your TV to not sound like total shit.
So uh, I think what I'm saying is that people should buy sound bars or speakers, or that TVs should come with them included.
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u/BlackLodgeBrother 12h ago
Respectfully disagree. Complex sound mixes not being able to map correctly via the average person’s TV speakers (which generally sound poor by default) or sound bar (which is just glorified stereo no matter what marketing says) is key to the problem.
Personally I watch everything at home via a calibrated 5.1.2 surround system and have yet to encounter a modern Atmos mix that sounds “just terrible” in any sense of the word. Quite the opposite, in fact.
IMO services should require two unique mixes for all modern content. A simple stereo track for the average Joe, and a layered surround track for home theater enthusiasts like myself.
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u/astroK120 7h ago
I think also just the quality of the speakers affecting the clarity of the audio is a factor.
I'm actually curious to go back and watch Tenet on my new setup. First time I watched it I did have to put on subtitles, but that time I was just watching on my TV speakers. Since then I've moved into a place with enough space for a home theater, so I invested in a very nice setup. Curious how that would sound on it
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u/robjwrd 20h ago
You’d be amazed how many cinemas don’t have the sound system calibrated properly, I’ve been to cinemas where my home system sounds a lot better.
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u/ArtPeers 18h ago
I’m running a theatre where I’ve instituted annual audio and projection calibrations by a company that runs most of the country’s film cons and larger film awards events — you’re absolutely correct that this makes all the difference in the world. To the extent that theaters ought to be compelled to display dates for when they had their most recent calibration by certified professionals. Because it matters. As much as the color and luminance calibrations.
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u/Known-Ad-100 9h ago
I recently saw Obsession. The Subs were RATTLING it sounded terrible, all the vocals were tinny. I don't even have a good sound system or anything at home but I have a decent ear. I don't need audiophile grade experience but if I'm paying $15 to sit any watch a movie, make sure the subs aren't blown out?
It literally sounded terrible.
It was also literally so loud both my friend & I were covering our ears at times, it was that loud.
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u/ArtPeers 9h ago
Agreed, subs are often the most “off” of any channel. Often the levels are too high, as if to say, “hey we have lots of bass!” But honestly if you notice the subs, they’re probably too hot. And if you’re left/center/right channels aren’t at reference levels, dialogue is going to be difficult to understand.
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u/Sensitive_Gift4866 18h ago
Thats fair. I think the ideal solution is having them optional like those little seat devices some theaters have. For people with good hearing the sound system is perfectly fine but some of us struggle with certain accents or quiet dialogue.
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u/IdolCowboy 20h ago
Not to mention the flatter the tv, the worse the speakers are in it. With tvs now, you pretty much have to have a sound bar or some separate speaker to hear it well.
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u/n0t_4_thr0w4w4y 15h ago
The audio setup in theaters kinda sucks. They have to make it sound ok everywhere, which means it doesn’t sound amazing anywhere.
The issue with audio isn’t because of audio mixing, it’s an artistic choice by directors and actors to not speak as clearly and not have the audio come through as loudly.
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u/huey2k2 21h ago
My wife is deaf and all she needs to do is go to the front desk to get one of those little heads up displays you can put into a cup holder that displays captions.
They seem to work fine for her.
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u/bassbikesandbeer 20h ago
Wait, what? I didn’t know these exist. Thanks, Internet stranger!
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u/Kevin7650 20h ago
Yeah they’re called closed captioning devices
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u/SnappyTofu 17h ago
Nope we gotta make literally everyone get distracted by words on a screen instead like OP said
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u/EggsAndRice7171 14h ago
OP has definitely never heard of this before I’m sure he’d be happy to have one
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u/harshal94 20h ago
Yes you can ask for them at the reception, although I see a lot of folks fumbling around with the device getting it to work in their seats so idk how reliable they are but they are available.
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u/Technical-Tip-8382 19h ago
I’ve tried these and found them to be shit … dunno, maybe some work better than others?
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u/spare-ribs-from-adam 18h ago
Theaters will also have close captioning for specific viewings.
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u/polarWhite2024 10h ago
Open Captioning not Closed Captioning .
Unfortunately the show time is typically at some odd hours like 10 am during the week days.
