Turning off the subtitles on your TV can be different depending on its brand, but basically, the option to disable subtitles can be found on your TV’s settings menu. Look for the Subtitle or Closed Caption option, then select “OFF.” For some brands, turning off your TV’s subtitle is as simple as pushing the CC/Subtitle button on your remote.
Subtitles are basically a text version of what is being spoken on a television or movie.
Closed captioning/subtitles was developed to help deaf and people with hearing problems, but today it is useful in a variety of situations.
Over the years, appliances get smarter and smarter, from washing machines to refrigerators and, of course, TVs. It seems like there are tons of features that one Smart TV can have, including subtitles, and if, for some reason, you’re lost as to how to turn off the subtitles on your TV, then I am here to show you how.
For the rest of the article, I will give you detailed instructions on disabling subtitles on your TV for Samsung, Sony, and TLC.
I will also include some extra features of these TVs when it comes to their closed caption or subtitle options.
Why is My TV Showing Closed Captions?
If your TV is showing captions, it simply means that ‘closed captions’ option on your TV is turned ON.
You can read captions and subtitles when you are unable to understand the accent or hear audio. This can be helpful in many situations, for instance, when you are in a hospital and want to watch a movie or a show silently or if you are in place where there’s a lot of noise.
Where are subtitles on TV?
Generally, subtitles are located in the Accessibility Settings of a TV but it can vary depending on the brand and model of the television.
How Do I Turn Off Subtitles On My TV?
I watch a lot of movies and TV series, and to be honest, subtitles have made my viewing experience better. But sometimes, paying too much attention to subtitles can be distracting, and I had to turn off the subtitles on my TV.
In this section, I will assist you on how to turn off your subtitles on the top 3 TV brands according to Digital Trends, as follows:
- Samsung smart tv
- Sony
- TCL
All of the brands mentioned above have a subtitle accessibility feature, and I’ll show you in detail how you can turn off subtitles on your TV.
Note that for the purpose of this article, I will use the terms subtitle and closed captions alternatively. I’ll also include in the last part of this article the difference between these two terms.
Samsung TV
Modern and high-end models of Samsung TVs come with accessibility options that can improve how you understand what’s being shown on TV. One of these features is the Caption option, which you can turn on when you want to watch movies or videos with subtitles on display.
Here is how you can access and change the settings for this feature:
- Go to your Samsung TV’s home screen using the directional pad on your TV remote.
- Look for and select the Settings (All Settings) options in the main menu. This option is usually accompanied by a wrench icon or a gear icon.
- Select General (General & Privacy), and then go to the Accessibility option.
- You can now see the Caption Settings. Inside this category, go and select Caption to turn captions Off. You can select it once more if you want to turn this feature On again.
Depending on the model of your Samsung TV, you will see three caption options within this menu, particularly the Caption Mode, Digital Caption Options, and Separate Closed Caption.
Sony TV
Sony TV’s Subtitle feature is easy to turn on or off with the use of its designated remote control. You can try these two ways to turn off the subtitles on your Sony TV.
Method 1:
- On your remote, press the Menu option to see the Control Menu on screen.
- Click on the option labeled CC/Subtitle.
- Press this option once or twice to turn on or turn off the subtitles on your TV.
Method 2: Simply press the Subtitle (CC) button on your remote control.
Personally, I was a bit impressed when I saw that Sony has two types of subtitle options available for some of their models, depending on what you’re watching.
You can either choose their Basic subtitle, which simply displays the audio parts of the video you’re watching, or the For Hard of Hearing subtitle, which displays not only the audio parts but also the non-speech sound effects like thunder sounds or door knocking sounds.
To know if your Sony TV has this feature, refer to the manual or search for the specifications of your TV model.
TCL Android TV
TCL Android TVs are popular because they give you value and features at a lower price compared to their competitors. Included in these features is the subtitle option. You can turn off the subtitles on your TCL TV by following the instructions below:
- Get your Roku remote and click on the Home button.
- Once that’s done, you should find and select Settings.
- You will see the Captions menu displayed on the screen or either the Accessibility option.
- On Captions mode, you can select “off” if you want the captions or subtitles gone.
Another handy feature for subtitles on this TV is the option to see captions only when you decide you want to. Activate this feature by choosing the On replay option. You can also choose to have captions or subtitles enabled when you turn off the sound. If you want to use that feature, then choose the On mute option.
Keep in mind that these instructions and tips can still vary depending on the brand of your TV and even the model that you have. So, it’s better to refer back to the manual when you specifically want to know how to turn off subtitles on a TV.
Difference Between Closed Caption and Subtitles
I too was wondering before if there really is a difference between closed captions and subtitles. It seems like both serve the same function, which is to help people understand the words that might be hard to hear on TV.
Though they are subtle, they do have some significant differences.
| Subtitles | Closed Captions |
| Designed for viewers who speak a different language. It assumes that viewers can hear the audio. | Designed for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing. It does not assume that viewers can hear the audio. |
| No description of music or sound effects. | Includes description of non-speech audio like music or sound effects |
| Translates the audio dialogue from one language to another. | It is in the same language as the original audio |
Turning ON The TV Subtitles
The process to turn subtitles and closed captions ON on a TV varies from brand to brand.
On some TV sets, you can find CC button on the TV remote, pressing which activates closed captions while others may require more setting up.
For example, to enable closed captions on a DISH Satellite TV you will have to follow the below steps while for others you should check our detailed article on how to turn on subtitles and closed captioning on tv.
- Press the Options button on the remote or if you can’t find it in your remote press the RED button.
- Navigate and Choose Accessibility.
- Now, Select “Closed Captioning” option and toggle it ON.
Conclusion
While there are several ways how to turn off subtitles on a TV, most brands usually place this option in the settings menu or on the remote control. If you do not see any options on your settings or remote, I suggest checking the model of your TV to see if there’s a subtitle option or not.
Did the article answer the question of how to turn off subtitles on a TV? Share some of your thoughts or questions in the comments section!