Features, settings & updates

[Veramilo]

I used to be able to access closed captioning settings for Amazon Prime by simply pressing the asterisk (*) button while watching a program. Now the only way I can do it is by exiting Prime and navigating into the Roku settings for captions which requires 10-20 clicks of my remote each time. That was way too disruptive so I opted to leave captions on full-time. But this doesn’t solve the problem either. Example:

Today I was watching a documentary with commentators speaking in different languages but with English subtitles embedded. Unfortunately, those subtitles were covered by the CC which only displayed “(Speaking in foreign language)” and no translation! So I went to turn CC off temporarily so I could read the translation by pressing * (as I used to be able to do and still can with other channels), but the CC settings no longer appeared! I had to exit and re-enter Prime every time I wanted to switch captions on and off, so I opted to leave CC off for this documentary. But then there were some commentators who spoke English with such a thick accent that I needed CC on again! 

Is there a setting I’m missing that activates easier access to CC in Prime via the * button???

[makaiguy · Accepted solution]

As you know, the Roku default method of accessing your Closed Caption settings while viewing a program is to press the * key on your Roku remote while viewing the program and examining the options presented.   

But more and more channels are not using the Roku default but instead substituting their own method of access -- I'm guessing this is so they will have consistent controls with versions of their app running on platforms other than Roku.  Often these options are accessed by pressing the up and/or down cursor control keys while viewing the program to pop the channel's own control options on the screen.  (Prime calls them subtitles, by the way.)

[Veramilo]

I forgot all about that — thank you!!!

But I do wish that the star menu was for global settings that only the Roku system (better still, the Roku USER!) could control. Each channel’s interface is already so different (some are even unusable) that anything that creates a sense of consistency, like the star menu, is welcome.

I don’t think using the star menu to turn captions on/off should be any different than going into the Roku system settings — except that you wouldn’t need to exit the channel to do so.

Thanks again!