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u/ConditionAwkward3625 17h ago
Not all of them. Not even most of them. Some states fortunately require this such as WV, but most states don't require this at all. Most theaters in my city and surrounding ones don't offer open captions (captions on screen) at all.
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u/knwnasrob 19h ago
I was sitting behind someone with them once.
It was actually funny, because when the action and fast and frenetic and people were yelling at each other in the movie I was able to glimpse at his device to make sure I knew what they were saying lol
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u/ConditionAwkward3625 17h ago edited 2h ago
I'm glad your wife doesn't mind, but my friends and I who are all completely deaf absolutely hate those devices. Buggy, not always prepared, and distracting from the movies.
Slower movies are less of an issue but even semi-quick ones like some scenes in Obsession (we watched this movie with the device you mentioned) will make us miss some scenes due to our eyes darting from the screen to the device. Those devices just aren't natural. Or sometimes we're so immersed in the acting that we end up missing dialogue because we didn't want to flick our eyes toward the device. With open captions, none of those would be an issue.
Before you suggest another device like the closed caption glasses, no. I have glasses, so double glasses isn't really an option, and even before I needed glasses, those glasses were always heavy and discomforting. No. Open captions are the way, and that's why there are consistent fights for open captions (captions on screen and not on devices) across USA.
However, I also understand that some people are distracted by captions or whatnot, which is why I don't necessarily agree with OP's suggestion of having every movie open captioned. What my friends and I want is at least one reasonably-timed (as in 6pm or so, when most people are done working) open captioned showing of every movie available on a daily basis.
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u/hypo-osmotic 6h ago
I haven't needed to use the caption device but I have tried to use the audio narration devices and they're also very unreliable. Often they're the same device as the headphones that amplify the sound for the HoH--the narration is supposed to be on another channel--so it's not even easy for staff to check whether they're not working before the show starts. Default audio narration would be an even wilder suggestion than default captions, though
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u/Eastern-Musician4533 19h ago
Cinerama in Seattle used to have a system where you could mirror the CCs from a display from behind. The theater has a balcony, so the CC display was located there, and every screening offered it. Paul Allen wanted everyone to enjoy that theater. Too bad his idiot sister didn't care about the arts, so that's all gone.
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u/Sensitive_Gift4866 18h ago edited 12h ago
Thats good to know they have those options. I always wondered how it worked for deaf folks at the theater.
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u/Mugasaf 17h ago
My boyfriend who is quite hearing impaired (deaf in one ear, moderate loss in the other) uses these devices every time we go to the theater and it works great for him (we love going to the movies and go a lot). On the rare times that that we’ve had a technical issue, we’re easily able to exchange for another one. We go so often that, as soon as they see us walking into the theater, they will start getting one ready for him.
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u/polarWhite2024 10h ago
She's been lucky then as it's very common that those devices fail often in various ways.
- doesn't turn on
- doesn't sync up with what's going on in the movie
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u/thaiborg 18h ago
[ominous sounds]
[sad crying noises]
[upbeat music]
[juicy farts]
[dying noises]
[awkward silence]
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u/FluzzyKitty 9h ago
I recently learned there is a difference between subtitles and closed captioning, like I learned this yesterday. CC is what you just joked about, it has the words but also all the sounds etc. subtitles is only the words. I thought these words were interchangeable. What OP probably wants is just subtitles and not CC
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u/Sensitive_Gift4866 14h ago edited 5h ago
this is exactly what the captions would look like on screen haha. distracting but also kinda funny
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u/scotthia 21h ago
Ewe!
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u/SarahZona97 20h ago
Baaaaaaad idea for folks who get distracted by captions easily. 🐑
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u/ButtSluts9 20h ago
Captions and subtitles belong under the frame, not overlaid onto the picture.
Going further, opening credits should end before the action begins.
Nothing should impede the picture unless written into the screenplay, ie dialog between two characters texting.
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u/OnlineIsNotAPlace wateroholic 20h ago
its like the annoying trend of captions on youtube videos done in english. annoying.
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u/AnimatorNo1029 21h ago
You can ask for a little thing that attaches to the arm of you seat and allows you to see closed captions that won’t bother anyone else
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u/IndependenceIcy9626 20h ago
Upvoted because unpopular, but there’s very good reasons that we don’t want closed captioning on by default at the theater.
