this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2026
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[–] Godort@lemmy.ca 84 points 1 month ago (8 children)

This is torture if the subtitles don't match.

I have a soft spot for dubbed anime and always have, but in pretty much every case, the subtitles are not a transcript of the dub, they're a translation of the original Japanese.

As a result, the feeling you get trying to watch that is not unlike going up a set of stairs and miscounting, but for every sentence.

[–] Drusas@fedia.io 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's also torture if the subtitles don't (reasonably) match for non-dubbed content.

This bothers me more with captioning for English language movies in English. They abbreviate a lot to make it easier to quickly read what is being said. Sometimes that makes perfect sense and is very useful. A lot of the time, they're just cutting out details for no good reason.

[–] nshibj@lemmy.world 20 points 1 month ago

It's also very annoying for non-native speakers who want to listen to the original audio and have the subtitles as help when they don't understand something:

  • what was that one word I didn't get?
  • subtitles: completely different sentence (with the same meaning, OK, but different words)
[–] Raccoon_Rick@altgag.net 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

AI generated subtitles are utter garbage. Combine that with idiots who can’t be bothered to check their 60 second long video for mistakes and you basically end up with subtitles that have no reason of being there in the first place

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[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 8 points 1 month ago

I prefer just listening to it in Japanese, but even knowing just basic Japanese you start seeing inaccurate translations in the subtitles too (especially with cussing).

[–] remon@ani.social 8 points 1 month ago

If you want the subtitles to match the dub you have to specifically look for dubtitles or CC. But they are rather rare.

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[–] Raccoon_Rick@altgag.net 75 points 1 month ago (5 children)
[–] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

On the bright side: I don't spoil the video myself because i read too fast

On the bad side: JESUS CHRIST I WANNA READ, MY BRAIN CAN'T BEAR YOUR SLOWNESS

*rarely the case but if i have subtitles that's the reason, either that or the speak has a strong Bri’ish🍵 or Freedom 🦅🦅🦅 accent

[–] diaphragmwp@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I read so fast that with long subtitles I have too much time to think about me being useless

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[–] Whostosay@sh.itjust.works 66 points 1 month ago (7 children)

If a motherfucker could properly mix audio I wouldn't need them.

If I wouldn't have to turn the volume ALL THE WAY UP followed by ALL THE WAY DOWN because your show/movie can't decide if we're whispering or blowing the planet up every ten seconds, I wouldn't need them.

[–] SirLeToet@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago (6 children)

They often claim you need a proper audio setup.

I have an expensive (be it old) surround sound setup. Marvel and many other modern movies suck absolute arse. Having to pause and fiddle with volume going from a barely audible conversation to deafening noise in a single scene.

Fuck that noise, audio seems optimized for smartphone speakers nowadays.

[–] user224@lemmy.sdf.org 23 points 1 month ago (2 children)

What if, hear me out, they changed the format a bit to supply 2 separate audio tracks. One for voice, one for effects. Then we could adjust it ourselves.

[–] Leviathan@fedinsfw.app 9 points 1 month ago

I'd vote for you

[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

They kinda do that with surround. Dialogue is mostly isolated to the center speaker.

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[–] domi@lemmy.secnd.me 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Boost your center channel and/or enable dialogue enhancer.

Won't help with Marvel movies (their mixing sucks ass) but most others.

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[–] AmyAye@nord.pub 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

"Yeah well, it sounds perfect in my soundproof bunker on my $10,000 cans, I don't know why you think Inwould test the sound out in a cluttered living room setting on a $300 TV with no surround sound."

-- Average Present Day Audio Engineer

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[–] perishthethought@piefed.social 28 points 1 month ago (8 children)
[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 26 points 1 month ago (2 children)

[speaking in a foreign language]

[–] stretch2m@infosec.pub 16 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I love it when the show puts the foreign language subtitles in the show, and the [SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE] covers up the original subtitles.

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[–] iknewitwhenisawit@fedinsfw.app 13 points 1 month ago

I love it when the subtitle says the name of the song playing. I've learned a few tunes that I enjoy this way!

