Sony’s Subtitle Glasses Mean the Deaf Can Watch Movies in the Theater Too

sunny_signs said:
I don't own a theatre, so...no. I'm just going on the hearies I know, many who won't watch tv or movie with me because if "they want pay to read, they'd get book".
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Like I tell them...ignore the captions, then. You don't have to read them.

Captions stay on my TV 24/7 and have since my son was 3. It helped him learn to read. It allowed him to enjoy TV. He doesn't even live at home now, and I keep captions on for myself. Many is the day, after talking to people and doing therapy hour after hour, I don't want the noise. I will turn the volume down and use the captions.
 
Banjo said:
But can you prove that it would have an effect on the attendance? Besides, the attendance have been going down for years anyway and it has nothing to do with us. That attitude of yours is why we are still getting the short stick, because people are too quick to resign.
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My point was, theatre owners won't like make change which annoy many customers for fear they lose business. Many hearies annoyed caps - fact. Theatres business - fact. Hearies customers - fact. Hearies outnumber Deafies - fact. Businesses will cater to largest population of customers - fact.

Didn't realise this topic had anything to do with already (unrelated) declining theatre attendance.
 
Banjo, what attitude? I'd like caps at all movies! I was just answering your question. Okay for you to find flaw in others arguments, but not okay for others find flaw in yours. Why?
 
sunny_signs said:
Banjo, what attitude? I'd like caps at all movies! I was just answering your question. Okay for you to find flaw in others arguments, but not okay for others find flaw in yours. Why?
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Try to not take it personal. I pointed out that your attitude in general regarding accessibility is doing more harm than good by letting the hearing people's pettiness win over your accessibility needs.
 
sunny_signs said:
My point was, theatre owners won't like make change which annoy many customers for fear they lose business. Many hearies annoyed caps - fact. Theatres business - fact. Hearies customers - fact. Hearies outnumber Deafies - fact. Businesses will cater to largest population of customers - fact.

Didn't realise this topic had anything to do with already (unrelated) declining theatre attendance.
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Right now, it is only a theory of yours that the attendance may decline as a result of open captioning. The reason why I mentioned the decline in the attendance is because you brought it up. :)
 
jillio said:
Like I tell them...ignore the captions, then. You don't have to read them.

Captions stay on my TV 24/7 and have since my son was 3. It helped him learn to read. It allowed him to enjoy TV. He doesn't even live at home now, and I keep captions on for myself. Many is the day, after talking to people and doing therapy hour after hour, I don't want the noise. I will turn the volume down and use the captions.
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Right, and people will get used to it eventually. A lot of movies in Europe and Asia are subtitled and they are pretty popular anyway.
 
My personal attitude on accessibility is this --- make everything as accessible to everyone as possible. Yay for captioning. Yay for audio description for visually impaired. Yay for wheelchair ramps. Yay for flashing and chirping cross walk lights. Yay for all these and more.

My personal attitude wasn't what was asked. I answered the question as phrased, showing point of view of theatre owner. I am not a theatre owner, so the attitude of one is not my attitude.

One can understand the attitude/point of view of another without necessarily agreeing with or taking that position. :)
 
Banjo said:
Right now, it is only a theory of yours that the attendance may decline as a result of open captioning. The reason why I mentioned the decline in the attendance is because you brought it up. :)
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Yes, from point of view of theatre owner they might not want to put captioning in if they are afraid they will lose business of Hearies if they do. That's what I was saying. I don't know if business will suffer, but business owner might have that fear.
 
if the production costs are minimal, this will be highly profitable. But I don't think right now these components are going to be cheap. Taking a stab and guessing it probably going to utilize some wireless connection within each theater room, the tech is there now. But for continual text on some transparent material, that definitely isn't too mainstream as of right now.

Will be beneficial for sure if it makes it. There will probably be a (hearing) audience that makes fun of people wearing the monstrosity, but as an adult who cares.
 
Banjo said:
Right, and people will get used to it eventually. A lot of movies in Europe and Asia are subtitled and they are pretty popular anyway.
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99.99% of asian televised media programs are subtitled. The asians have got the tv and screen captions done to a science, but on the flip side, sign languages, not so much. :(
 
I've been working with some people to get movies on DVD before their release so the deaf can watch it their way....

The limitation would be it would probably be only limited to anything released by any companies by/under Viacom.

ie: no Disney.
 
jillio said:
They both have limitations. That is what the two methods have in common.
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but RW has alot of limitation while glasses are minor. I think glasses would be alot easier and better but nothing is perfect.
 