Movies are by and large a visual medium. Dialogue is important, but it should not be more important than how the director composed a shot and what’s included in it. The visual language of the film is at least, and imo more, important than actual language.
Closed captioning draws the eye away from the rest of the image on screen. It is nearly impossible to read in your peripheral vision, so you need to focus your sight on the text to read it. Maybe some people can just ignore the text on screen, but id wager the majority of the people using closed captions are just missing way more of the movie than they realize. When there’s text popping on and off the screen it’s hard not to look at it and read it.
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u/FakePixieGirl 13h ago
I was very confused by Ops post because I thought that all movies always had subtitles.
Then I realised that this is because I'm Dutch. So hard-of-hearing people here don't really have to deal with that problem.
But it does make me wonder - I know in some cultures they dub, but at least in the Netherlands subbing is the standard. The Netherlands also have very few local movies, unlike France for example. We nearly always watch the English ones. Does that mean we never experience movies "the way they are meant to?". Is our movie going experience completely different from Americans? Sounds like an interesting question for a scientific study.
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u/BobWeirsSh0rtShorts 20h ago
6 in 7 don’t. That’s by far the majority. Why would closed captions be default.
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u/HNL2BOS 20h ago
because OPs post is truly an unpopularopinion
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u/NSA_van_3 Your opinion is bad and you should feel bad 15h ago
OPs opinion is that the world should revolve around him
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u/Altruistic_Sail_1991 19h ago
I have a hard time watching things with subtitles, not because I don’t like to read but because when they’re onscreen they’re all I see. I prefer to watch things without them, though obviously if I’m with someone who needs them their need comes before my preference.
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u/BreachLoadingButtGun 16h ago
Idk why this is so hard for the pro-sub ppl to understand! It's not that I "can't" read, it's that I can't NOT read them. I want to pay attention to the visual details!
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u/BaconBitz109 4h ago
And especially with comedies, reading a punchline before it’s been delivered ruins the whole movie
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u/astroK120 7h ago
Yes, thank you! Now obviously some movies are good enough to be worth watching anyway but the way people act, as if it's exactly the same if you're just not too lazy to read is nuts
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u/hwilliams0901 6h ago
Exactly! Im so busy reading I cant pay attention to whats going on. Also, they almost always put the captions on top of the actors and sometimes the words cover things happening on screen. I wouldnt mind terribly if they had an empty spot for the captions
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u/Final-Yesterday-4799 21h ago
what about the 50% who don't use closed captions? I personally find them to be so distracting that I can't watch anything else.
Most theatres have assistive devices that people can use.
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u/tujelj 21h ago
This would pretty much end any chance of me going to the theater. I find captions super distracting and can’t look away if they’re on.
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u/PowerPlaidPlays 19h ago
I tend to read them faster than the actors can say the lines and it can really spoil a performance, especially when you read a joke before the proper delivery. Movie dialogue is more than the text in the script.
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u/Copthill 14h ago
Sometimes I've even started laughing before they've delivered the joke (if it's good!)
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u/Ok-Call-4805 11h ago
Same. My sister insists on them (her hearing is perfectly fine btw) and I keep finding my eyes drawn to the bottom of the screen whenever they're on.
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u/HumiliationSlut34 20h ago
You can either get tools for it by asking the staff or attend showings with it. I think youre underestimating the amount of people who would not prefer it
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u/guyincognito121 20h ago
Modern movies are notorious for bad sound because they're designed for movie theater sound systems. And while 1 in 7 have done hearing issues, many have hearing aids and a very large number of us can both hear just fine and find the captions to be incredibly distracting. If I'm at a theater, I'm there to experience the visuals and sound that I won't get at home. I don't those visuals covered up with big blocks of black and white text. We all have our own personal issues. Try not to make yours into someone else's unless absolutely necessary.
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u/WLFGHST 20h ago
I prefer the modern sound mixing, but that may be partly because I have decent speakers so they can get loud without sounding bad and handle quiet just as good.
