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Netflix to add subtitles to streaming videos next year

Netflix has announced that it will finally add subtitles to its video streaming library, however, not until next year.

CEO Reed Hastings says the lack of subtitles has been one of the biggest complaints about the service's "Watch Instantly" streaming library.



Netflix will finish creating the text files that will "give customers the option of enacting captions on digital titles on devices using Microsoft’s Silverlight components sometime in 2010, adds Netflix chief product officer Neil Hunt.

“Captioning is in our development plans but is about a year away,” Hunt finished.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 16 Jun 2009 0:43

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• 9 comments

• KillerBug

  Without the ability to change the audio stream, there is little use for this, other than the hearing impared.

  16.6.2009 05:26 #1

• les1941

  closed captions is the main reason most of us have hearing problems rent dvd insted of watching netflix streaming.

  16.6.2009 12:53 #2

• 5fdpfan

  Quote:closed captions is the main reason most of us have hearing problems ????? okay. Not sure I follow. Makes much more sense to blame too loud of volume for harming our ears but, whatever.

  16.6.2009 13:07 #3

• BobL

  What les1941 is saying is that "most of us who have hearing problems rent DVD's instead of streaming movies on netflix because netflix doesn't have the closed captions". He just didn't word it very well.
  
  I give a big HORRAY to netflix for finally deciding to add these closed captions. I just wish we didn't have to wait another year. But, I've been a netflix subscriber continuously since 2000, so what's another year??! I'll just be happy when I'll be able to make better use of their streaming when they finally add the captions.
  
  I wonder if they'll be supported on all "watching devices", or only on Windows devices? I really want to stream my netflix on my Tivo (and have captions)

  16.6.2009 14:30 #4

• les1941

  thank you I did not make myself clear as I do have a hearing problem.

  16.6.2009 14:51 #5

• khmernize

  Finally, I can watch movies with subtitles.

  16.6.2009 19:45 #6

• ksywa

  how about improving movie availability?
  current selection is just pathetic.another wish improve video quality at least make it as good as hulu...

  16.6.2009 19:54 #7

• pasjk

  I have not had subtitles on only 1 streaming film so far. It was a Korean film. I watch Japanese, Korean, French, Hungarian etc.

  18.6.2009 08:15 #8

• jeniferjs

  You have to open you mind, Killerbug. Captioning is used by far more people than "the hearing impaired" (and who are not an inconsequential number anyway!). Over 100 million Americans, including 28 million individuals with hearing loss, 30 million people for whom English is a second language, 27 million illiterate adults, 12 million children learning how to read and 4 million remedial readers are among those who often turn on captioning on TV. Why wouldn't they do on these videoclips.

  25.6.2009 17:51 #9