There is now a new way to watch Netflix with subtitles, as long as you’re ready to dive into the final season of You.
Dialogue-Only Subtitles Strip Out Audio Cues, Speaker Names, and More
You’re probably aware of the captioning option for the deaf and hard of hearing, also known as SDH/CC. When enabled, you’ll see audio cues like “[phone buzzing]” along with speaker names.
That’s not useful if you’re just interested in better understanding what’s being said in your favorite TV show or movie.
Netflix is adding a new way to use subtitles on their own. Starting with the fifth and final season of You, it’s possible to instead select a new subtitle option that only shows the dialogue.
To do that, open the language picker and selectEnglishas your subtitle option, instead ofEnglish (CC).
Netflix says that the new subtitle type will be available on all new Netflix originals in every language offered going forward, along with the existing SDH/CC option.
All thecurrent caption options from Netflix are also customizable; you can tweak both the size and font of the information on the screen. To do that on a TV or streaming device, select the player controls at the bottom of the screen. Then chooseSettingsto adjust the subtitle size and font. IfSettingsisn’t shown on screen, your device doesn’t support customization options.
Netflix Should Provide the New Subtitle Options Across Its Catalog
Subtitles are popular with Netflix users—the streaming giant says almost half of viewing hours have subtitles turned on. Even for those without hearing problems, there are a number of reasons to use subtitles, like someone sleeping in the same room, wanting to keep better track of the dialogue, or because of subpar home theater equipment.
While it’s nice to see Netflix start adding the dialog-only subtitle option, it should also do the extra work to roll it out to all existing content. That would make the feature much more useful, especially if you’re looking for something else to watch besides a Netflix original.
Many houses are split on whether to use captions when watching TV. Some peopleavoid subtitles for a more immersive experiencewhile allowing better focus on the dialogue. You’ll also benefit from less screen clutter and train your memory and comprehension.
On the other side of the stage, many peopleenjoy subtitles so they won’t miss a bit of dialogue, especially with the poor state of modern sound mixing.
If you’re a fan of subtitles, the new dialogue option on Netflix sounds great. Thankfully, I am a fan of You, so I will verify to try it out instead of simply using my AirPods to listen privately without disturbing others in my household.
