Why do people dislike reading subtitles?

[Zirat]

I don't know, I kinda enjoy subs. They're kinda like reading a book with little to no effort.

Though dubs don't bother me either. As long as they're of decent quality everything's good!


I never did understand the camps of people who go on crusades regarding how horrible Dubs are...

 

[CK76]

I don't mind them in the slightest, never ever watch dubs. I wish more DVDs in the US had German subtitles as an option.

 

[Amberella]

I prefer subtitles to be honest. Although there are some really good dubs out there. Like Full Metal Alchemist for example. I've watched many animes and I have to say I prefer subs. I'm actually watching Sailor Moon right now subbed. Even though it's the last season, never dubbed, but still. lol.

 

[Negotiator]

The only film I enjoy watching dubbed is Professor Layton and the Eternal Diva and that's because I've played the games in English and I've grown to the English voices of Layton and Luke.

Otherwise I always prefer subtitles. English is not my mother tongue so most of the foreign movies/tv shows I've seen are in English. Since I know the language pretty well I usually focus on listening but since a few English words, phrases and dialects/accents are new to me I keep the subtitles on to help me in case I don't get something.

I've recently begun watching a lot of Swedish TV shows. My Swedish isn't very good (although I do understand the language pretty well) so in case there is a subbed version available (even in Swedish) I choose it to help me understand it better.

 

[Extra-Ordinary]

Subtitles don't bother me. *shrug*

Same here. I had a friend who said it distracted from stuff on screen, but that was while we were watching Inglourious Basterds. They switch to english if there's something worth seeing on screen, but if it's a drama scene, subs. And I like the way the juggle the two along this fine line. Not like in District 9 (which I loved, by the way) where Christopher is making a bomb practically out of LEGO's and you don't get to see him do it because he does it so fast and you're to busy reading the subtitles.

 

[Rad Party God]

Well, as someone that lives in a country where english is not our primary language, I've become accostumed to read subtitles for my whole life. I, too, am very nitpicky when I see a foreign movie/game/anything dubbed in spanish, as I want to see that movie in it's original language, as it was meant to be. This has already cause me a bit of trouble in the past, but I don't regret it.

 

[TheYellowCellPhone]

Subtitle speed, they're never going to be just right. Too slow, or worse, too fast.

And my eyes stay glued to the bottom of the screen.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

i sub the shit out of everything, but then again i don't mind most dub's either so i usually do both if at all possible (i'm slowly starting to not mind non dubbed versions, but that's a work in progress.)

honestly it helps so much for multitasking, i can look and see what they say before they say it, especially if it is a "emotional" moment where they take 5 long ass breathes and it takes them 20 seconds to say that one line, that way i can play games/do homework/eat while i'm reading or doing whatever else.

so subs and dubs all the way! i fight to have subs on in everything i do/watch =]

 

[Guitarmasterx7]

Well from a purely cinematic point of view, reading subtitles draws the focus away from what's actually playing out onscreen. Granted not a lot, but enough to make anything visually subtle harder to notice. Though to be honest something initially being in another language is equally if not more offsetting to begin with, as is akward moths flapping while dialog plays out and the audio-visual disconnect that entails so iunno. Can't say I watch many foreign films to be honest.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I always use subtitles when they are available in my games, i have been reading subtitles on foreign movies since i was like 4
Dubbing a movie is basically the same as remaking everything but the visuals.

 

[Erin Wright]

I'm not totally against subs. but I tend to the "It distracts from the film" and the "I don't go to the movies to read" groups. Also if someone speaks to me or I get up for a few seconds, I miss out that way.

 

[ReservoirAngel]

The only way I will ever watch a foreign film dubbed is if I need to be doing something else at the same time. I can still comprehend a film if I just hear the dialogue in my own language, but it's impossible to turn your attention away from a foreign language film because then all I hear is a language I don't understand.

Though oddly I can turn away from films that use a different, more complicated form of English and understand them perfectly still. My friends are fucking baffled to this day by my ability to understand Shakespearian English completely clearly while not even reading the subtitles I always put on.

EDIT: Also I never go see foreign language films in the cinema. I always need to be sat near the back and there will always be people's heads blocking my view of the subtitles so I will have no idea what is going on.

 

[Dystopia]

I genuinely can't work out how it is so hard for some people to read subs and watch a movie or show at the same time. I barely notice it.

Then again, a lot of my favourite films are foreign so maybe I'm just used to it. I tried to make my dad watch La Vita e Bella which is the most beautiful film ever, and the second he realised it was subtitled he got seriously annoyed and left the room. Well, he missed out.

 

[Quietus Legion]

Subtitles are essential to me, even if the spoken language is English. Sometimes it's just too hard to make our the words if you can't crank up the volume.
But dubbing is a blight upon the world. I can just about stomach it in some animations (if it's well done) but mostly just no.

 

[Hollock]

For soke people having to jhst look at the bottom of tge screen is distracting