Rick Carlton

Q: No Closed Caprioning on ATV for Youtube

If I play a Youtube video in Safari I get closed captioning. If I play it in ATV I don't. How do I get it in ATV?

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), 2.7 Ghz I5 core

Posted on May 22, 2016 5:56 PM

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Q: No Closed Caprioning on ATV for Youtube

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Diana.McCall,Helpful

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Rick Carlton
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Rick Carlton

    You need to enable them in the ATV Accessibility settings, see https://help.apple.com/appletv/#/atvb5ca42eb9

    If you have done that, you may need to turn them on for the specific video. Swipe down while playing to display the info at the top of the screen.

  • by Rick Carlton,

    Rick Carlton Rick Carlton May 23, 2016 9:02 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Safari
    May 23, 2016 9:02 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    CC is enabled on the ATV. It works on Netflix, iTunes, etc. but not on Youtubes. I can't swipe Smith an IMac.

     

    Thanks.

  • by Diana.McCall,Helpful

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 11:07 AM in response to Rick Carlton
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 11:07 AM in response to Rick Carlton

    How do you play it on  ATV? Do you use the YouTube app on ATV? Or do you use AirPlay or mirroring from the computer?

    You can swipe down on the ATV remote to display the info while playing on ATV.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 10:23 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    It appears that you are correct. I tried three configurations using my ATV4 and iPad air.

    1) YouTube app on ATV, with closed captions and SDH enabled. Cannot enable CC on YouTube.

    2) YouTube app on iPad, AirPlay to ATV. Enabled CC (auto-generated) from the ... Menu in the app. ATV info panel has additional entry for Subtitles, shows CC enabled, but no subtitles appear. The app may not be sending them through AirPlay.

    3) YouTube website in browser (chrome), AirPlay to ATV. Enabled CC with button shown on the player. CC displayed on the player window, while video plays on ATV. The browser player is receiving CC from the YouTube server, while ATV is receiving video from the server.

     

    So it looks like YouTube needs to do some work to make CC work with ATV. You should request this improvement from them.

  • by Rick Carlton,

    Rick Carlton Rick Carlton May 23, 2016 10:31 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Safari
    May 23, 2016 10:31 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    I think you have now got it. I don't send anything from my IMac to ATV. ATV has channels built in - Netflix, Smithsonian, Utube, etc.. I turn on ATV and they appear - no Apps or casting. Netflix and iTunes movies have CC.

     

    I can also play the same Youtube video on my Mac screen in Safari. It shows CC.

     

    I have a 1st or 2nd Gen. ATV. When I go to the Youtube help site they say if you don't have a 3rd or 4th Gen. to go to the manufacturer for help.

     

    That's why I am here.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 10:47 AM in response to Rick Carlton
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 10:47 AM in response to Rick Carlton

    Thank you. You might have mentioned the ATV version in your question, see Identify your Apple TV model - Apple Support to identify it.

    I'm afraid the answer is that you have what you have. The way YouTube does CC is not compatible with the built-in code in your ATV.

    Maybe someone using whatever ATV version you have will see your question and be able to answer. But my testing with ATV 4 seems to say it doesn't work with the most up-to-date software, so there may not be a solution. Sorry.

  • by Rick Carlton,

    Rick Carlton Rick Carlton May 23, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Safari
    May 23, 2016 11:06 AM in response to Diana.McCall

    I'm glad you brought that up. I looked all over and couldn't find a ser. # but went to Gen-About and low and behold - I have a 3rd Gen. Rev. A. I just figured I had it so long it was outdated. What is there about a 4th Gen. that would make me buy one?

     

    Thanks!

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 11:23 AM in response to Rick Carlton
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 11:23 AM in response to Rick Carlton

    Searching the web, I found posts that say you can hold the middle remote button while playing and get a menu where you could enable CC. But it might just be a shortcut to do what you can enable in Settings.

  • by Rick Carlton,

    Rick Carlton Rick Carlton May 23, 2016 12:19 PM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Safari
    May 23, 2016 12:19 PM in response to Diana.McCall

    Well, that is something new. I can now get CC on Portuguese!! The selections are off, auto, and Portuguese. In Safari I had the same choices plus English. Auto on ATV gives me nothing.

     

    I reset my language in General to English - same results.

  • by Diana.McCall,

    Diana.McCall Diana.McCall May 23, 2016 12:26 PM in response to Rick Carlton
    Level 4 (2,942 points)
    Apple TV
    May 23, 2016 12:26 PM in response to Rick Carlton

    On miy ATV 4, the Subtitle Language is in the Audio and Video section. It's not the same as the General Language setting.

    Are we making progress here?

  • by Rick Carlton,

    Rick Carlton Rick Carlton May 23, 2016 1:05 PM in response to Diana.McCall
    Level 1 (16 points)
    Safari
    May 23, 2016 1:05 PM in response to Diana.McCall

    I went there and checked - it was set to Portuguese. I think it somehow changed itself. When all else fails, restart. Will see what happens and pick back up tomorrow. I am one who never gives up - sounds like you are also.

     

    Have been using Apple since before the Mac - Apple II+ - took it in for repairs and there was the 1st Mac sitting on a pedestal - fooled with the mouse a few minutes and said don't repair that, I want this. Have had  Macs ever since:-)