Subtitles are missing or out of sync on TV

Check whether the text appears on live broadcast, a TV app, an HDMI-connected player, or a USB file. Samsung notes that some sources and apps have their own closed-caption controls; turning captions on in TV settings may not turn them on inside an app or external box. For local video, subtitles may be embedded in the file or supplied as a separate track/file, and the TV has model-specific format support. A title may simply lack the language track you want.

Open the player’s audio/subtitle menu and confirm that a subtitle track is available and selected. For broadcast, verify that the channel supplies captions and that the TV’s caption mode is enabled. For apps, use the app’s own subtitle menu and confirm the selected language. For a disc player or set-top box, use that device’s settings. If a language is absent from the track list, the TV cannot create a translation that the content does not provide.

1. Try a second program in the same source and a different source with known captions.

   If only one title lacks text, the track or title is the likely limit; if all broadcast captions are absent, check TV caption settings.

   If that does not help: If one app alone is affected, check its current help page and app version.

2. Check the player’s subtitle/caption track list while playback is active.

   A listed track can be selected; an absent track may not be supplied for that program.

   If that does not help: Do not change the TV’s global language/region to compensate for one missing track.

Subtitle timing controls depend on the playback app or external player; they are not a universal TV setting. Use only the subtitle-delay control documented for that source. Change a small offset and test the same spoken line, noting whether the text appears early or late. If no timing control is available, compare another title or report the specific stream to the provider. A one-title mismatch can belong to the subtitle track rather than the television.

1. Use the source/app’s documented subtitle delay control if it offers one, changing only a small amount.

   If lines align after the change, timing was adjustable at that playback layer.

   If that does not help: If no control exists, do not alter system audio delay unless the sound itself is out of sync too.

2. Compare the same title on another supported device or another title in the same app.

   A fault isolated to one stream/player helps identify where support is needed.

   If that does not help: If subtitle and audio/video timing both drift over time, report playback details to the app/device maker.

For supported Sony Media Player models, Sony says external subtitle files should be in the same folder as the video, supported filename extensions should use lowercase, and some models require the subtitle and video filenames to match. Check your own model manual before applying those rules to another TV. Test with a copy of one video/subtitle pair. If the TV shows embedded subtitles but not a separate file, investigate the external track’s format, filename and association rather than changing broadcast-caption settings.

Tell support the TV model/software, source/app/player, content title, subtitle language/track shown, whether text is missing or early/late, and whether another source works. Avoid sending account credentials or private video files. If only a specific app/title is affected, contact that app provider; if broadcast captions or multiple sources fail, contact the TV maker.

• Samsung TV caption settings and app-specific captions — checked 2026-10-24
• Sony Media Player: USB subtitle files not shown — checked 2026-10-24

Why are captions on in TV settings but missing in Netflix?

Some streaming apps control captions independently of TV broadcast settings. Select a subtitle track in the app’s playback menu.

Can I fix out-of-sync subtitles with TV audio sync?

Subtitle timing and audio/video timing are separate. Use a documented subtitle-delay control in the source that owns the track.

Why are subtitles missing from a USB video?

The TV may not support that external subtitle file’s format or association. Check the exact model’s media-format instructions.