# Is there a "shortcut" for closed captioning on the S3?



## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Hey gang. Am wondeing if anyone has heard of a button combination that will immediately turn on closed captioning on the S3 along the same lines as "TiVo + 2" will get you immediately get you into the "To-do" list?


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Not really but there is a shorter path as follows. Press Info, Down four times to the CC icon, Select (takes you directly to the CC page), Down (Right/Left to turn On/Off), Select twice (gets you back to live tv).


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

hiker said:


> Not really but there is a shorter path as follows. Press Info, Down four times to the CC icon, Select (takes you directly to the CC page), Down (Right/Left to turn On/Off), Select twice (gets you back to live tv).


"shorter"?


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Bierboy said:


> "shorter"?


LOL. Yeah but not much - TiVo->Message&Settings->Settings->Displays->ClosedCaptioning (and all the up/down navigation in between).

If you're coding a macro for your universal remote the "shorter" method is easier.

I don't know why TiVo can't provide a one button on/off toggle code (like most TVs) that could be placed on one of the TiVo's remote learnable buttons.


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## tase2 (Sep 27, 2004)

hiker said:


> LOL. Yeah but not much - TiVo->Message&Settings->Settings->Displays->ClosedCaptioning (and all the up/down navigation in between).
> 
> If you're coding a macro for your universal remote the "shorter" method is easier.
> 
> I don't know why TiVo can't provide a one button on/off toggle code (like most TVs) that could be placed on one of the TiVo's remote learnable buttons.


+1


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

hiker said:


> ...I don't know why TiVo can't provide a one button on/off toggle code (like most TVs) that could be placed on one of the TiVo's remote learnable buttons.


+ me


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Glad to see I'm no the only one looking for a one button toggle for CC. Maybe TiVo will take note. Thanks for the macro shortcut. I guess I can work with that, but unfortunately since it doesn't toggle it's gonna take up two of my buttons instead of just one... 

I bet a smart TiVo engineer would be able to write a toggle code for closed captioning... I never realized how often I use CC until it was (almost) gone. Definitely comes in handly for those late night snacks (crunch-crunch) when the whole house is asleep or when my Wife is on the phone talking at the top of her lungs.


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## minckster (Aug 31, 2006)

I'd be happy if you could do: 
Info -> Down to CC -> Select to toggle CC on or off.​Actually, you should be able to go _Up_ to CC. I don't see why the items in the Info menu don't cycle through the top to the bottom.

On those rare occasions when I want to do something with CC other than turn them on or off, I can get to the CC options page through Settings.


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## gwsat (Sep 14, 2006)

That is surprisingly bad. Even the awful SARA software on the Scientific Atlanta 8300HD DVRs will let you turn on closed captioning by pressing Settings-Up-Up-Select. When SARA does it better than TiVo, TiVo needs to think about making some improvements. Still, I can hardly wait for my S3 to come!


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## Thos19 (Dec 31, 2002)

I wish TiVo had a function like my Toshiba RPTV, where pressing the "mute" button automatically engages the closed captioning. 

Never able to use this since I've always had a cablebox and/or TiVo, but inspired engineering, nonetheless.

Thos.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Thos19 said:


> I wish TiVo had a function like my Toshiba RPTV, where pressing the "mute" button automatically engages the closed captioning.
> 
> Never able to use this since I've always had a cablebox and/or TiVo, but inspired engineering, nonetheless.
> 
> Thos.


That's what I'd like to see implemented on the S3.


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## hiker (Nov 29, 2001)

Thos19 said:


> I wish TiVo had a function like my Toshiba RPTV, where pressing the "mute" button automatically engages the closed captioning.
> 
> Never able to use this since I've always had a cablebox and/or TiVo, but inspired engineering, nonetheless.
> 
> Thos.


I have a Mitsubishi LCD TV that also allows the option of using the mute to turn CC on and off. I don't understand why the S3 doesn't pass CC thru on component at 480i like my HR10 DirecTiVo does so the TV can display CC text.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

I know there are a number of options once you access the closed captioning menu (e.g., for digital settings, analog settings), but I would think a software update could give us the "CC on mute" feature that would give us whatever our default setting is?


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

minckster said:


> I'd be happy if you could do:
> Info -> Down to CC -> Select to toggle CC on or off.​Actually, you should be able to go _Up_ to CC. I don't see why the items in the Info menu don't cycle through the top to the bottom.


The reason is because when viewing a program, the UP arrow navigation key is programmed to toggle video resolution. (ex: 480i > 480p > 720p > 1080i)

If TiVo can't dedicate a key or produce a single key-code, they should introduce a key combo like [Thumbs-Up][0][Select] that would toggle an on-screen CC overlay menu, similar to the menu that appears when you try to record a live program. It's transparent, and you have multiple options.

