# Easy way to toggle closed captioning



## BobB

It would be great to have an easy way to toggle closed captioning on and off on the TiVO HD. I realize there are two ways to get to the Closed Captioning settings screen (via the TiVO start screen to Messages & Setup or via the Info button options while watching a program), but either one takes a lot of button-pushing, not to mention having to stop the program and go back to it, and can take a while if you're watching anything that's not in 720p (which the menu screens are) since the TV has to change screen formats twice.

My wife is not a native English speaker, and while she has no problem following most programs, she needs CC for anything where people speak with strong accents (especially British), so we frequently need to switch it on and off. I'm know we're not alone in this requirement, I found other threads asking about this, but none in this section, so I'm making this a formal suggestion. 

To make this a software fix rather than something that would require a new button on the remote I would suggest that you make the CC icon that appears in the Info screen a toggle on/off switch, instead of something that brings you to the Closed Captions menu screen. You can still get to that screen the traditional way through the TiVO start page, but other than turning the feature on & off most people rarely need to do anything with closed captioning after initial setup.

Thanks for listening, I hope this is something that's already under consideration.


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## arhughes

I would also like to see an easier way to toggle CC on/off. For me, a new IR code to toggle CC would be the best option because I could program it into my Harmony remote.


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## windracer

I would love this too. When I had my S2 hooked up to my plasma, when I muted the TV volume it (the television) would automatically display the CCs, but apparently that doesn't work the same way with the S3 connected via HDMI.


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## imreolajos

As a very recent new owner of a TiVo HD I would like to throw my "YES" vote on this one. I was very happy to see the "CC" show up on the Info page on my TiVoHD, since my HDTV's way of toggling CC takes a lot of button pushing - only to be disappointed and realize that it takes just as much button pushing on the TiVo.

In fact, it takes so much button pushing that I can't even program it as a sequence on my Harmony remote (a sequence can only be 5 buttons long). I have already complained to Harmony about that one (sequences should be arbitrary in length), but I am also going to visit TiVo's online suggestion box.

Neither my wife nor I am native English speakers, so such a feature would be very welcome in our household.


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## BobB

windracer said:


> I would love this too. When I had my S2 hooked up to my plasma, when I muted the TV volume it (the television) would automatically display the CCs, but apparently that doesn't work the same way with the S3 connected via HDMI.


My TV has the same feature. What's happening is that when you're using an HDMI connection, you must rely on the TiVO to provide the CC info, and TiVO doesn't have the "caption on mute" capability.


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## jtodd929

I want a Closed Captioning revision too.

With series 2, I could at least use the TVs closed captioning. The Tivo series 3 closed captioning is so cumbersome to toggle, it's practically impossible to use. AND series 3 doesn't allow my TV to display CC anymore.

Bottom line: Tivo's crap closed captioning option has resulted in my not being able to even use/have closed captioning.

This should be a high priority fix in my view.


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## jtodd929

BobB said:


> My TV has the same feature. What's happening is that when you're using an HDMI connection, you must rely on the TiVO to provide the CC info, and TiVO doesn't have the "caption on mute" capability.


I connect via Component (no HDMI). I still can't get closed captioning via TV option.


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## markboy008

Here is a closed captioning toggle procedure that is a little easier than the standard Tivo menus. It's not great, but workable for me until Tivo (hopefully) addresses the ease-of-use issue.


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## craigk5n

I would like to see this implemented, too. I really miss my TV's auto-CC-on-mute function that is no longer usable with TiVo HD.


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## barbeedoll

craigk5n said:


> I would like to see this implemented, too. I really miss my TV's auto-CC-on-mute function that is no longer usable with TiVo HD.


I'd like a way to easily turn CC on and off, as I watch a lot of BBC America.

However, I don't want it to automatically come on when I mute the screen. Sometimes I am muting to rewatch a part of the show to catch a certain movement or stop on and read something the character is holding on screen. I don't want the captioning to block that view of the show.

Barbeedoll


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## Bradc314

Last night was my first exposure to the HD TiVo. I was setting up my dad's brand new box. He and my mom are in their 70's, so closed captioning is a very necessary tool. I was quite surprised to learn that apparently all CC must be turned either on or off on the TiVo, and that the TV's CC does not work at all. I was also very disappointed to learn that the only way to toggle CC is to navigate all the way through to the setup menu.

I sincerly hope the great folks at TiVo heard our voices in the wilderness and address this situation very soon. This one issue has left a considerable tarnish on what has otherwise been a very enjoyable $300 experience.


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## BobB

Bradc314 said:


> I was also very disappointed to learn that the only way to toggle CC is to navigate all the way through to the setup menu.


It's not quite that bad - you can get to the CC select screen by pressing the Info button, and arrow-key your way down to the CC icon and select it. That takes you to the CC control screen, where you still have to go to the on/off line and select ON. Still a fair amount of button-pushing, but not as bad as going the Messages and Setup route.


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## Bradc314

BobB said:


> It's not quite that bad - you can get to the CC select screen by pressing the Info button, and arrow-key your way down to the CC icon and select it. That takes you to the CC control screen, where you still have to go to the on/off line and select ON. Still a fair amount of button-pushing, but not as bad as going the Messages and Setup route.


I found that way, and while it does trim some button pushes, it's still quite the ordeal to turn it on/off, especially for someone who is accustomed to a relatively easy toggle method on their TV.


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## BobB

Bradc314 said:


> I found that way, and while it does trim some button pushes, it's still quite the ordeal to turn it on/off, especially for someone who is accustomed to a relatively easy toggle method on their TV.


Absolutely! That's why I started this thread in the first place.


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## mattack

The TV's CC definitely works -- for analog channels.


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## lrhorer

Yeah, I like the idea. Perhaps pressing could still be used to enter the CC menu, but pressing <Enter> could toggle the CC on and off or pressing :up: could turn it on and :down: could turn it off. That way we keep the ability to change the settings from "within" the program but also have the ability to quickly turn CC on and off, perhaps without even a pause in the program.


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## wmcbrine

Since they don't seem to want to add buttons to their remote, I'd settle for a discrete CC toggle code that I could program into my universal remote.


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## bxojr

Just another vote for this feature ... I was visiting my parents over the weekend, and found that my dad's DirecTV HR21 DVR has a much quicker way of toggling CC that doesn't require stopping playback. The HR21 doesn't beat the TiVo in many ways, but this was one of them.


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