Subtitles

tvnutz

This article was in the evening herald today but I also found the same one here. Does anyone watch the show with subtitles? I don't know how anyone could,it would ruin the show. I never really had any trouble understanding what they were saying,expect for Snoop the odd time. It took me a while to get used to the slang and the drug codes but after one season you should definatly have a grip on it.

Anything I missed I caught when i watched the show a second time,and its better the second time so why ruin it by watching it with subtitles?

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/used-subtitles-to-watch-the-wire-the-writer-says-thats-just-criminal-1773087.html

greendom

No subtitles is the only way to watch The Wire. I miss so much without them. it's like comparing 2D with 3D for me

amacachi

Only reason I can see for using subtitles is if you can't hear rather than can't understand the dialogue. I sometimes use them on BBC 2 as my TV is crap and putting it louder would wake most of the house. Other than that I have no need for them.

FFS I never heard a lot of the slang used in the show before, but it's fairly obvious what 99% of it means from context.

shenanigans1982

I read that article the other night and laughed when I was reading it, you might not know the exact meaning of a lot of the slang but its easily enough to pick up what they mean by it.

greendom

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

I read that article the other night and laughed when I was reading it, you might not know the exact meaning of a lot of the slang but its easily enough to pick up what they mean by it.

Well the subtitles don't provide a translation, they just back up/confirm what you think you heard. I couldn't live without them; I do have kids up in bed so maybe the volume is lower than it might otherwise be; it just enhances the overall experience for me

krudler

I liked deciphering what some of the slang meant as the show went on,most of it is pretty easy but there were a few phrases I dint catch what they meant at first, thats the best thing about The Wire, there's no handholding for the audience, either you're paying attention or you're not, up to you. using subtitles to watch it is criminal, itd completely take me out of watching it

greendom

krudler wrote: »

I liked deciphering what some of the slang meant as the show went on,most of it is pretty easy but there were a few phrases I dint catch what they meant at first, thats the best thing about The Wire, there's no handholding for the audience, either you're paying attention or you're not, up to you. using subtitles to watch it is criminal, itd completely take me out of watching it

Criminal - that's a bit much isn't it? I enjoy watching it with subtitles, you don't. it's not really any deeper than that is it?

komodosp

There's an awful lot of mumbling which is why I use the subtitles, nothing to do with slang.
Don't think it takes away from the realism because for a lot of the time if someone in real life said the same thing, other people would be saying, "What? What did you say?" - don't have this luxury when it's on telly unless you want to keep rewinding.

Goodluck2me

Season 2 and 4 ok without subtitles.

It really enhanced it for me as you know what was going on straight away in stead of wondering.

FruitLover

It never even occurred to me to use subtitles TBH. I don't think it takes all that much intelligence to figure out what's being said.

JJ

I lived in Baltimore for 3 years yet I use the subtitles some or most of the time. My hearing isn't always the greatest and I don't want to turn it up too loud with a kid sleeping in the house so I just switch on the subtitles.

Dandelion6

I had to watch the first season with subtitles because I watched it with my Dad whose hearing isn't great. Then I just got used to them.

Degag

Yeah, i used subtitles for all 5 seasons. Although in hindsight i may have only needed them for season 1 where i was trying to find out about characters and remember whether they were "good or bad" etc.

Wacker

JJ wrote: »

I lived in Baltimore for 3 years...

...My hearing isn't always the greatest

All the gunshots do it in?:pac:

XDivaX

Well it is a brilliant thing for deaf people like myself