Closed Captioning

[barbeedoll]

I have a Series 3 TiVo and a Sony Bravia XBR TV. Closed captioning has always worked just fine. Recently, my closed captioning has disappeared.

I've checked and it is selected in the TiVo settings as ON. I've also checked and it is ON (set to CC1) in the TV settings.

I've looked at some Recently Deleted shows that I know I watched with captions, and they now have no captions.

Season Pass shows that usually have captions now don't.

I'm stumped.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Barbeedoll

[husky55]

I have a Series 3 TiVo and a Sony Bravia XBR TV. Closed captioning has always worked just fine. Recently, my closed captioning has disappeared.

I've checked and it is selected in the TiVo settings as ON. I've also checked and it is ON (set to CC1) in the TV settings.

I've looked at some Recently Deleted shows that I know I watched with captions, and they now have no captions.

Season Pass shows that usually have captions now don't.

I'm stumped.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Barbeedoll

Try a DVD with Caption ON to see if your TV CAPTION is still working. If it doesn't then your TV caption chip needed to be replaced (a board probably since techs do not do solder anymore).

If it works then it's the Tivo signal. Somehow the sound does not activated the caption which is a separate file but associated with the sound file. In that case, set the sampling rate to 48 instead of 96 or whatever. But it was working before, so unless something changed or become defective.

Caption is very important to some people.

[bicker]

Uh... where do I start? First, most DVDs have subtitles as well as (and/or instead of) captions, and the technologies are completely different, so one working (or not working) provides no insight into the other. Also, it is possible to decode captions within the DVD player (my Pioneer TiVo decodes the captions on DVDs), so that working (or not working, for that matter) won't tell us anything about whether there is anything wrong with the television. Beyond that, there are different types of caption encoding, EIA-608 and EIA-708. DVDs would only traffic in 608 captions, so won't provide any insight into 708 caption decoding. The OP didn't indicate which of the types of captions was of issue. Regardless, the chance that a captioning decoder, either in the television or in the TiVo, would fail, is pretty darned small.

I think we need more details. Which shows, off which channels, recorded at which times? Where is the OP located? What connections are being used? RCA, S-video, component, or HDMI? Has anything changed in that regard since the problem was noted? If you're using the HDMI connection, have you tried using component connection instead?

[barbeedoll]

Uh... where do I start? First, most DVDs have subtitles as well as (and/or instead of) captions, and the technologies are completely different, so one working (or not working) provides no insight into the other. Also, it is possible to decode captions within the DVD player (my Pioneer TiVo decodes the captions on DVDs), so that working (or not working, for that matter) won't tell us anything about whether there is anything wrong with the television. Beyond that, there are different types of caption encoding, EIA-608 and EIA-708. DVDs would only traffic in 608 captions, so won't provide any insight into 708 caption decoding. The OP didn't indicate which of the types of captions was of issue. Regardless, the chance that a captioning decoder, either in the television or in the TiVo, would fail, is pretty darned small.

I think we need more details. Which shows, off which channels, recorded at which times? Where is the OP located? What connections are being used? RCA, S-video, component, or HDMI? Has anything changed in that regard since the problem was noted? If you're using the HDMI connection, have you tried using component connection instead?
Shows on BBCA, network television and basic cable have no captioning. I'm using a HDMI connection. I have the highest quality HDMI cable and the whole system is only several months old. Nothing has changed with my setup. This is in a room I use primarily for recording.

I first noticed it with the BBCA show "Primeval", when the captioning (after multi-room transfer) was wonky and seemed to be written in gibberish.

Then I went to the set itself and noticed the captioning was missing. I also tried live viewing to see if the captioning would appear now (in case it was a hiccup on a particular channel or day).

Sorry, but I don't know what OP is.

Thanks for your help.

Barbeedoll

[phox_mulder]

Sorry, but I don't know what OP is.

Thanks for your help.

Barbeedoll

OP is Original Poster, you.
You don't have a location listed, so we don't know where you are in case it's a regional problem.


phox

[wmcbrine]

Have you tried rebooting?

[Krellion]

Do you have anything else being displayed on the screen, like the clock/time elapsed displays (Select-Play-Select-9-Select remote code)? Those will keep the CCs from being displayed.

[a68oliver]

I could be wrong here, but...

I thought closed captions were decoded and embedded in the video by the TIVO and not passed to the TV for decoding. Perhaps this was for digital only and not analog????

If I am correct, the problem would seem to originate in the Tivo and not in the TV.

[Ben_Jamin75]

I could be wrong here, but...

I thought closed captions were decoded and embedded in the video by the TIVO and not passed to the TV for decoding. Perhaps this was for digital only and not analog????

If I am correct, the problem would seem to originate in the Tivo and not in the TV.

On the TiVoHD both digital & analog captions are decoded by the tivo and embedded in the video. I have captions turned OFF on my tv, but ON on the Tivo and mine work.

OP: Check the settings in the Closed Captioning Screen
Messages & Settings --> Displays --> Closed Captioning

My settings are as follows
Standard Captions: CC1
Digital Captions: DTVCC1
Text Size: Default
Font: Default
Text Color: Default
Background Color: Default

Once these settings are set, play one of the shows you are talking about.
Press Info and arrow down to CC

In the text block it should say "Closed Captioning is (ON/OFF)"

Then one of the following:
This program does not have any digital CC Tracks
This program has the following digital CC Tracks DTCC1

I've even had times where I get the "no digital" message, but still have captions on my screen.... I guess that means it's using the analog ones.

