Netflix has just responded to the deaf and hard of hearing community and its hearing friends about the captioning of streamed media issue.
The response is on their blog. The key statement: "Captioning is in our development plans but is about a year away."
Read that, and come back here and post what you think. Have we won? Are you satisfied with Netflix's response?
I’m not really satisfied. I find it hard to believe that it will take a year to develop the technology.
I just found out from Sean Zdenek, that Netflix’s claim of Silverlight being the problem isn’t true. So Netflix’s excuse doesn’t fly.
I quote his twitter to me: Silverlight isn’t the problem. In fact, the Accessible Media Project at MS uses Silverlight http://www.codeplex.com/amp
I am SOOOOOO tired of “HEARING” everyone’s excuses about captioning!!!!! EVERYONE!!! The Television networks too!!!! There is NO EXCUSE for captioning to be non-existant or bad or half there or sometimes available!!! WHATEVER!!!!!
Why do you target only NEXFLIX? What about other companies, which should include captioning of streamed media issue? Have you contacted BLOCKBUSTER Online? What was their reaction?
Guide note: Paul, I am very well aware that the issue is actually broader than Netflix. That is why Robert and I set up the Internet Captioning group on Facebook. We have a LOT more work ahead of us to increase access to captioned programming online! We need for Congress to pass legislation to mandate captioning on the Internet.
I think what they posted on their blog is complete b.s. If I “rent” a movie on cable, I can see the captioning, so where is the difference? Is it because it’s t.v.? I don’t think that I will do business with Netflix again. Why would I want to support a business that doesn’t want to support me, it’s customer? Why do I want to give my hard earned money to someone who doesn’t care?
I spoke with Netflix customer service yesterday (4/17/2010) asking them what streaming movies/TV were already captioned, seeing as they have supposedly been working on this for months now. I was told about 100 movies/TV programs have been captioned, and that the TV program Lost is one of them (I checked it, it is). I asked for a list—they don’t have it (my surprise).
I said that doesn’t do us as deaf people much good, considering all the streaming movies that are listed. Are we expected to go through 1000s of streaming movies to find the captioned ones Netflix now has outside of the foreign genre? Or should I rely on a crystal ball? I suggested they make a category for captioned streaming movies outside their foreign genre listing. He, Sean, said he would pass the suggestion on, but like Comcast’s customer service I’m not holding my breath in the morass of indifference. I particularly like it when they say: “I understand your frustration,” and I say, “I don’t think you do as a hearing person.” When they whine about the hardships for Netflix, I say: “Maybe you should spend some deaf time in deaf reality for a while, and I’m sure your perspective of this situation would change.”