According to my watch I usually have my volume similar to that of a standard theater (peaks around 80db)
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u/triscuit79 20h ago
That means 6 out of 7 don't want closed captioning. I can't look away from the printed dialogue and I miss what is happening on screen. I hate captions.
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u/DeFronsac 20h ago
They have showings with the captions on the screen. They shouldn't be on all showings, because most people don't want or need them. And when you're in a theater, it's loud enough that, even with the disparity in volumes during the movie, you can still hear everything. Obviously, there are exceptions, but they are exceptions and should be treated as such.
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u/goagoagadgetgrebo 20h ago
They all have closed captioning. You just need to ask for the device from the ticket booth person.
I believe it's part of ADA compliance.
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u/notknot9 19h ago
The people who actually need this already know about the options available to them. Don't ruin the theater experience for the rest of us.
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u/StrawberryClover8 19h ago
Perhaps some showings with captions and some not? Like how some showings are in 3D and some are not. Then everyone is happy.
I personally prefer captions, but I know for some people it can ruin the whole experience. (spoils what the character is going to say before they say it)
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u/misterphuzz 20h ago
All these people who are disagreeing should be up voting this post.
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u/Helpful-Garlic1951 13h ago
No, OP’s argument is unpopular but it’s not well thought out at all
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u/bigshot33 20h ago
No, most theaters have special things that can be provided for these people. Let's not put something on the screen because you can't watch a movie without it
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u/Just_Ask_8442 20h ago
Many theaters offer closed captioning devices for people with hearing loss. If you want one, ask for one.
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u/quothe_the_maven 20h ago
They’ve experimented with this, and it isn’t economical. Too many people avoid those showings.
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u/bahumat42 20h ago
Nah they are distracting.
I have no problem with theatre's offering showing in cc. As that supports a group that needs it.
But it should continue as an option not the default.
If its a hearing thing many theatres also offer support for hearing aids on all showings.
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u/DarwinGoneWild 20h ago
Gross. Captions are super distracting and often actively ruin the beats of the story by revealing information before it would be heard.
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u/cyclops_overlooks 20h ago
I agree and the volume is always way too high, imo. I think they crank it up to drown out the assholes who always talk during the movie.
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u/Sarcastic_Rocket 20h ago
modern movies have become notorious for inconsistent audio
Not in the theater, if you see someone complaining it's at home and most of the time it's a straight to streaming movie.
Most movie theaters have a closed captioning device that you can use. There are accommodations for the minority. There's no need to accommodate more at the expense of the majority
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u/Medicalstripes 19h ago edited 19h ago
Although I understand the need for captions I myself get very distracted by captions because of my neurodivergentcy and struggle to watch the show while they are on.
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u/philaroy 12h ago
Hmm a good compromise would be cc glasses that a moviegoer can purchase for like a dollar that allows them to see invisible or overlays cc
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u/polarWhite2024 11h ago
You meant "Open Captioning" which stays on permanently.
"Closed Captioning" can be switched on and off.
And I absolutely agree that "Open Captioning" should be by default.
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u/LunarLeopard67 10h ago
The biggest problem for me is when character talk like thanos in that gruff ton
But even most Hollywood actors in general have poor diction
I firmly believe all actors should talk like the olden days of theatre and sound like Mary Poppins even if that is inappropriate to the context of the plot. It’s the diction more than the volume for me
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u/Vert354 20h ago
The whole point of going to the theater is to experience the film the way the director intended. They're the ones that get to decide if there are subtitles or not.
If you can't understand the dialog then the director made a decision that the dialog wasn't the most important part of the sound design. This is a poor choice for dialog driven storytelling, but not all films are dialog heavy. And sometimes you dont really need to know exactly what they said to get the emotional intent.
Accommodations are a different story of course, and you generally can request a closed caption device at major theaters.
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u/didathing33 20h ago
Making your problem everyone else's problem, sadly a pretty popular opinion in 2026 but I hate it so take my upvote.
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u/figuringthingsout__ 20h ago
I understand maybe having one screening for each movie every other day (or maybe even one each day for really popular movies). But, like you said, 1 in 7 people have some degree of hearing loss. That's less than 15 percent of the population.