[Worf]

Firstly, if you're using HDMI, your TV's closed captioning decoder won't be the cause - CC does not work over HDMI - there's simply no signaling for it.

Instead, the TiVo itself generates and overlays the closed captions before outputting the video via HDMI.

TiVo will capture and decode closed captions and save it with the program. On playback, if it's outputting via an analog output, it'll pass the captions onwards to the TV (and optionally display it itself), so your TV or TiVo can be displaying the captions. Via HDMI, the TiVo displays it only.

I would suggest rebooting your TiVo - it's possible that something is messed up on the output side. You may also want to just unplug and re-seat the HDMI connection to redo the HDMI negotiations.

[Tivohud]

Is there any way for the captions to only be displayed when audio is muted? I assume not, but would it be possible for TiVo to include this capability?

Hud

[bicker]

It is, of course, possible, but not a current feature. If you would like to see it, I would go over to TiVo's website and suggest it.

[SpiritualPoet]

This is similar but slightly unrelated. I found that a v.c.r's off-air recording's closed captions were not visible during playback - until I adjusted the tracking of the video heads. Apparently, recording the tape on one v.c.r. and playing it back on another must be in proper alignment for closed captions to be recognized and displayed.

[LifeIsABeach]

Do you have anything else being displayed on the screen, like the clock/time elapsed displays (Select-Play-Select-9-Select remote code)? Those will keep the CCs from being displayed.

TiVo did fix this in a recent version, however, it still could be causing the OPs problem. Every time you start a recording you must turn CC off and then back on to get it to work. Even if you bring up the guide or switch tuners CC stops working till this is done again. Annoying, but at least the clock and CC can now sort-of coexist.

[moyekj]

Is there any way for the captions to only be displayed when audio is muted? I assume not, but would it be possible for TiVo to include this capability?

Hud Currently the mute button controls your TV or receiver so Tivo has no way to know if you are in mute state or not.

[astrohip]

Currently the mute button controls your TV or receiver so Tivo has no way to know if you are in mute state or not.
Yet when you press a "TV only" button (volume, mute), a little LED on the TiVo blinks to acknowledge a signal rec'd. While it may be a reflex reaction by the unit, it makes one think that perhaps the TiVo *would* be aware when Mute is pressed, and be able to perform an action of its own. Like CCs.

Or not.

[bicker]

Yet when you press a "TV only" button (volume, mute), a little LED on the TiVo blinks to acknowledge a signal rec'd. While it may be a reflex reaction by the unit, it makes one think that perhaps the TiVo *would* be aware when Mute is pressed, and be able to perform an action of its own. When I operate my Sony DVD Recorder, that little LED on the TiVo blinks. I don't think it has anything to do with acknowledging a signal received -- just that one was detected. I wouldn't think the TiVo understands what it detected (unless it was a signal intended for the TiVo).

[hearncl]

I first noticed it with the BBCA show "Primeval", when the captioning (after multi-room transfer) was wonky and seemed to be written in gibberish. Barbeedoll
I'm connected to my Samsung LCD TV using HDMI, via a receiver. I usually keep the TiVo CC on. On most network shows, CC works fine. Occasionally a show will show gibberish, partial captions, and/or captions white on blue (instead of my setting of white on black). This frequently happens on BBC shows, and sometimes on old sitcoms.

[Mindflux]

I'm connected to my Samsung LCD TV using HDMI, via a receiver. I usually keep the TiVo CC on. On most network shows, CC works fine. Occasionally a show will show gibberish, partial captions, and/or captions white on blue (instead of my setting of white on black). This frequently happens on BBC shows, and sometimes on old sitcoms.

I watch with captions on all the time. I hate it when captions lag way behind the conversation or are pure gibberish.

Why hasn't this been addressed? Seriously...

[a68oliver]

I watch with captions on all the time. I hate it when captions lag way behind the conversation or are pure gibberish.

Why hasn't this been addressed? Seriously...

Keep in mind that this is impossible for live programming. The caption operator must hear the words, type them, and then transmit them back to the station. Then the station adds them to the broadcast. Since the operator may not even be at the station, but miles away, there is a delay in transmitting the signal. The "live" signal may take several hops to get to the operator and then the caption may take some hops to get back to the station.

Bing! Delayed captions that lag behind live programming. Of course, pre-recorded and edited programs should not suffer this problem.

[Mindflux]

Bing! Delayed captions that lag behind live programming. Of course, pre-recorded and edited programs should not suffer this problem.

They do! "The Soup" is one off the top of my head that usually has horribly lagged captioning.

[wmcbrine]

Sadly many pre-recorded programs still use the crummy live-style captioning. Thinking about it, I guess it's mostly pre-recorded but same-day programs.

[mattack]

Uh... where do I start? First, most DVDs have subtitles as well as (and/or instead of) captions,

I don't think I've ever seen a DVD that had subtitles but NO captions. There are some of the opposite, of course.

[bicker]

DVDs with subtitles but no captions is just about the most common complaint about DVDs on a captioning forum I participate in.