Court Delays Findings on Deaf Users' Netflix Access

[The Straight Story]

Court Delays Findings on Deaf Users' Netflix Access


(CN) - Netflix can stay claims that it failed to provide equal access for the deaf and hard of hearing, pending an investigation about close-captioning for Internet media, a federal judge ruled.

The National Association of the Deaf sued Netflix, the leading American provider of online streaming media, in June for not providing equal access to its Watch Instantly on-demand service. It alleges that Netflix has refused to make close-captioned text available for the deaf and hard of hearing.

According to the 2011 Sandvine Global Internet Phenomena Report, cited in the complaint, Netflix's Watch Instantly site is the "biggest source of Internet traffic in the U.S."

Nevertheless, a third-party database, Instant Watcher, noted that less than 5 percent of Netflix's Watch Instantly titles offered captions, as of June 2011, according to the complaint.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/11/22/41666.htm

[Goblinmonger]

1. Everything I've watched on my phone

has the caption button I can hit. Admittedly, I'm a small sample size.

Is captioning something that comes from Netflix or the companies that produce the film?

[BillE]

2. Most of the movies that are out on DVD

have closed captions inbedded or subtitles option. The problem with NetFlix is that the streaming does not allow option to subtitles and closed captioning is not available. I rented an instant access movie once and found out I couldn't get CC or subtitles. I emailed them about it and they told me they had no plans on including CC or subtitles. I stopped my membership after that. I am glad to hear about the suit against them and hope it is successful.