Netflix Introduces Customizable Subtitles to Boost Readability on TV
The video streaming service announced a new feature. It aims to personalize the appearance of subtitles to make the captions more readable for TV users. As a subscriber, you can modify the style and size of the text.
All you have to do is to choose from small, medium, to large font sizes.
New Text Style Options
It also introduced new text style options. They come with contrasting backgrounds. For instance, you can opt for Light which gives you black text on a white background. Contrast offers yellow text on a black background.
Netflix hopes that these new options will improve user experience as they improve readability.
This customization feature used to be available for web users. Now, it appears that TV users can take advantage of it as well.
Netlifx reported in 2018 that the majority of its content is being watched on TV. Since then, the popularity of smart TVs has increased dramatically.
But Netflix isn’t the only one offering it. Other streaming platforms, including Hulu, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime offer similar customizations for their captions.
Some people think that it’s a small, insignificant update. However, giving users more styles, sizes, and colors for closed captions and subtitles can improve the viewing experience.
This is especially useful for those who are visually impaired, deaf, or hard-hearing viewers.
It’s important to note that the streaming platform has a great number of titles with subtitles specially designed for deaf and or hard-of-hearing viewers.
But this feature isn’t just for those with this impairment. Subtitles and closed captions are helpful if you don’t understand the language used in the content.
This update comes a year after it launched badges for audio and subtitle descriptions. It also expanded more than 11,000 hours of descriptive audio in more than 30 languages.
Hidden Upgrades
Furthermore, Netflix subscribers can also access some hidden upgrades to their favorite content. If you’re eligible, you can enable cinematic sound on your TV.
Unfortunately, this update is only available if you subscribe to the highest tier.
This upgrade will improve your viewing experience especially if you don’t like listening to actors just mumbling their lines when you watch the content at home. You can just activate a sound quality upgrade. It is available on hundreds of shows.
This Spatial Audio feature allows you to have an immersive cinematic experience right from the comfort of your living room. You don’t need to pay for expensive sound equipment just to make it work.
There are over 700 Netflix series to have improved sound quality. These series will include The Watcher, Wednesday, Stranger Things, and Knives Out: Glass Onion.
So, if you’re a premium member, you can enjoy the highest quality sound while watching your favorite TV show or movies at home or on your computer. Even on your phone or tablet, you can activate this feature.
If you’re interested, simply go to your account. Check for the Account listed. Click on it to know what your Netflix account options are. If you want to experience cinematic sound and customizable subtitles, you can upgrade your account.
