Can I view CC information on my monitor?

January 29, 2007 5:03 PM

Can I view the closed caption information on my plasma monitor which is hooked up to my dish network receiver?

I have a Panasonic plasma monitor that I use for my TV. I bought a monitor instead of a TV because I didn't need an intergrated tuner or speakers. The one feature it doesn't have that I would like is to be able to view the closed caption information. I have a dish network 501 receiver, hooked up through s-video. None of this is HD.

Is there any good solution for this?

posted by jlub to Technology (5 answers total)

Depending on your model, you set may not have a caption decoder chip. (What model is your Panasonic?). Many monitors do not, but anything labeled as a 'TV' must have it now. (For us old hard-of-hearing rockers).

All is not lost, you could get something like this
posted by artdrectr at 5:42 PM on January 29, 2007

The Dish 501 is what I'm using right now and I'm able to view closed captioning on all programs that include that info (most of them), so that end of your question is answered.
posted by buggzzee23 at 5:52 PM on January 29, 2007

Response by poster: Sorry if I wasnt' clear... I know the 501 puts out the encoded CC signal (because I was able to view it with my old TV). The problem is that my monitor doesn't have a decoder (because it's a monitor, not a TV).

artdrectr's link is the kind of thing I was hoping to find; unfortunately it is RCA only (my monitor doesn't have RCA in, just s-video and component), and it costs waaay too much.

Oh well.
posted by jlub at 9:22 PM on January 29, 2007

Best answer: Indeed they make an 'RF' model for you, rather than RCA plugs, which should easily hook up. It's also a little cheaper. Google or Froogle for "caption decoder rf" for best price, but $119 is lowest I've found tonight.
Otherwise, you might keep an eye on ebay.
Best luck to you.
posted by artdrectr at 1:13 AM on January 30, 2007

Are you referring to standard definition or HDTV? I'm assuming standard. Monitors aren't TVs and are not subject to the (U.S.) Television Decoder Circuitry Act. Few contain decoder chips, which is a false economy, but there you have it.

Unless your Dish Network box decodes its own captions, which I doubt, you will have to use an external decoder, which are indeed rare now. I have a TV Guardian censor-decoder that can be put into normal-decoder mode, but all the captions are displaced too far to the right. If you had tons of money, you'd buy a broadcast-quality decoder.

I can't believe there's something about captioning on Ask MetaFilter that I didn't write.
posted by joeclark at 6:29 AM on January 30, 2007