Question Sub-titles on discs

[lee1980]

Have a hearing loss along with tinnitus, so rely on sub-titles. Recently on the streaming services depending on the device used, one can change the size, font, colours and background etc of the sub-titles. So on my LG C8 now on all apps the sub-titles are small and don't have that white bright, light up the picture when so big.
Now on all discs even recent 4k ones there is only on option and its black box with white text and its still very big.
I guess there is no way to change this unless its put on the disc in the first place?
I was starting to see benefits of watching on disc again but not with huge sub-titles.

Strangely on the apps it varies, for Netflix I had to log in online to revise size and it worked, apart from on apple TV, the same with Disney+ on apple tv box, can't seem to change the size.

 

[Clem_Dye]

I’m in the same boat as you when it comes to hearing problems — the joy that is endolympathic hydrops. Fortunately, at present, I don’t have to rely on sub-titles, but do have a fair number of foreign language discs in my collection, which means sub-titles. I’ve never seen an option, either on the media, or in any of my players, to alter sub-title delivery. I think that you’re stuck with things the way that they are.

 

[peskdale61]

Subtitles on Blu-rays and (almost all) DVDs are image-based, not text-based, so unfortunately there isn't really a way for players to alter how they look.

Technically speaking, I'm sure it would be possible for a player to scale those images based on a user preference. But I doubt any manufacturer has implemented such a feature.

 

[lee1980]

I thought there would be no easy way around this, unless they added various sized English subs, and then if made them all to small be complaints as some can't see them.
Really notice it on 4k/DV etc on dark scene the subs just light up the picture.

 

[Sarah7]

You could rip the discs, OCR the subtitles and then use a media player that allows the size to be configured... but of course that's a lot of effort.

I found that subtitles for NowTV stopped working with my main LG television and later discovered this seemed to be related to the app being an older version that only supported switching them on/off whereas newer apps have language selection for subtitles instead. In recent months that older app completely stopped working, with NowTV no longer directly supported on this "smart" television (so I use the Xbox app instead). It does work directly on a more recent smart LG television that I have in another room, using the newer app, including subtitles!

 

[lee1980]

Yeah that would be to much to do.
This is a big issue with apps/devices/smart tvs. My Mum also has bad hearing worse than mine, and my for my Dad to get decent sized subtitles on all apps is difficult, now has a firestick but then still some seem to show big subtitles still, on my LG all are small now thankfully.
I just started to buy more 4k UHD discs but may not if subtitles are big as it spoils the picture far to much now.