Subtitles on Heroes on Sci-Fi?

[Gregor247]

Hi all,

Recorded Heroes on our shiny new V+ box last night (great potential, but the software is as buggy as hell, but that's another story which has already been done to death on here so I'll shut up ).

I have pretty poor hearing, so like using subtitles to make sure I catch all the dialogue.

According to the Sci-Fi UK website (specifically http://www.scifiuk.com/access.asp) all episodes of Heroes have subtitles.

Subtitles on the Sci-Fi channel should be available via 888 according to this handy article: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/10...subtitles.html

Other channels (Sky One, for example) seem to produce 888 subtitles correctly.

The episode of Angel that's on at the moment doesn't seem to have any 888 subtitles either, although the aforementioned Sci-Fi UK webpage does suggest that only some episodes have subtitles.

Confusingly, said webpage also claims that you get subtitles on their channel on NTL digital using the digital subtitles as seen on BBC, ITV, et al.

Is the subtitle track just missing from the NTL Sci-Fi broadcast?

I thought I'd tested recording stuff on V+ and then using 888 when watching the recording but perhaps I was hallucinating.

Has anyone else tried, successfully or otherwise, to get subtitles on Heroes or indeed Sci-Fi in general?

Thanks in advance for any insight anyone can offer.

Cheers

Greg

[v0id]

Isn't there an option in the boxes settings menu to turn on subtitles, like you have with the standard box :/

Settings & Services >> Display & Audio >> Subtitles On/Off

*I've still got the old EPG on a standard box, however I've just tried & this works for me on Sci Fi progs

[geminian68]

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong , but, wouldn't you have to have recorded it with the subtitles, in order to have them viewable (I'm also still on the old EPG, and standard Digibox).

You are wrong

The recording should also include the private data which is the teletext subtitles. I'd say the subtitles aren't there in the stream to be recorded.
I'd complain to ntl/virgin that subs are missing on Sci fi.

v0id - SciFi use teletext subtitles where the TV actually displays the subs, the STB itself can only display DVB subtitles (BBC's 1 2 3 4 etc, ITV, C4 and anything taken from DTT). I can't see how you have turned on teletext subs via the STB?

[Gregor247]

Just realised I should have said, I'm in the Aldershot-Guildford area (ex-Cabletel / ex-NTL).

[Edit: Ah, the profile details have appeared now - doh]

v0id - was Wolverhampton formerly Telewest, Cable & Wireless or NTL - I'm wondering if the different systems use different subtitling systems on different channels? I've got the digital subtitles turned on and they work fine on the channels that support them.

geminian68 - certainly when I was using my TiVo, yes, the digital subtitles had to be turned on to record them. I think TiVo was able to record 888 subtitles in theory (but they may have had to disable it due to compatibility issues) but that might have only been from the RF input, not SCART.
Now in the bright and slightly wonky world of V+ it records as far as I can see the whole digital stream directly onto the hard drive as Creative said, which definitely includes the digital subtitles where present and I believe the teletext data where present also.

Creative - yeah, I think I'm probably going to have to drop VM a line about it unless someone can point out something stupid I'm doing

Anyone out there from the Aldershot/Guildford area able to confirm/deny the absence of subtitles of some form or another on Sci-Fi?

Thanks

Greg