HDMI does not do Closed Captioning
Just a little Public Service Announcement for those who may be getting TVs for Christmas.
There are a number of connections you can make with your TV from many sources (Cable, DVD, HD-DVD, BluRay, PS3, X360, Wii, and so on forth). The list are as follows in order of lowest to highest quality:
- RF Connection - This is the cable connection you use by default. This is an analog and/or digital connection.
- Composite - You usually have 3 connections, 1 for video, 2 for audio. This is an analog connection.
- S-Video - Instead of a single connection, there are 4 small connections in a round cable. This is an analog connection.
- Component - There are three dedicated connections for video, each encoded for a specific color range. This is an analog connection.
- DVI - Digitial Visual Interface, a common standard for LCD monitors for computers. This is a digital connection.
- HDMI - High Definition Multimedia Interface. Not only does it carry video, but also sounds. This is a digital connection.
Closed Captioning, by US law, are provided within line 21 of an analog TV signal and is geared toward the hearing impaired. Unlike subtitles which are usually focused on dialogs only, Closed Captioning are intended to transcribe the audio effects, along with musical vocals (this aspect is due to licensing issues).
DVDs have carried and supported Closed Captioning. Some companies take it a step further and have a subtitle option for the hearing impaired which output the same information as a Closed Captioning option would but in a subtitle form. However, this is a voluntary option.
Unfortunately, HDMI connections does not currently have any way to transmit closed captioning as the standards called for it. There are apparently two separate standards, the Line 21 standard, and the more modern MPEG standards. The vast majority of televisions available today does not support the second standard over HDMI connection. Also, the vast majority of contents are using the older Line 21 standard, which can not be sent over HDMI connections.
So, if you are getting a nice new TV, and hook up your DVD player over HDMI to the TV, do not be shocked to see a sheer absence of Closed Captioning.
We need to push the FCC and Canadian’s CRTC to establish a digital high definition standard to support Closed Captioning. Having an established standard will encourage our manufacturers to fall in line, and give us what we need.
In the meantime, my suggestion is to use Component connections which is capable of doing 720p/1080i signals until the standards are established and better options are provided for us all.
It is disappointing that we dropped this digital ball — assuming that the status quo will still be there in face of changing technology. I am quite sure there were some of us who did spot this issue. Let’s start helping them push this forward.
Does anyone have a suggestion on how to grease the wheel?
Wow, thanks for the information. I appreciate that.
This was very helpful– thanks!
One thing that deaf or hard of hearing people can do now is to purchase DVD recorders with both NTSC (analog) and ATSC (digital) tuners as those DVD recorders should be able to decode the closed captions from any DVD they play, and then any video cable will transmit the now “open” captions. There may also be some DVD players with built-in closed caption decoding, but they’re hard to find. Another strategy is to play DVDs from computers since various DVD software can display captions from DVDs; if the HDTV has a VGA port for the computer, you can display the DVD at a pretty high setting. (Sometimes there are problems showing DVDs from computers, however; the video card from the computer may not be powerful enough to show the DVD on an external monitor.)
Note that current HDMI cables don’t transmit closed caption data, but if the captions have already been decoded by the DVD player or recorder, the visual images of the captions will be transmitted, just like all the other visual images from the DVD.
Dana Mulvany
Really?
I had HDMI cables at my old home…never had a problem with captioning (Comcast set up box). At my new home…HDMI doesn’t work with Time Warner’s set up box for some reason (still fiddling with it).
I bought a 42″ LCD 1080i about two months ago and hooked up with a new DVD Sony player via HDMI. Closed captioning did not work. However, if you select subtitle command, it will work. Happy Holidays!
for two years i have two hdtvs with comcast boxes via hdmi and the cc works just fine. you need to turn cc on on cable box. you can find one of few dvd players with hdmi that has cc feature on it. i can’t remember which one has cc, but i googled myself and found one - LG DN788 that has cc and hdvi. last year i saw some posts in deaf forums that they have no problem with dvd plaver runs cc through hdmi.
IF THERE IS NO CLOSED CAPTION ON DVD OR TV I TAKE IT BACK TO STORE EXPLAIN REASON SORRY I RETURN NO CLOSED CAPTION SAD NEWS . STORE GOT GASP ON ME AND GIVE ME MONEY BACK.
Have plasma 1080i/p 42″ and..
CC works extremely well via Tivo Series3 HD in your preferred font, size, color, et al. Really wonderful & I love it.
Newer cable box decoder especially those with HDMI outlet does come with the option to turn CC on. On most programs, caption are delayed by 2-3 seconds. Very annoying. Tivo Series3 HD answered my prayer! The best network that is truly perfect with CC is Discovery HD & Mojo HD (via Time Warner)
Both above were connected via HDMI. Got rid of cable box when I upgraded to Tivo Series3 HD with two CableCard. Way worth the investment. Why pay so much for HDTV when you got a poor or no CC?
In other word, a cheap spark plugs for a Hummer.. forget that. 
Zookie
Good luck “greasing the wheel”. Please note that component will not allow CC unless in 480i mode. I am posting a link to avsforum where the problem of CCs over HDMI has been discussed for months without any resolution ….
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=699933
ot just google “hdmi closed captions” and go for the first hit.
Yes, The world move to digital era which no matter that they must bring closed caption over any input same as picture and sound, they kick us out and focus hearing world. we have to fight to get it back.
I can’t hear well at all and I have a special needs child who wakes at the drop of a hat. Unable to use cc I hardly watch any tv at all other then subtitled dvd. Charter is clueless they only mentioned that someone thought they heard of a box you could turn cc on and off, “that one might work” they said………… Any clue as to a brand of box that this works on would help.
TIME WARNER CABLE GUY HDMI AND CC PROBLEMS
i’m not sure if this helps you or not, but you can turn on the cc on time warner cable’s box but you have to turn off your box to do it and the cc will stay on until you turn the box off again to turn the cc off, which is beyond annoying for obvious reasons-this will make sense in a moment. also, i suggest you call twc, they really helped me out a lot when i was hooking up my hdtv.
anyway, to get cc on your time warner cable box
ON YOUR REMOTE hit the cable button then power (seemingly turning the cable box off) then hit the menu or setting button and a white screen will pop up…
follow the directions from there. you might have to go into the more hdmi settings to find the cc, but it worked for me. this was on twc motorola cable box with hd. if it doesn’t work and you really want cc i really suggest you call twc. i’m in dallas, but they really bent over backward to help me… if this wasn’t your problem, sorry to have wasted your time!
ghypscee