UPC Digital - Subtitles?

ManAboutCouch

Evenin' All.

I have UPC Digital and the DVR box and find it very good. I do have one slightly technical question that someone knowledgeable may be able to answer though - my hearing is pretty poor and I rely on Teletext Subtitles, to the extent that if it doesn't have subtitles I won't watch it. (Which, very poor programming aside, is why I have never watched more than 5 minutes of TV3)

BBC1 & 2, ITV and C4 all have subtitles on the digital service that I can record and playback using the DVR, which is great, even if the subtitles get out of sync and/or vanish for a minute or two occassionally. (An aside: is this a network problem, or something that might get addressed in a future DVR software update?)

I would mostly watch BBC2 and C4 in any case, but none of the other channels that I would be interested in (RTE 1 & 2, Film Four, E4, some of the Discovery stuff etc.) carry subtitles on the digital service. I know that some programming on E4 on the analogue service has subtitles, as do some programmes on Paramount Comedy and Discovery.

My question is why don't these channels have subtitles on the digital service? And are there any plans for adding subtitles to these channels in the future?

Is it simply a bandwidth issue? Or is it something to do with the re-transmission rights that UPC have paid for (i.e. it costs them less to buy in the channel if they strip off the subtitling.) If it is as simple as the hamster in HQ forgetting to flip a switch somewhere, it might be worth a couple of hours of my life stuck on hold to the Tech Support team to get it looked into.

carbsy

I myself suffer from tinnitus and like you I only watch films etc that have subtitles and find TV3 extremely fustrating as they never carry subtitles for any films they show.The only thing they seem to subtitle are soaps! Disgrace! :mad:

com7

i think they strip out some of the txt stuff to save on bandwidth space but i could be wrong

ciscokidder

they used not have any subs on cable tv (stripped them out) but I they do now, is there a subtitle button on your remote (not text then 888)

icdg

Its not a case that its "stripped out". Teletext is not strictly part of the DVB system, so it needs to be specifically re-inserted by the network operator/broadcaster depending on the platform. UK DTT has no teletext at all, although Sky Digital has had it since day one more-or-less.

NTL didn't bother doing this at first, though they started with the UK & Irish terrestrials a good while back (must be two years at this stage). It has become available on other channels now also, although a lot of cable/satellite broadcasters have ceased teletext transmissions.

As for digital subtitles (ie, generated by the STB), they are only available on UK terrestrial channels, at least on NTL-originated boxes. Chorus & UPC STBs may be different.

davepc

Bit of a bump for this old topic

Is there now digital subtitles for RTE etc. on UPC?
And can you record them with the Digital + HD box?

Also is it possible to record old telitext 888 subtitles?

Thanks

d8player

davepc wrote: »

Bit of a bump for this old topic

Is there now digital subtitles for RTE etc. on UPC?
And can you record them with the Digital + HD box?

Also is it possible to record old telitext 888 subtitles?

Thanks

The teletext stream is actually recorded and there's a little bit of a trick to getting it to display. When you're watching a recorded program change your remote to TV mode making sure that the TV does not receive the signal (or else use a non-UPC remote). I usually just cover the infra red output with my hand. Then when you select the text button on the remote it should work. For subtitles as normal go to 888 (or 891 on TV5).

The funny thing is that you can actually browse teletext as it was when you recorded the program so you can get the full news and sport from whenever that was. I recorded the Ireland vs Wales grand slam match and now I can still read the match preview from Aertel.

abraxas01

Had a chat with me buddy in UPC about this, and did a little bit of a test on my own box here, as he's based in NL and not 100% on what they do in Ireland.

It seems as if the 888 subtitles are being converted by chorus NTL to display as having subtitles available on the info section on the Digital + box e.g. if you go to info section on a programme, and highlight the subtitles, you can change setting to English. Tested this on Virgin1, which as I understand it doesn't provide DVB subtitles.

Also, if you record a programme that has 888 subtitles, you can view these subtitles from the recording even if you didn't have them switched on when you started the recording. I've tested this myself at home and works fine.

d8player

I notice that they have dropped the TV5 digital subtitles. You used to be able to choose from each of the four available languages but not even though it says English is available nothing comes up. If they're just scanning the teletext subtitles on #888 this won't work as (a) TV5 doesn't have English subtitles and (b) they're not on #888.

DRice

ironically i have the subtitles appearing for every program including Sky sports!!! how do i get rid of them?

i>subtitles>off works for the program i am watching but they are back when i watch something else

using the UPC mediabox digital video recorder

dunworth1

DRice wrote: »

ironically i have the subtitles appearing for every program including Sky sports!!! how do i get rid of them?

i>subtitles>off works for the program i am watching but they are back when i watch something else

using the UPC mediabox digital video recorder

press menu

then go into settings

then into preference settings

move down to subtitle language

press the left arrow button on the remote.

where it said english it will now show off

then press the ok button

then press the upc button

then all the subtitles should be turned off

Ruatha

DRice wrote: »

ironically i have the subtitles appearing for every program including Sky sports!!! how do i get rid of them?

i>subtitles>off works for the program i am watching but they are back when i watch something else

using the UPC mediabox digital video recorder

I had the exact same problem, thanks for the tip Dunworth1 - the only thing I will add is that you need to press OK before pressing the UPC button or else the OFF setting is not saved.

dunworth1

Ruatha wrote: »

I had the exact same problem, thanks for the tip Dunworth1 - the only thing I will add is that you need to press OK before pressing the UPC button or else the OFF setting is not saved.

no problem i'm glad to help

i fixed the error in my post thanks for pointing it out to me

Yenwod

Ah finally, a solution! Thanks!

I had been turning them off manually...then went into the main settings and turned them off there but they were still randomly popping up. Hadn't been pressing OK after turning them off though.