Multilingual shows on Apple TV continue to be plagued by inept subtitling.
Why, when watching the new “Land of Women” on an AppleTV set to English, with subtitles set to automatic, do I receive subtitles for English as well as Spanish?!
Please provide a setting to turn this OFF. Neither automatic nor English works in subtitle settings.
hermeneut wrote:
Apple TV+ provides multiple subtitle files for shows as it operates in multiple language markets. Selecting Auto should only display English when required, if English at set at OS level as the default language. It should not provide English subtitles all the time. This is an error in the English subtitling provided with the programme, or it is an OS bug. MacJim’s reply suggests this is an OS bug. I will try the next episode to see if the problem persists.
My experience was that it was not a bug as it worked exactly as expected when I watched the program. With the Audio set to English and Subtitles set to Auto, the only subtitles I received were in English when Spanish was spoken on the screen. My suggestion was to check your TV settings for subtitles. If you provide the model of your TV, we may be able to help with those settings. The TV's are also capable of providing subtitles and it sounds like that is what is happening in your case.
Are you sure that it is not your TV providing the subtitles. I just watched that show last night and with the subtitle setting at "Auto" like it is by default with Apple TV, only the English subtitle appeared when they were speaking Spanish. Also the Audio setting in Apple TV is set to English.
You seem confused.
there are 2 different ways subtitles are displayed.
One is the makers of the show/film create a subtitle file that is time coded to the show/movie. You then can choose whether you see subtitles or not.
The other is the makers of the show “burn” the subtitles into the video.
Whenever you watch the video, the subtitles are shown. There is no way to turn this off as it’s part of the video.
It is entirely up to the filmmaker if there are subtitles, if they are burned into the video and what language they want to provide.
The confusion is not mine.
Apple TV+ provides multiple subtitle files for shows as it operates in multiple language markets. Selecting Auto should only display English when required, if English at set at OS level as the default language. It should not provide English subtitles all the time. This is an error in the English subtitling provided with the programme, or it is an OS bug. MacJim’s reply suggests this is an OS bug. I will try the next episode to see if the problem persists.
It occurs on some mixed language shows and not others. The same problem made Liaison unwatchable for me. I complained then, solutions were offered, none worked.
These settings don't make any sense. English is my default language. I start up the show and the audio is defaulted to the original Spanish. Which is what I want! Except that they're speaking in English and I'm getting English subtitles. WHY?
If I set my language away from this default -- to English rather than "original Spanish" even though I want the original audio -- I would expect it to be DUBBED into that language. But it is not! It is apparently just reaffirming my default that yes I only know English. Why in the world do I need to do this?
Why can't Apple get subtitles right?