Or better yet, change the INFO CC icon link to produce the transparent CC overlay menu. You can continue watching the program while selecting your CC options.


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## yunlin12 (Mar 15, 2003)

drew2k said:


> The reason is because when viewing a program, the UP arrow navigation key is programmed to toggle video resolution. (ex: 480i > 480p > 720p > 1080i)


How did you get your remote to do that?  Is it a HR10-250 thing?


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## phox_mulder (Feb 23, 2006)

yunlin12 said:


> How did you get your remote to do that?  Is it a HR10-250 thing?


Yes.

Can't tell you how many times I've tried on the S3 to no avail.

phox


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## drew2k (Jun 10, 2003)

yunlin12 said:


> How did you get your remote to do that?  Is it a HR10-250 thing?


Sorry ... I just assumed that TiVo also used the same shortcut on the S3, their 2nd HD DVR, but I guess they left that one out ... Kind of odd, as it would probably be very useful for you to have!


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## minckster (Aug 31, 2006)

drew2k said:


> The reason is because when viewing a program, the UP arrow navigation key is programmed to toggle video resolution. (ex: 480i > 480p > 720p > 1080i)


Besides the issue of whether the behavior you describe is for a H10-250 only, I was talking about _after_ pressing the Info button. (I.e., that the up and down buttons should cycle through all of the on-screen choices, so the user could press up once to get to CC, instead of down four times). After pressing Info, the navigation keys move you through the on-screen menu. At the top and bottom you get an error "boing."


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## yunlin12 (Mar 15, 2003)

drew2k said:


> Sorry ... I just assumed that TiVo also used the same shortcut on the S3, their 2nd HD DVR, but I guess they left that one out ... Kind of odd, as it would probably be very useful for you to have!


Another one that's on DTivo but not SA Tivo is the down arrow switching between tuners. Although not as big a deal since the LiveTV would do the same.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

yunlin12 said:


> Another one that's on DTivo but not SA Tivo is the down arrow switching between tuners. Although not as big a deal since the LiveTV would do the same.


I still liked the old way better. Much easier key to reach on the MX-600.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Just came searching for this. As a new HDTV owner I was surprised that I couldn't engage CC on my TV. So I try to do it on the Series 3 and it takes far too many steps for something that used to be so simple.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

hiker said:


> Not really but there is a shorter path as follows. Press Info, Down four times to the CC icon, Select (takes you directly to the CC page), Down (Right/Left to turn On/Off), Select twice (gets you back to live tv).





Bierboy said:


> "shorter"?


It sounds long and convoluted, but I have to say thanks to hiker for pointing it out... it's quicker to access and makes more sense... rather than having to go through the entire menu structure. Yes, a one button toggle would be 100% nicer, but this is better than what I was doing before and I don't think I would have discovered it on my own.

 :up:


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Fofer said:


> It sounds long and convoluted, but I have to say thanks to hiker for pointing it out... it's quicker to access and makes more sense... rather than having to go through the entire menu structure. Yes, a one button toggle would be 100% nicer, but this is better than what I was doing before and I don't think I would have discovered it on my own.
> 
> :up:


FWIW, I do essentially the same thing for CC except I use "right arrow" instead of pressing "info" to get to the info screen. Then arrow down to the CC option. That way your thumb never leaves the thumbwheel. It's a little easier on an MX-600 not sure about others.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

In Passport Echo, you press the "Settings" key, which brings up the "Quick Settings" dialog (pressing it twice brings up all setting). The quick settings dialog stays on the last item that you adjusted, so changing it was just Settings->Select (or something like that--it might have been Settings->Up->Select.

Though I'm lovin' my S3 (bought it after moving from a TWC/Passport neighborhood into a Cox/SARA one), there are a few superior features in Passport that I miss.


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## MichaelK (Jan 10, 2002)

hiker said:


> LOL. Yeah but not much - TiVo->Message&Settings->Settings->Displays->ClosedCaptioning (and all the up/down navigation in between).
> 
> If you're coding a macro for your universal remote the "shorter" method is easier.
> 
> I don't know why TiVo can't provide a one button on/off toggle code (like most TVs) that could be placed on one of the TiVo's remote learnable buttons.


or at least make the cc icon on the info bar an instant toogle.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

MichaelK said:


> or at least make the cc icon on the info bar an instant toogle.


 :up: :up: :up: 
:up: :up: 
:up:


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## bluetex (Apr 24, 2005)

We use S-P-S-9-S (clock toggle) to turn on/off CC. We just leave CC on, then if the clock is on too, it disengages the CC.

Works well.. except when watching live TV (because the backdoor enable sequence will result in you changing the channel).


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

That's weird, bluetex. I just tried it, and toggling the clock had no effect on CC.

