Load Netflix onto a TV screen today and you should see a change has been made: in the subtitles section, you can now choose from several different colors and sizes to suit your preferences and the display you’re watching it on.
The update (via TechCrunch (opens in new tab)) lets you choose between small, medium, and large text, and four different styles: white with no background, white with black background, yellow with black background, and black with white background.
To access these options, select the gear icon to the right of the current subtitle settings shown when playback is paused. This is an improvement on the previous situation where subtitles were only one size and white with no background.
Existing Options
These options haven’t yet been enabled in all countries where Netflix is available – if you’re not already seeing them, that could be the reason – but as far as we can tell, the rollout already seems to have been quite extensive and fast.
Users could previously customize subtitles through the web and mobile interfaces, but those options didn’t apply to Netflix streaming through TV apps. More customization options remain on web and mobile, including a choice of different fonts.
Statistics cited by TechCrunch suggest that about three-quarters of all streaming happens on a big screen rather than a phone or laptop, so these additional closed captioning options are sure to be welcome (and may even help Netflix increase its subscriber base) .
Analysis: a good step forward
It seems strange that Netflix has taken so long to add subtitle customizations to its TV interface, considering these options are already well established if you go to Netflix settings on the web or via the mobile apps.
Subtitles are absolutely essential for people with hearing impairments. Of course, they’re also very helpful when you’re watching movies and shows in a foreign language, and when everyone else is in bed at home and you need to keep the volume down.
We’d like the TV subtitle options to be comparable to those available for Netflix on the web – specifically, a wider choice of background colors and fonts. Admittedly, the easiest way is usually to operate everything with a remote control.
It may be overdue, but this is still a good step forward for Netflix. It’s clearly a win-win: accessibility initiatives like this one and those announced last year make the service more appealing to a wider range of people.
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