Do you often miss important dialogues while watching TV? Perhaps you struggle to follow foreign films and programs or simply want to turn on subtitles so as not to disturb someone sleeping in the next room. How to enable subtitles on TV is a question many ask, especially considering that each brand has its own specific setup system. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you solve this problem once and for all!
In the next paragraphs, I will guide you step by step through the process of enabling subtitles on the most common TV brands. I will explain how to navigate the system menus, where to find the correct settings, and how to customize the subtitles according to your preferences, from text size to color, to the position on the screen. I assure you that, once you complete this guide, you will be able to manage the subtitles on your TV with utmost ease, regardless of the model you own.
So, are you ready to start? Yes? Fantastic! Get comfortable in your favorite chair, grab the remote, and prepare to carefully follow the instructions I will provide. You will see that in a few minutes you will be able to set up the subtitles, and you can enjoy your favorite shows without missing a single word. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a tech whiz: I have thought of everything and have created a simple and intuitive guide that will accompany you through every step. Happy reading!
Table of Contents
- How to Enable Subtitles on LG TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on Samsung TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on Sony TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on Philips TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on Panasonic TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on TCL TVs
- How to Enable Subtitles on AKAI TVs
How to Enable Subtitles on LG TVs
Do you own an LG TV and have no idea how to enable subtitles while watching TV shows or movies? In that case, you can resort to several solutions.
To start, press the button with the gear icon on the remote or select the gear icon at the top left of the Home screen. In both cases, select the gear icon that appears at the top left to access the webOS settings, the operating system on LG Smart TVs.
After selecting General, go to Accessibility and select Subtitles. All that’s left is to activate the Subtitles option by toggling the dedicated switch to ON. Inside the same menu, you can also choose the primary and secondary languages for the subtitles. In the first case, select Primary Language Subtitles and choose the language you want from the proposed list (e.g., Italian). Then go back, select Secondary Language Subtitles, and choose the one you want (e.g., English).
You can enable subtitles while watching a TV channel as well. Just press the button with the three dots on the remote and find the Additional Functions section in the menu that appears in the upper right. Now, if you are watching a RAI channel, select Teletext and then type 777 on the remote to view the subtitles provided by the teletext service.
Moreover, within the Teletext Options menu, you can customize the available language by selecting Primary Language and then Italian or another of your choice. Again in the Additional Functions section, select Subtitle, set Italian — TXT (or another available language) instead of Deactivate.
If you encounter issues during the process or the steps I provided are different from those you see on your LG TV, I recommend consulting the user manual included in the box. If you’ve lost it, you can download a PDF copy from the LG product support page.
Do you want to enable subtitles in the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video apps on your LG Smart TV? In that case, after opening the Netflix app and selecting the content to watch, press the Audio and Subtitles option and then the language you desire.
If you have already started playback, use the directional arrows and press the speech bubble icon. Then, in the menu that opened on the screen, select the Italian option (or the language you want) under the Subtitles label. Finally, press the OK button to confirm the operation.
Regarding Amazon Prime Video, after selecting and starting the content to watch, press the central button or the upward-pointing directional arrow, select the icon with the speech bubble (CC Subtitles), and press the central/OK button on the remote to switch from OFF to ON and, if desired, set the language, size, and style of the subtitles through the dedicated menus.
How to Enable Subtitles on Samsung TVs
Are you wondering how to enable subtitles on TV for a Samsung model? If you want to activate the subtitles, first press the button with the house icon (Home), then select the left directional button and press the icon with three lines to access the Menu.
Then, go to Settings by pressing the gear icon. Scrolling through the list of various options, you will find Subtitles. Select it and then press the Select button on the remote to proceed with the activation.
Alternatively, you can also use the Accessibility Shortcuts feature to allow easy access to accessibility functions. Just hold down the Volume+ and Volume— buttons for at least 2 seconds and then proceed to activate the subtitles through the proposed list.
Another method to always enable subtitles on Samsung TVs is this: from Settings (accessible by following the instructions I provided earlier), this time choose All Settings and then go to General and Privacy. After selecting Accessibility, press Subtitle Settings. All that’s left is to set Subtitles to ON.