Barring a shortcut or a single button press, I'd just as soon be happy if TiVo came out with a similar backdoor code (S-P-S-Clear-9?) to engage/disengage CC. Then I could assign that as a macro to a universal remote.


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## Georgia Guy (Feb 21, 2003)

bareyb said:


> Definitely comes in handly for those late night snacks (crunch-crunch) when the whole house is asleep or when my Wife is on the phone talking at the top of her lungs.


Man, does THAT sound familar. :up:


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## SlowJoe (Jan 9, 2007)

Is there anything new on a CC shortcut or is a universal remote macro still the only game in town?


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## hastypete (Oct 2, 2007)

Please add some simple button combo or allow the CC icon to simply toggle CC. there are just too many key combos and for us living in the land of children, we really rely on CC at times (but not all the time!)


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## Johnny Dancing (Sep 3, 2000)

I was also looking for a simple CC command. I like to flip cc on and off depending on noise in the house and how quite the on-screen conversations are. When I turn CC on or off, the whole house gets mad because of all the TiVo clicks that interrupt the viewing experience.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Johnny Dancing said:


> I was also looking for a simple CC command. I like to flip cc on and off depending on noise in the house and how quite the on-screen conversations are. When I turn CC on or off, the whole house gets mad because of all the TiVo clicks that interrupt the viewing experience.


Exactly. A simple Toggle on the info screen would be a god send. It's one of those things about TiVo where I have to scratch me head and wonder why nobody (are you listening TiVo?) has thought of this yet.


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## Krellion (May 17, 2002)

You can always follow bluetex's suggestion above (which is what I do). Just make sure that you hit the Clear button to cancel the channel change if you're doing it on Live TV.

Also note that the software the S3 originally came with didn't have the "bug" that enables this trick, but later versions (up to the current 9.1) do.


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## hastypete (Oct 2, 2007)

bluetex said:


> We use S-P-S-9-S (clock toggle) to turn on/off CC. We just leave CC on, then if the clock is on too, it disengages the CC.
> 
> Works well.. except when watching live TV (because the backdoor enable sequence will result in you changing the channel).


Does this display the clock when the CC is off?


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

hastypete said:


> Does this display the clock when the CC is off?


Yes, if you use the backdoor code, the clock displays whether you have CC enabled or not. The problem is (as I believe someone posted) when you have this backdoor enabled, CC does not work. So, really your question is moot.


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## hastypete (Oct 2, 2007)

Bierboy said:


> Yes, if you use the backdoor code, the clock displays whether you have CC enabled or not. The problem is (as I believe someone posted) when you have this backdoor enabled, CC does not work. So, really your question is moot.


Thanks for answer. I think I asked the question in the wrong way, but you answered what I meant.
I don't want clock on the screen, ever. So this method of CC on/off will not work for me since you get either CC or clock displayed.


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## jeffw_00 (Sep 19, 2000)

Still no shortcut to toggle closed-captioning with one or two button pushes?

{just checking before I program my harmony...}


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## astrohip (Jan 7, 2003)

Nope.


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## mattack (Apr 9, 2001)

Not completely defending them, but it seems like my newish TV (42" plasma bought within the last year) has complicated menus to turn on CC.. (Though admittedly, I've never had things hooked up so I could actually GET CC from the TV itself.)

The right-down-down-down-enter SOUNDS complicated, but is better than it used to be.. and actually easier than it is on my DVD player, since I have to hit subtitles once, or possibly cycle through english 1, spanish 1, etc.. then go DOWN and toggle on/off..
(if I didn't use the DVD's menus itself.. i.e. to change subtitles while it's playing.)

Yes, I know subtitles & CC aren't the same thing, but for the purposes of this conversation, they accomplish the same thing.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Oddly, I don't seem to use CC as much as I did when I posted this thread. It is better than it was originally, but it's still four button presses. I don't find it to be too much bother since I don't seem to use it anymore. I guess having the kids being five years older helps. You can't wake 'em up with a bullhorn these days.


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## mikalm (Dec 26, 2007)

Here is a link to a method that seems a bit quicker than what has already been described or there would be a link if my post count was 5 or better!

It involves clicking the channel banner button twice, then the down arrow four times, then select.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

Using a Harmony, you can program a sequence (which I did), and it's LOTS quicker.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

mikalm said:


> Here is a link to a method that seems a bit quicker than what has already been described or there would be a link if my post count was 5 or better!
> 
> It involves clicking the channel banner button twice, then the down arrow four times, then select.


That's 6 button presses... Why wouldn't you just:

1. Right arrow
2. Down arrow
3. Click!

That's 3. 

Unless of course you're a Spammer.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

bareyb said:


> That's 6 button presses... Why wouldn't you just:
> 
> 1. Right arrow
> 2. Down arrow
> ...


