How To Turn Closed Captioning On or Off on a Sony TV (2022)

So you’ve got a brand new Sony smart TV? Great, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite videos on a crisp, crystal-clear Ultra-HD screen! One of the best things about it is dozens of settings related to video playback on your Sony TV, allowing you to customize your experience to best suit your needs.

This article focuses on turning closed captioning (CC) on and off to get subtitles for your videos. Sony has made it exceptionally easy to enable/disable the CC. However, if you click the CC button on the remote, the subtitles might not play. This outcome is why it pays to look closely at all the available options and menus.

1. Check the Video Sources for CC Availability

Closed Caption availability and settings depend on the device you use as the video source. For example, your TV might be connected to a satellite set-top box, a cable box, Amazon Fire Stick/TV, or Apple TV. If connected via cable or set-top box, you must use the device’s menu (not your TV’s) to turn on/enable CC. Here’s how to do it:

Go into the device menu, navigate to “Settings,” then select “Options.” Find “Preferences” under “Options” and click on “TV Options.” The following menu should list “Captioning.” Click on it and make sure it’s turned on.

Those with an RCA-type analog connection (red, white, and yellow connectors) rather than HDMI can turn on CC via the Sony TV menu. However, it’s still advisable to do it on your set-top box and cable.

Expert tip: Keep the CC on, regardless of the streaming/video-playback device you connect to the Sony TV. You can quickly turn it off via remote when the playback starts.

2. Check/Adjust Sony TV Menu Options

Sony TVs support digital and analog CC, in case you are not using a set-top box or digital coax cable. Both options are available inside the TV’s settings. But the exact outline and menus might vary slightly based on your model. The following explanations should help you navigate to the correct section on most Sony TVs.

Check Digital Closed Captioning

Launch the TV menu, select “Preferences,” and navigate to “Setup,” which is one of the options on the right. Navigate downward to Closed Captioning (CC) in the main window and choose “Caption Vision.” This option can be “Advanced” or “Basic,” and there are two additional features.

You can choose “Digital CC: CC1” or “Digital CC Options: As broadcast,” For the most part, either of them works just fine. It’s important to note that Digital CC allows you to change font color, size, and text type. The menu is available under “Closed Captioning (CC),” of course.

Check Analog Closed Captioning

The “CC1” profile works with most video streaming/broadcasting services for analog CC. If not, you can also try the “CC2,” “CC3,” and “CC4” options. As for the other settings, they need to be formatted to “CC Display: ON” and “Analog CC1” (or any additional profile).

So what’s the difference between analog and digital CC? The analog CC can only display white text on black background, while digital CC allows you to customize the subtitles. And according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the distributors should provide you with equipment that supports both formats.

Note: CC on Sony Bravia is under “Accessibility,” but it might also reside under a different menu on other models.

3. Check the Sony TV Remote

With CC enabled on the TV and set-top box/cable, you should be able to quickly turn the subtitles on and off via your Sony remote. Depending on your model, the CC button location may vary, but it’s usually at the lower section of the remote, just under the volume and channel rockers.

Press the button once to turn on CC. You might get prompted to confirm it via a pop-up window. Press the button again if you want to turn it off.

4. Check Broadcaster Availability for Closed Captioning

Some HDTV broadcasters don’t send the CC signal, which means it won’t work no matter what you do. If so, contact your provider to find out how to get subtitles. In addition, there are also TV shows or episodes that don’t broadcast CC. In this case, there is almost nothing you can do.

With CC on, you may experience some delay in the subtitles when switching between the channels. In addition, some streaming/media devices might not feature CC, leaving you to connect the device to your Sony TV via HDMI, S-video, or composite cable and turn on CC in the TV menu instead.

Use the Home button on the remote to access the CC menu and make necessary changes.

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Given Sony’s CC features, you shouldn’t have any problems setting up the subtitles. The critical thing to remember is that it’s not only about the TV. For example, if you enjoy videos on your Sony via Apple TV, you can enable CC from both devices.