Why Everyone is Obsessed With Subtitles for Online Entertainment?
So, are you a subtitle-on kind of person or subtitles off? There is a high chance that you probably keep subtitles on. Why, you may ask? Well, according to a recent study, more than 75% of viewers watch videos with subtitles. So be it an hour-long TV series episode, a 3-hour-long movie, or just a YouTube reel, most people look for subtitles.
You might be thinking this is because of the hearing problems or hearing loss that happens in old age. However, the study also reveals that the majority of the viewers who like to use subtitles are young audiences with little to no hearing issues.
This leaves most people in shock because subtitles were initially designed for people with hearing issues. If you are also curious why you can’t seem to get enough of subtitles when it comes to entrainment, then keep reading as we will explore some of the most important reasons behind using subtitles.
Initially, subtitles were offered in cinemas, and on purchasing the ticket, you were asked to pay a little extra. This feature later came to small screens but it was neither customizable nor an option. In short, only a few shows were available with subtitles and there is no option for switching it on or off. Then comes the online streaming sites where you get subtitles for everything.
To enjoy content on these streaming sites you just need a smart device and a good internet connection like Optimum. To get yourself equipped with it, you can contact Optimum customer service to find a package that suits your needs the best. In this way, your online entrainment stays uninterrupted.
Why Everyone is Obsessed With Subtitles for Online Entertainment?
1. Technology Change
Technology has changed over the years. Remember the time when the TV was a huge box with a very small screen on one side but a big chunky speaker on the other? Well, as technology has improved, the TV has become thinner, which means that the speaker is no longer visible. If you get closer to the TV, you will realize that sound is not just limited but also comes from the back of the TV screen.
Similarly, in the case of smartphones, the speakers are generally on one side, which means that the quality of the sound is not the same as most people experience in theaters or cinemas. To ensure that you experience the same sound, you need an additional sound bar, which is expensive. So, most people end up using subtitles, so they don’t have to invest in expensive accessories.
2. Worldwide Entrainment Platforms
Worldwide entertainment platforms like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and Disney+ are available in almost every part of the world. You can watch movies from different regions and in multiple languages. Most of these movies are dubbed in different languages but the range is very limited.
Eventually, most people have to opt for subtitles. subtitles are a great way to learn a new language especially if you want to practice the accent and pronunciation and want to improve communication skills.
3. Sound Quality Is Not Good
In old movies and older productions, there was a boom overhead mic for collecting sounds during scenes. As technology improved, these mics were reduced in size. Now, most of the actors wear their personal mics and these mics record their sounds. These mics are so small that most of us never notice them.
However, in some cases, these mics are attached to the costumes and covered with a few extra layers of clothing on top so they are less noticeable. In this case, the sound quality is not as good and it takes a lot of time and effort to perfect each sound bite. Eventually, when the production is done, most of these scenes have different sound layers and eventually people have to rely on extra aid in terms of subtitles.
4. Production Issues
Production is done generally in layers and then these layers are stitched together. This is the reason; you will see a lot of different sounds played together. While recording layered sounds, there is a base sound which is known as background music, and then comes secondary sound which is either the sound of people or objects around.
Finally, there is a primary sound which is mainly focused on words spoken by the characters. In some cases, the base sound ends up interrupting the other two sounds. To resolve this issue, people work on dynamic range, which eventually disrupts the quality of each sound making it less crisp and quite difficult to understand without subtitles.
5. International Actor Dilemma
Who doesn’t like to enjoy variations in accent? Most people love a bit of Irish or French hint in the accent that most of the actors bring, thanks to their ethnicities. However, accents are quite difficult to understand especially for bilingual or non-native speakers.
The only way to enjoy the show without getting distracted by the accents is to use subtitles. Subtitles are more in demand for Irish, Scottish, French, and British shows, mainly because they might sound pleasant but they are very difficult to understand. This is one of the biggest reasons people opt for subtitles.
Bottom Line
To put it simply, you cannot just link the use of subtitles with hearing issues because there are so many other reasons as well. We have mentioned these reasons above in detail so you can understand this trend from a technical and functional point of view.