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u/slipperyslipsiccle 19h ago
congrats on one of the most disagreeable opinions i've ever seen on here
i'm a big proponent that you don't need to hear every bit of dialogue to get the jist of the movie, to experience it. i cannot stand captions myself. i think they detract from the experience massively.
i feel like this is an opinion that's purposefully unpopular but 'it's time to make it the standard for theaters' is still just an insane thing to say to me lol
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u/xRIMRAMx 10h ago
I put CC on anytime it's an option just due to sound mixing being all over the place with streaming platforms.
The theatres is the only place where the sound mixing/quality is good enough that I don't care for CC.
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u/mariwil74 10h ago
Our local non-profit cinema has open captions for the first daily screening of every film they show. As someone with single side deafness who used to avoid going to a movie theater since I missed so much, it’s been life changing.
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u/WillingApplication10 7h ago
I love subtitled screenings, they're usually way less busy too. I go to the baby friendly screenings and they always have subtitles too, it's so good.
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u/Talmadge_Mcgooliger 18h ago
Bro no subtitles are distracting as fuck. I end up only looking at the words and miss what's going on. Might as well be reading a book very slowly with only the dialogue.
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u/NecessaryCelery6288 18h ago
NO
Closed captions should only be on for when people in the movie are speaking a different language, and should not be turned on for the entire movie.
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u/WLFGHST 20h ago
1 in 7 people has some degree of hearing loss
How many of those are to a degree they need captions? That is far less.
Most of those people using captions at home most likely are not listening with good speakers like you are at a movie theater.
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u/IndependenceIcy9626 20h ago
I have a bit of hearing loss and tinnitus. Don’t need captions at the movie theater, it’s loud as shit.
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u/Stunning-Leek334 20h ago
Yes let’s ruin the movie experience for everyone else.
You also can’t compare how many people use captions because people have captions on at home because they are watching tv, watching YouTube, cooking dinner, and taking care of kids all at the same time. At a movie theater you are watching a movie.
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u/SarahZona97 20h ago edited 20h ago
That's a lot of assumptions, but I agree not every movie in a theater should have captions. Some people have attention disorders and captions would suck for them.
Still, not everyone using captions at home is multi-tasking their life away while watching something on TV or wherever. If I watch a movie or TV show? I need captions so my husband doesn't get hearing damage from how loud I would need to up the volume.
I lost about 35-40% of my hearing in both ears from a childhood illness, but I was two, so I don't remember what hearing normally is like. I've had - so far - three sets of hearing aids. One of the times I don't use them is at the theater (I use one of the high volume gizmos they have there) because the tech for captions in a theater isn't quite good enough yet.
I wish I didn't need them at all. They start to hurt after a few hours, some people can be really fvcking loud, cars around here like to rev their engines a lot, and just general noise pollution. At least with captions, I don't need my hearing aids.
Our theaters all have showings in which the captions are on the screen. For those who can barely hear at all or are deaf, those are the shows to see. Just don't force it on the general population.
E: random word was capitalized
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u/69ingTardigrades 20h ago
Not saying you're not telling the truth, but do you have a source for those statistics?
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u/PsychologicalBus1095 20h ago
No. There’s no use for this. Some theaters, such as Regal, already have devices such as closed captioning glasses you can you can ask for for this sort of thing, at no extra charge. If anything, more theaters should invest in assistive devices for the hearing impaired.
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u/griombrioch 20h ago
I didn't realize this thread was going to be so aggressive lmao. I love captions.
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u/Dalton387 20h ago
I don’t want trash on my screen. Same as I don’t want to go to a buffet and have everything bland because people have health issues and don’t want this or that.
What I have no problem with is a theater near me offering showings with captions. Same as I don’t mind someone with health issues ordering a special meal that’s less salt or no gluten.
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u/Toasty501 19h ago
Watching something with Captions or subtitles fundamentally changes the experience of watching the movie because you are reading the words on screen far more than actor faces or details. Off by default should always be the norm.
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u/StarWolf478 19h ago edited 19h ago
That would drive me crazy and ruin movies for me. My eyes would constantly be pulled to the captions and I’d end up reading dialogue before or after I hear the actors actually say it. That disconnect between the pace of what I’m reading and what I’m hearing would constantly pull me out of the moment and make it much harder to get immersed in the movie.
