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DrBish · ‎22-01-2024

I've had a NOW stick for four years. I have it permanently set to "captions always", and have never had a problem until about a month ago. There are no longer any captions showing on any BBC iPlayer programmes, despite the settings still being "captions always". (I reset this twice and it didn't bring back iPlayer captions.) Anyone else having this problem? What's the solution? Is it the NOW stick, or is it BBC, or even something else? Thanks for any help.

commanda6 · ‎27-01-2024

@RoyB wrote:

@DrBish

Adding to @commanda6‘s good advice, there is a very similar consideration as to the formatting of subtitles, and not just whether they are on or off, as to whether these are taken only from within the app, or whether they follow the platform standards.

But I doubt OfCom would concern themselves at this level; just whether enough programmes had subtitles or not, and not how they were being generated.

@RoyB @DrBish

Glad to hear you got iPlayer subtitles working @DrBish

at this present point in time I have to agree with Roy. OFCOM would at the current juncture not be interested in how subtitles are achieved but would be more concerned whether they are actually available and how much content has them.

However, if/when the new rules come in, things could change quite a bit. The link I gave you above states that users should also have the ability to alter the appearance/format of subtitles. If this requirement is indeed placed on services then services will need to consider how to best meet these requirements. In the case of Roku and android-based devices. The easiest way to achieve this requirement would be for apps to follow the subtitle functionality that is built into the host OS rather than using their own bespoke functionality. to be fair, most Roku apps do this already including Now. The only exception is really being iPlayer and Netflix. Netflix are has their own bespoke service, wide subtitle system allow users to customise appearance/format. Although for android phones and tablets. They do use the android system level functionality.

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

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commanda6 · ‎22-01-2024

Hi @DrBish

BBC iPlayer is one of the few apps on Roku that does not follow the Roku system settings for subtitles. When using BBC iPlayer on Roku you will need to switch the titles on manually when playing back content in iPlayer. They won't be switched on automatically

When playing back content on iPlayer They should be a speech bubble icon close to the top left if you bring up the playback into face by pressing any button on the remote when playing back content in BBC iPlayer. I do wish for BBC would change iPlayer so that it followed the Roku system settings for subtitles as this would be much better than the BBC is current implementation is on Roku

Note now hardware is Roku powered hence me referencing Roku

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

DrBish · ‎23-01-2024

@commanda6 Thank you -- I'll try this and see if it works for me. It seems odd that all was fine for four years and then, poof, captions vanished.

RoyB · ‎22-01-2024

@DrBish

Also bear in mind that the BBC setting for Subtitles is ass backwards.

When it says ‘Subtitles On’, it doesn’t mean that subtitles are on, it means that if you choose that setting subtitles will turn on. After which, it says Subtitles Off, or course.

It’s one of the more horrendously bad BBC UI decisions, and the iPlayer has some pretty bad ones overall.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it.
Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now.
That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.

commanda6 · ‎23-01-2024

@RoyB wrote:

@DrBish

Also bear in mind that the BBC setting for Subtitles is ass backwards.

When it says ‘Subtitles On’, it doesn’t mean that subtitles are on, it means that if you choose that setting subtitles will turn on. After which, it says Subtitles Off, or course.

@RoyB Good point I forgot about that. Sometimes the UI on BBC I player makes UI on prime video look good and that's quite an achievement 🤣

@DrBish in this case, you are almost certainly running into issues caused by strange choices the BBC has made this probably nothing wrong with your Now box

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

DrBish · ‎23-01-2024

@commanda6

@RoyB Is there any value in me writing to the BBC? Don't they have to make "good" efforts to provide accessible content?

DrBish · ‎23-01-2024

@commanda6

@RoyB And thanks to you, too -- more to try. Wish me luck!

commanda6 · ‎25-01-2024

@DrBish Did you manage to get subtitles / captions working on iPlayer?

The BBC are required to make 'good efforts' with respect to subtitling however, the problem here is who defines what 'good efforts' actually means. Currently one could take the Logical inference that it's OFCOM that decides. However current subtitling rules Don't you really have much in the way of quality control. They only really have quotas for the amount of content that should have subtitling Although OFCOM is looking at changing this but it will probably be some time before the changes come in. and will probably need to come in, in conjunction with the new media bill that is currently making its way through Parliament.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/news-centre/2023/tv-and-on-demand-accessible-to-all

I do not work for Now . I am simply a Now customer trying to help I am a Community Contributor This means that I know a lot about the service. But just like you I am still a customer. This means I cannot help you with issues that would involve looking into your account directly. A member of the now TV forum team or live chat will need to assist you with these issues.

DrBish · ‎26-01-2024

Dear @commanda6 ,

I've not yet had time (or courage?) to try your fix yet, but I will this weekend. I'll be sure to let you and others know how I get on.

Thanks for your feedback about subtitling. The Ofcom link you sent is interesting reading. I hope improvements will be forthcoming -- certainly technology is advancing swiftly to help people with accessibility needs.

RoyB · ‎26-01-2024

@DrBish

Adding to @commanda6‘s good advice, there is a very similar consideration as to the formatting of subtitles, and not just whether they are on or off, as to whether these are taken only from within the app, or whether they follow the platform standards.

But I doubt OfCom would concern themselves at this level; just whether enough programmes had subtitles or not, and not how they were being generated.

Set a Payment PIN on your account so that no-one but you can buy memberships on it.
Check your bank accounts monthly for any other unexpected payments to Now.
That way you can at least nip them in the bud, while you and Now figure out whose fault they are.

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