Actually it's two down arrows and I'd count the left arrow to dismiss the program info overlay so 5 button presses.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

mikeyts said:


> Actually it's two down arrows and I'd count the left arrow to dismiss the program info overlay so 5 button presses.


Not on my TiVo Elite. I'm looking at it now. Over one, down one, Click. Okay, and Left arrow. Four. Still 33% faster than the Spammers method.


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

Ah--that's watching a recording. Live TV on a regular Premiere has two tuner positions above the CC control; does the Elite have four?

EDIT: I found some pictures in a review here; I see that there's still only two tuner info menu selections, the second showing you everything that's on the other three tuners. So it's still 5 button presses in live TV.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Cool. We both get to be right. How often does that happen on the Internet?


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## headless chicken (Oct 8, 2004)

TiVo needs to put a CC button on the peanut remote.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

headless chicken said:


> TiVo needs to put a CC button on the peanut remote.


Agreed!

In the meantime I am trying to program my Harmony to handle this toggle for me as a "sequence." The problem I am finding is that the sequence required is different when I am watching a recorded show in my Now Playing List, vs. when I am watching Live TV.

For a recorded show, it is:
Right
Down
Select
Left

For Live TV, there's an icon for the second tuner there, so it is:
Right
Down
Down
Select
Left

So what's the best way to deal with this? TWO custom buttons to toggle CC, depending on if I am watching Live TV or not? Yuck.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

I went through the same thing Fofer is going through now when I started the thread. I was trying to program my MX-500 to Toggle CC on and off. Never did come up with a solution that would work reliably. 

A dedicated button would be nice. Heck, I'd be happy with a two button command like they have for the the To-Do list (TiVo Button + 2 = ToDo list). It would certainly make programming a Macro easier.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

Meh.

I ended up just programming one sequence for toggling CC when I am watching a recorded show. 

I hardly ever watch Live TV, and if/when I do, I can just manually toggle CC on and off when I want it.


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## bareyb (Dec 1, 2000)

Fofer said:


> Meh.
> 
> I ended up just programming one sequence for toggling CC when I am watching a recorded show.
> 
> I hardly ever watch Live TV, and if/when I do, I can just manually toggle CC on and off when I want it.


That's what I did too. Unfortunately it didn't always work reliably for me. Every now and then it would miss a beat and go somewhere else. I just do the 5 clicks now. Hopefully your Harmony is better than my MX-500.


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## Fofer (Oct 29, 2000)

What's odd is that there *is* a command (via network command) to toggle CC. I know because I have a software remote on my Mac that takes advantage of it. (Thanks wmcbrine! More info here.)

Strange that there isn't a basic IR command to do the exact same. Or maybe there is and we don't have an IR remote that emits it? I mean, not even an official TiVo remote has a CC toggle button, right?

It would be nice if there were some method to figure out what the underlying associated IR code is (if one does in fact exist) in order to transfer/use it on a Universal Remote.


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## wmcbrine (Aug 2, 2003)

Before I learned about CC_ON and CC_OFF, I used a macro sequence like this to toggle CC in my network remote:

Info, Down, Down, Down, Down, Select, Clear

Because the CC icon is the last one, this worked for both Live TV and recordings -- the extra "Downs" during recordings just bonged harmlessly. But this sequence is only good for the Series 3, or the SDUI mode on the Series 4.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

I always had that same problem. But my sequence was right-down-down-down-select. That works for both; you just have one extra "down" before the select. I was using mine on an S3. 

But that's just been replaced with an XL4, and it's messed up now. I re-programmed the sequence (because it doesn't take as many "downs"), but, again, it's different for a live show vs. a recorded show. I supposed you could program two CC sequences -- one for each. But, like fofer said, I rarely watch live teevee...


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## mikeyts (Jul 10, 2004)

They screwed us by changing the order of things. CC is one from the bottom for live TV ("this program info, what's on other tuner(s), CC, audio") but two from the bottom for recordings ("recorded program info, CC, audio, what on tuners"). I could have sworn that recordings used to be "recorded program info, what's on tuners, CC, audio", which would let the same macro toggle CC for either mode.


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## Bierboy (Jun 12, 2004)

mikeyts said:


> They screwed us by changing the order of things. CC is one from the bottom for live TV ("this program info, what's on other tuner(s), CC, audio") but two from the bottom for recordings ("recorded program info, CC, audio, what on tuners"). I could have sworn that recordings used to be "recorded program info, what's on tuners, CC, audio", which would let the same macro toggle CC for either mode.


That is correct.


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## howards (Oct 31, 2007)

Add me to the list of people who want a 1-button control for CC.


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## fasTLane (Nov 25, 2005)

*+1*


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