Still in the same menu, you can manage other dedicated options such as setting the subtitle mode, choosing the language, or enabling an audio version. Additionally, as seen with LG TVs in the previous chapter, you can select the primary and secondary language for subtitles.
Another method for enabling subtitles on Samsung TVs is to use the Teletext function. However, keep in mind that it is only available on channels that support the Teletext service. If you have a Samsung Smart Remote remote, you can activate the Teletext function by pressing the 123 button and the gear icon and then press the Select button. If you have a standard remote, press the button with three lines or the one with three divided lines (depending on the model).
Once the function is correctly activated, by pressing the same remote button, you can switch the Teletext mode between Full TTX (the Teletext appears full-screen), Double TTX (the Teletext appears on one half of the screen while the selected channel shows on the other half), Mix (the Teletext appears transparently over the displayed channel), or Live TV (returns to the currently airing TV program screen).
If you want to change the Teletext language, go to All Settings (as seen in earlier lines), select Broadcast, and then go to Advanced Settings. From here, select Teletext Language Settings and press on Teletext Language. To display the Teletext service transmitted in your preferred language, select the one you want within Main Teletext Language. Additionally, you can choose a second by setting it in Secondary Teletext Language.
If you still encounter issues, I recommend consulting the instruction manual included in the sales box. Have you lost it? From the Samsung Manuals and Software Download page, you can download a PDF copy after entering the model code of your Samsung Smart TV.
As for the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video applications, the methods for enabling subtitles are as I described for LG TVs.
How to Enable Subtitles on Sony TVs
Do you have a Sony TV? To enable subtitles, you can simply press the button with dots inside to access the subtitle settings. Alternatively, you can use the accessibility functions available from the Accessibility menu. Among the various options available, there is also the option to enable subtitles.
To start, press the Home button on the remote, then select Settings and then System. After that, choose Accessibility and then look for the option dedicated to subtitles to manage all the various options available.
To use the Teletext and enable subtitles, you can follow the instructions I provided in the chapter dedicated to LG TV, as the input method is the same. The only difference is the button to open the main Teletext page, which should be the one depicting a square with dots inside it.
Also when it comes to apps, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, in the case of Sony Smart TVs, the instructions are the same as those I provided in the above chapter.
Are you having issues? To find all the exact steps for your Sony TV, you can rely on the user manual included in the package. If you’ve lost it, just access the Sony Support page on the official site.
How to Enable Subtitles on Philips TVs
In the case of a Philips TV, as seen previously, there is the option to use the SUBTITLE button available on most remotes to enable subtitles.
Alternatively, you can use the various options available in the settings. Just press the + (OPTIONS) button on the remote and select Subtitles. In addition to setting On or Off, the Automatic option is also available. If the language information is included in the digital broadcast and the program being aired is not in Italian, the television can automatically display subtitles in one of the preferred languages.
You can select the preferred languages within the Subtitle Language menu. To access it, press the gear button on the remote (to access the settings), select Channels and Inputs, and then choose Channels. After that, select Main Subtitle Language or Secondary Subtitle Language, choose the one you prefer, and press OK to confirm.
On Philips TVs, you can also use the subtitles offered by the Teletext service. Tuning into the analog channel, press the TEXT button to open the Teletext. After that, enter the subtitle page number (777 for Italian or 778 for English) and press the TEXT button again to close it.
Enabling subtitles on the Smart TV apps, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, however, works like on all other TVs; for this reason, you can follow the advice I have provided earlier for LG TVs.
If you encounter any issues during the steps, I suggest consulting the user manual present in the package. If you have lost it, you can download the digital version from the Philips product support page, after entering the model code of your television.
How to Enable Subtitles on Panasonic TVs
Are you using a Panasonic TV? Then, the quickest method to enable subtitles is using the SUBTITLE/STTL button, available on all remotes. By pressing it, you can automatically enable subtitles present on various TV channels (when available).