[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

[Uplifting music]

[–] MrShankles@reddthat.com 8 points 1 month ago

[Inhuman snarls]

Probably my favorite one that I've seen

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 7 points 1 month ago

[music stops]

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 7 points 1 month ago

[🎵Singing🎵]

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[–] ISolox@lemmy.world 27 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's not even like I can't hear or anything. It's just sound mixing is terrible.

[–] Bieren@lemmy.today 13 points 1 month ago (7 children)

It really is amazing to me how subtitles have become the norm. Everyone I know uses them. And it’s all cause the audio is just trash. No matter the audio setup. Expensive atmos surround sound, entry level sound bar, Sonos whatever, tv speakers. They all sound like shit and everyone uses subtitles.

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[–] craftrabbit@lemmy.zip 19 points 1 month ago (2 children)

If subtitles are so great, why aren't there any supertitles yet?

[–] Flower@sh.itjust.works 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Supertitles are in opera or theatre where they show translated text on a screen above the stage.

[–] Rooster326@programming.dev 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Wait... Is this a real thing?

I'm not rich enough to have ever been to the Opera

[–] Flower@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 month ago

I don't go to Opera either because I'm a cheapskate, but these things do exist.

[–] cannedtuna@lemmy.world 14 points 1 month ago

Burn, forced, ASS… subtitles are great, but what about domtitles?

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (4 children)

When and why did this become a thing? Half the people I know are like this

[–] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 9 points 1 month ago

I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYJtb2YXae8

So it's layered and complex.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

It's a vicious circle, these past twenty years. Before then, movie makers made effort to ensure dialog could be heard and understood. There's a line in Casino Royal that James mumbles, "He's a bloody idiot, then", but you can still understand him, it's meant to be mumbled, Eva Greene asks "What?", but he's understandable when he's acting like he's mumbling. They wouldn't even make him unintelligible for a line that was meant to be unintelligible.

Without subtitles, when I don't have them for whatever reason, sometimes I need to rewind, and turn up the volume to catch a single word the actor mumbled. Sometimes, I never hear what they said, and I just move on. Was that important? I don't know.

We started watching with subtitles because we couldn't hear what the actors are saying.

"Big explosions go boom, everyone likes loud music."

Actors don't need to speak clearly, which adds "atmosphere" or whatever, because everyone is watching with subtitles.

[–] rockerface@lemmy.cafe 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

It always had been like this. Before subtitles became commonplace, we just straight up didn't hear half of the words and suffered in solitude.

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[–] Boozilla@sh.itjust.works 11 points 1 month ago

Background Music: destroys your eardrums

Brit Lowtalker Villain: we gunna mumbly the wumbky aintwe guvnah

[–] Redditmodstouchgrass@lemmy.zip 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Even with headphones, man. The sound departments really need an overhaul or something.

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[–] HappyCatLuvs_U@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

If you're gonna talk about me behind my back, I'm gonna steal your meme!

[–] Proprietary_Blend@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I was watching a Chernobyl documentary. When there were Russian speakers with subtitles already provided, the cc settings added "SPEAKING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE" over the useful text. I know a bit of Russian and was able to follow. Still duh

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[–] Ellvix@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

I give talks and training in the accessibility space, and have literally this image when I make a point about audio processing and cognitive issues. Another example "I need to park, hold on let me turn the music down I can't see the parking spots"

[–] baronvonj@piefed.social 7 points 1 month ago (5 children)

You would probably benefit from a soundbar with center channel speaker.

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 30 points 1 month ago

That helps a bit but doesn't fix studios not remixing audio properly from the theater mix to home audio where the majority of people have basic stereo. No excuse since every physical format and online service supports multiple audio streams.

[–] red_bull_of_juarez@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Some of us just can't hear properly.

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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I've got full 5.1 surround and subtitles are crucial.

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[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 month ago

Doesn't matter, if the actor got heavy accent or they're whispering, it help so much. It also doesn't disturb the neighbours.

[–] Godric@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago

So I thought, but I'm still a remote jockey, constantly bouncing between gunshots, scene-setting music, and whispered dialogue.

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