Does anyone else have problems with closed captions form direct tv?

Question

I feel like I am getting the run around from direct tv they say it is the manf. problem. I called them and they seem to lean toward direct tv. If you have had this same problem. Please write back and tell me how you solved it or any advice would be helpful. Thanks Drew

Answer 1

I have a DirecTV HD DVR and my closed captioning works flawlessly. It most likely is a problem with your TV.

Answer 2

Closed captions are really complicated (i.e. a mess) in today's environment.

Closed caption information can be delivered in a several different ways.  In particular, standard definition (SD/analog) programs use one system, while digital (HDTV) broadcasts use a different format. Some HD material also includes backwards-compatible analog captions, and all satellite-based material comes inside digital packets that can also include captions.   Old FCC standards for closed captions don't apply to digital media, and so support from both hardware and broadcasters is inconsistent.

In short, to have a hope at figuring this out, you need to at least be specific about what kind of format you are using (HDTV or standard definition), what channels it is, and what specific components are used in your system (i.e. what receiver model, etc).

My guess is that the problem you are having is with the original source programming, not with your hardware.  This programming does not originate with DirecTV though, so I doubt they can do much except pass the complaint upstream.