If you own a Panasonic Smart TV with Fire TV (the operating system developed by Amazon for smart televisions), such as the Panasonic TV—55Z85, you can customize the subtitle settings as follows: access the Home (by pressing the button with the house icon on the remote) and then select the gear icon.
Then, select Live TV, go to Broadcast Options, and choose Preferred Broadcast Settings. Here, select Preferred Subtitle Settings and press OK to enter. Choose the option you are interested in and press the OK button to save. For instance, you can select your preferred type of subtitle or the primary and secondary languages.
Regarding the Teletext function, you can use the Teletext Character Setup function (which allows you to set up the character of the Teletext), displaying the options menu by pressing the button with three lines and then the OK button to save. In this case, you will need to choose the West option, which contains the Italian character.
Do you have a Panasonic TV with Google TV (e.g., TX—55MZ800)? To enable subtitles, proceed as follows. First switch to Live TV mode and then press the Menu button on the remote to display the various available options. From here, first select Advanced Options and then Subtitles.
Through the proposed screen, select Analog Subtitles and set it to ON. Alternatively, also select Digital Subtitles and set it to ON. Furthermore, still in the subtitles menu, you can select the primary language (Digital Subtitle Language), the secondary language (Secondary Digital Subtitle Language), and then the type of subtitles (Subtitle Types).
If your TV model is particularly old and lacks a button to activate subtitles, you can press the TEXT button to use the Teletext, using the same methods described previously for LG TVs. The same applies to the subtitles for the Netflix and Amazon Prime Video apps (in the case of Smart TVs), which activate in the same way on all televisions.
The steps I suggested do not work for your Panasonic TV? In that case, my advice is to consult the instruction manual present in the sales box. If you can’t find it, you can download the version in PDF from the Panasonic TV Support page.
How to Enable Subtitles on TCL TVs
Do you have a TCL model and want to find out how to enable subtitles on TV? In this case, we need to distinguish between televisions with the Fire TV operating system and those equipped with Google TV, the smart TV OS developed by Google.
In the first case, you just need to press the SUBT button on the remote to quickly activate subtitles. Furthermore, you have the option to change the language, text size, and preferred style.
In the second case, follow this procedure instead. Press the gear button on the remote, select Settings, and then go to Channels and Input. After that, choose Channels and Subtitles. All that’s left is to select the Subtitles option and press OK to activate them.
Additionally, in the Subtitles menu, you can customize the primary language for digital channel subtitles (Digital Subtitle Language 1st) and the secondary language (Digital Subtitle Language 2nd). Use the up and down arrow keys to select the desired language and then press OK to confirm.
Also from the Subtitles menu, you can customize the type of subtitles on digital television channels. To do this, select Subtitle Type and press OK. Use the up and down buttons to choose the type of subtitle and press OK to confirm.
If your intention is to enable subtitles within streaming applications (e.g., Netflix and Amazon Prime Video), you can follow the same instructions I provided in the first chapter of this tutorial.
If you tried to follow the steps I provided earlier but what you see on your TCL TV is quite different, consult the user manual to discover the specific steps for your model. If you can’t find it, go to the TCL Support Welcome page and download the version in PDF.
How to Enable Subtitles on AKAI TVs
If you want to find out how to enable subtitles on AKAI TV, keep reading my guide to find out exactly how to do it. First, press the Menu button on the remote and go into System or Accessibility found in the settings. From here, look for the Subtitles or Closed Captioning option and activate it.
On some AKAI televisions (like those equipped with LG’s webOS), it is also possible to control subtitles by pressing the CC/SUB button on the remote. You can also try accessing the settings, going to Accessibility, and activating subtitles using the On/Off Subtitles option. To select the preferred subtitle language, choose the Programs menu and then select Subtitle Language.
Regarding multimedia streaming applications, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, you will need to follow the same instructions present in the chapter on LG Smart TVs.
If you can’t activate the subtitles on your AKAI TV, I recommend consulting the user manual included in the box. If you’ve lost it, you can download a copy in PDF from the AKAI page on Manuale D’uso.it.