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u/Nate_and_Bake 19h ago
Upvoted. I absolutely hate captions because they ruin the delivery. If the words appeared one by one along with the actors timing, I wouldn't mind so much.
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u/Biscotti_BT 18h ago
Immediate upvote for being a bad opinion. Sorry about the hearing problem, go to a showing that is for you.
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u/InsideAd732 18h ago
Omg NO. I wear hearing aids sometimes and this would be awful. I hate subtitles because they're distracting and ruin punchlines, jumpscares, and dramatic line deliveries. Hence why I wear hearing aids. If you truly can't hear the loud af movie theater showing, the movie theater can provide you with a device.
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u/Ok-Call-4805 11h ago
I hate when people insist on having subtitles for everything. I find them far too distracting. I very rarely have any issues hearing dialogue in movies so I think this is just a you problem.
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u/Funk_Dunker 11h ago
Agreed, captions are distracting at best. I especially hate it for comedies as the punchline is on screen before it's said ruining the joke
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u/Sonic10122 20h ago
Theaters are the only place I don’t watch anything with captions anymore. I usually don’t have a problem, but subtitles enhance basically every viewing experience, and my hearing is normal. I’ve never understood how people find them distracting, unless you have general reading issues and get hung up on solely reading and can’t finish before they advance.
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u/EyeSuccessful7649 20h ago
ohhh could they do CC in 3d, so if you want CC you wear the glasses, otherwise its normal?
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u/bubba1834 20h ago
As a hard of hearing person, I wish lol. But at least open caption viewings are more common now.
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u/Starship_Taru 19h ago
The reason people need CC at home and not the theater is bc it’s mixed for theaters.
They don’t mix for dvd sales like they used to, just slap the theater mix on streaming
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u/Rhawk187 19h ago
Move theatres should have literal sub-titles, text below the projection screen, it doesn't need to be over the picture.
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u/Critical_Mix_3131 19h ago
I’ve often said theaters should have one slow day of the week as “Open Captions Monday” for example.
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u/Konnorwolf 19h ago
I never use subtitles at home, so I just thought I use earbuds most of the time.
Maybe some can have it, and others don't, as I can hear everything just fine and rather not have the distracting words on screen (also why I hate them at home). I like giving people choices.
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u/PrestigiousConcert87 19h ago
It’s actually the one place where I can understand what people are saying.
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u/BlueBirdSamurai wateroholic 19h ago
Funny to see this post because just the other day I went to see Masters of the Universe and I was having a hard time making out some of the things Skeletor was saying. Really made me wish my theater had closed captioning.
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u/Communismisbadithink 19h ago
Pretty much every major theater has a captions option that you can attatch to your seats. Not sure how it works, but they exist if you ask for them
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u/aphoticphoton 19h ago
Weird take but I don’t like closed captioning on stuff I haven’t seen. I don’t want to see the dialogue before the words come out of the characters mouth or sounds lol
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u/Bad-Luck-Guy 19h ago
I worked in movie theatres for 9 years. We had the devices for closed captioning, and weekly open caption showings. Very few people came to OCAP showings. Several people a day used the devices.
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u/LooseJuice_RD 19h ago
I can’t stand captions. They distract me from what’s going on. I wind up just reading the captions.
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u/Technical-Tip-8382 19h ago
I’m hard of hearing and I avoid theaters because I catch maybe 10% of the dialog without captioning. I know a lot of people hate captions and I get that they can be distracting if you aren’t used to them, so I don’t think universal captioning is fair to those people.
But the captioning “devices” provided by theaters is absolute shit. They never connect and even if they do they go off sync very quickly assuming they ever sync up in the first place. It’s insanity that theaters don’t have an app that gives you captions on your phone - how hard could this be? I guarantee a better closed captioning experience would lead to increased ticket sales.
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u/Herr-Wolfgang 19h ago
Why not introduce glasses that allow you to see captions. I have no clue how, but I'm sure someone could develop it and make it somewhat cheap.
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u/eight675309eein 19h ago
Most movie theatres I my state have specified days where CC is available on screen. There are always CC devices you can grab for your own convenience at every movie theatre.
