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| Captioning Service 1 is the DISH default; switching it to 0 (zero) works with TCM captions. |
However, the past few months TCM's captions have not been as consistent and it made me question if they stopped captions altogether since all the other channels still had captions.
The good news is TCM didn't do away with captions, but the Captioning Service setting did change without any word given to DISH customers or TCM viewers, at least not to this one.
Scroll to the end to read the solution for DISH customers, or keep reading for my rhetorical digression:
Gee, if only there was a way to inform paying customers of changes like this? For all the useless information TCM hosts spew, they could at least give some useful information since their captions are the only ones that have changed, which makes it logically look like the change was at TCM's end and not at DISH's end or the customer's end.
The Real Problem: Even when TCM movies indicate there is closed captioning, it does not indicate what captioning service to use. For all the tickers, icons, and obtrusive ads that show up on a screen these days -- and the fact that closed captioning is a federal mandate for the sake of the deaf and hard-of-hearing -- it's funny to me that no informative icons have been invented to tell viewers that if captions aren't working the service connection needs to be changed through the viewer's settings.
For example, TCM recently aired the original House on Haunted Hill, and before the movie starts a still screen indicates the age range (TV14) and that it is closed captioned -- but it does not state what captioning service the viewer needs to use for captions to work. Since it's a still screen, it would be nice to see more information added that indicates what captioning service to use so the viewer knows to change it on their end.
Granted, maybe it's different with smart TVs and the newfangled devices that not everyone in America has or can afford; it's not about the customers having new technology though; it's about all the service providers using the tools that already exist to put information on the screen that tells viewers what the caption setting should be for that channel -- especially since the only person who can fix the captions is the viewer with their settings!
Even though I can hear without assistive devices, I imagine it would be super sucky to lose the captions you depend on and not know how to restore them, especially if it's the news or something life-impacting -- and then you have to call someone on a phone and talk to them when you can't hear well and they might not speak your language well enough to understand!
The Rhetorical Solution: If only hearing people at DISH and TCM could imagine watching TV without sound so they could better understand how life-changing information on a screen could be when it comes to helping people with hearing challenges, which could save a lot of time and a lot of frustration that hearing people don't ever have to deal with and won't understand until they're much older, if they're lucky and nothing happens to their hearing sooner. But I digress with good reason -- because modern stenographers know from experience that visible text is essential to reaching people who can't hear, and as a visionary stenographer I see efficient solutions that could make life better for everyone but especially for people who can't hear or talk!
The Solution for DISH Customers:
How to fix closed captioning on TCM for DISH customers:
Click the 'Home' button twice for the Menu.
Under 'Menu' go to the Settings icon and click the icon with the 'Select' button.
Under 'Settings' go to the Closed Captioning icon and click the icon with the 'Select' button.
Under 'Closed Captioning Settings' make sure the Closed Captioning box at the top is set to On; use the 'Select' button to switch between Off and On.
Still under 'Closed Captioning Settings' arrow down to the last box Captioning Service; use the 'Select' and arrow buttons to choose from 0 (zero) through 6; press 'Select' to save the setting; use the 'Back' button to close.
Captioning Service 1 is the DISH default; switching it to 0 (zero) works with TCM captions which changed without notice in fall of 2019.
Follow the steps to restore closed captioning on TCM and enjoy old movies once again!
PS -- The stenographer in me finds it shameful that for all the movie preservation by TCM, they don't seem interested in making sure viewers are getting the full experience from the movies, which includes understanding the movies with the use of captions. What's the point of preserving movies if not to understand them? PPS -- For hearing people who think captions aren't needed, I invite you to open your mind to a life without sound for a day, or seek out a local deaf/hard-of-hearing group so you can learn from them the powerful impact of text when hearing isn't an option.