Unfortunately, a lot of hearies tend to put their "needs" before others', i.e. no captions because it's "repeating" the dialogue. You hear it, and you read it and you hear it and you read it, and sometimes they don't match up exactly so it's a distraction, and most people don't want to put up with that. That, and they might miss some amazingly important details in the little bottom section of the screen. People as selfish as that will make a scene (probably) and take their business elsewhere. Some might even assume that the captioning is costing them tons of extra money that they don't want to pay, regardless of whether the price is any higher or not. Unfortunately, businesses would rather keep clientele then lose it, even if it means they'd gain a whole nother customer base. Everyone's looking for the most profitable, least distracting way to accomodate everyone.

That's just my two cents. I figure people can adapt, and it really isn't that hard to pay attention to the picture once you're used to captions being there. Of course, it'd take "too much effort" to adapt.....
 
sunny_signs said:
My point was, theatre owners won't like make change which annoy many customers for fear they lose business. Many hearies annoyed caps - fact. Theatres business - fact. Hearies customers - fact. Hearies outnumber Deafies - fact. Businesses will cater to largest population of customers - fact.

Didn't realise this topic had anything to do with already (unrelated) declining theatre attendance.
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Totally just said that on the first page lol I think we think alike Sunny :)
 
Banjo said:
Right, and people will get used to it eventually. A lot of movies in Europe and Asia are subtitled and they are pretty popular anyway.
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This annoyance with captioning does seem to be one of those American "it's all about me" attitudes. "Don't put subtitles or captioning on my movie. I don't want to read, and I am entitled to a movie without it!"
 
Secretblend said:
but RW has alot of limitation while glasses are minor. I think glasses would be alot easier and better but nothing is perfect.
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I don't see not being able to utilize them if you wear glasses to correct your vision as a major problem. I know more people that rely on corrective lenses than people who don't. Especially when watching a movie or reading.
 
English Captions

Many opera houses have captions that show above the stage, as, for instance, the Seattle Opera describes in the above link.

I've never understood why movie theaters couldn't do the same thing. With captions scrolling above the screen, it would not interfere with showing the actors' faces, or the scenery, or anything else that is intrinsically part of the movie.

I, for one, would not like those Sony glasses at all. Mainly because I already wear glasses so they wouldn't work, but just the concept of it sounds ungainly and unworkable for too much of the population.
 
Beach girl said:
English Captions

Many opera houses have captions that show above the stage, as, for instance, the Seattle Opera describes in the above link.

I've never understood why movie theaters couldn't do the same thing. With captions scrolling above the screen, it would not interfere with showing the actors' faces, or the scenery, or anything else that is intrinsically part of the movie.

I, for one, would not like those Sony glasses at all. Mainly because I already wear glasses so they wouldn't work, but just the concept of it sounds ungainly and unworkable for too much of the population.
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Have you seen the size of the screens these days? If you sat a little close to the screen, you'll have to bend back and break your neck to see the captioning at the top.

I always sit at the back, but I know some people like to sit close to the screen. So that wouldn't work.
 
derekbrandon said:
A 'personal' subtitle system, like the specs mentioned, or seat mounted displays, like they have in the US, would give people a better choice of films and showtimes, which would of course result in more people attending the cinema, purchasing popcorn & drinks etc.
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Where am I supposed to put the drink if the theatre is full?
 
Banjo said:
Which is why I brought up that open captioning has no limitations. All of the other captioning technology available to us have too much limitations and hassles. Not just in how you use it, but in how you obtain it too as well.

It's a no-brainer.
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Well, it does have the limitation of ticking off most of their (hearing) customers who might not come back to spend money. They are likely afraid of losing business, so they are not going to open caption if it means that hearing people don't come back.

Is it a realistic fear that movie theaters have? I don't know what would happen to their customer base if they open captioned everything. Will it destroy their business (deaf business would not be enough to sustain the business), or will hearing people just adapt to it? No one knows.

Movie theaters are competing with home theaters these days. Movie theaters have to provide an exceptional movie theater experience to draw in business. If they don't do it, customers will not go.

If open-captions cause a movie theater to lose half of their business (because hearies don't want to pay $18 plus dollars to watch a movie with subtitles), then they are not going to do it. I think it is understandable.

Subtitle glasses seem to be a reasonable middle-ground to keep both sort of customers happy. If it worked.

Would I like open-captions? Absolutely. But realistically speaking, I cannot expect a business to tick off their main customer base by open captioning everything. If my customers wanted blue cars and I sold only red cars, I would not be in business long. If open-captions will turn off 50% of their customer base, they won't be in business long.

However, it would be interesting to see a movie theater go all out and open caption and test how that affects their customer base and business profitability with hearie customers (who are the ones that actually keep the business afloat and profitable). It just may be that their fears of alienating their hearie customers are groundless.
 
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