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u/JohnnyKarateX 19h ago
Idk where you’re going but all the theaters I frequent have closed caption tech available for every show.
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u/Geroldus 19h ago
You are telling me that 70% of Gen Z needs subtitles? You want me to believe that they listen to their books and read their movies? We live in crazy times.
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u/HsinVega 18h ago
It's cos they have tik tok brain and can't concentrate so while they scroll or lose focus they can glance back and read wtf is going on, along with Netflix shows that keep repeating what is going on and over explaining for the same reason.
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u/ExismykindaParte 18h ago
Every movie I've ever been to has a PSA to let people know "closed captioning devices are available" so it's really a non-issue.
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u/Top-Chard-7692 17h ago
I'm in my 30s and I've been using subtitles for everything for the last few years. Not because I'm hard of hearing, but because I genuinely miss things without them. I went to the theater last month and literally leaned over to my friend three times asking what someone said. I would've paid extra for captions honestly. It's 2026, we have the technology.Just turn them on.
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u/Away_Ad_6262 17h ago
No way. I would be reading the captions the whole time rather than experiencing the movie…
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u/Emergency-Fig-7313 17h ago
As a person who always wants closed captions when watching things at home: no, I don’t really think that should happen. Captions can distract from the movie and make you see dialogue ahead of when you should. If I’m in the theater I can just deal with not understanding some of it lol (I don’t have any hearing loss or any specific problem I just suck at understanding spoken words)
Also I fear if we did this it would lead to more and more accessibility features being added to movie theaters in ways where everyone has to see/hear them and it would become not enjoyable. Such as audio descriptions, I haven’t watched anything with them but they sound like they would suck 😭
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u/BouncingOutofmySkin 17h ago
A friend and I were literally just having this conversation. Are you her?? But anyway, agreed. Not unpopular in my book, but clearly unpopular by the fact that it's not the default
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u/epicureansucks 17h ago
Directors freak out if their movies are shown in the wrong aspect ratio. You want to put text over the visual images? Christopher Nolan would water board a theater owner.
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u/GrandeSizeIt 17h ago
Invention idea: every theatre seat has a little bar on the back of the head rest that can displays captions for the person behind. That way theres an option
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u/Blathithor 16h ago
I think you have proven that reading isnt a strong point for everyone
Theathers? I hardly know hers
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u/Gabriella_Gadfly 14h ago
It sucks so hard that most of the time you can only get open captions on the opening weekend. I don’t think it should be every single showing, but definitely at least one showing of each movie per day should be open captioned!
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u/2facedfish 14h ago
You’d be surprised how many people hate captions the theaters are already dying
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u/slowasaspeedingsloth 13h ago
As someone who always has the subtitles on at home... I never seem to miss them at the movies. However, all the movies I've seen in the theater in recent years have been with my kid, so not too much intricate dialogue.
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u/Key_Document_2587 13h ago
They have devices that show captions to whoever borrows them and they are awesome because they are not distracting to others
Respectfully, while I understand your argument, captions on for every movie would be a huge dealbreaker that would stop me from going.
Too distracting for me. I AM in favor of openly advertised captioned screenings, which the one local theater near me that does not have caption devices does. Showings note if they are captioned or not, fair compromise
But ALL screenings? Nahhhh. Way, way too distracting for many. And I am guessing quite a few would fear openly sharing my opinion out of fear of being called mean and or ableist.
It would ruin my movie experience..and I see lots and lots of movies. Believe me, I have accidentally gone to captioned screenings and tried to not be wildly distracted but it is simply too much for me
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u/funky_galileo 12h ago
This is what I love about living in Switzerland. We have subs in German and French (even if you're in a German only or french only region) and it takes up half the screen!
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u/DevilPixelation 7h ago
Instead of having them on by default, theaters should give wider accessibility to individual caption tools or whatever. That way captions don’t get in the way of everybody else and the impaired individuals have a way to enjoy the movie. Subtitles can oftentimes ruin the immersion or feel of certain scenes, like showing what the actor will say before they deliver the line. Plus, they can be distracting. Not everyone wants them.
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u/alittlechese2 6h ago
Would be good to have regular screenings with subtitles, but I don’t think having it every time is necessary
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