Closed captioning is a service in which the dialogue from a TV show appears in a black box at the bottom of the screen. It allows deaf or hearing-impaired viewers to follow the dialogue, and it can also be useful in noisy areas such as sports bars. Some people also use closed captioning services while learning to read. Close captioning is beamed into your TV from the station, embedded in the same signal that delivers the sound and image. You can easily access it, provided you have the proper equipment.
1. Check the size and manufactured year of your television. If it was made after 1993 and is larger than 13 inches, it has a closed captioning system built into it. Otherwise, you may need to purchase a separate closed caption system, which are available at a number of online outlets.
2. Turn on your TV and access the menu for closed captioning. The precise location of the menu varies by television set. Most are accessible by pressing the “Audio” or “Set Up” menu on your remote, then scrolling down to the “CC” or “Closed Captioning” option. Check your owner’s manual for precise instructions.
3. Turn the closed captioning option to the “On” position. It will then run closed captions for every program that broadcasts them. Newer sets may allow you to adjust the size, font and colors of the closed captioning letters to fit your individual tastes.
4. Tune to a particular program for a few minutes to make sure the closed captions are working. Note that while many broadcasts run closed captioning, not all of them do. If the captions don’t appear, check your TV listing to ensure the program includes them.
5. If you’re watching a DVD on your TV, access the DVD’s “Set Up” menu. It should have captioned options, which allow you to show captions in English and possibly other languages as well.