Netflix will introduce color-coded subtitles by language for the variety show Physical: Asia, the first Korean production to do so.
Netflix has steadily worked to improve content accessibility, introducing a two-narrator audio description format suited to the fast pace of variety shows and improving subtitles for the hearing impaired based on user feedback.
This color-coded subtitle initiative is also part of those efforts to provide users worldwide with a new immersive viewing experience by applying colors to subtitles so viewers can intuitively distinguish speakers. In particular, applying color to subtitles with a clear purpose is the first attempt among Netflix Korean productions.
Physical: Asia, which premieres on the 28th, is a physical competition with eight countries — Korea, Japan, Thailand, Mongolia, Türkiye, Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines — competing under their national flags, and because participants of various nationalities appear, multiple languages are used simultaneously. As a national competition, viewers will not want to miss the fun of watching colorful strategies and teamwork that reflect each country's culture and character.
Using the same colors assigned to each team in the show, viewers can intuitively identify speakers and follow conversations by subtitle color alone even if they are not familiar with a particular language. For example, lines by Korean participants are shown with red-background subtitles, while lines by Japanese participants are shown with blue subtitles. In particular, the initiative also meets the accessibility guidelines of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Color-coded subtitles will be available in up to 33 languages, including Korean and English subtitles for the hearing impaired, and can be accessed via a separate setting on iOS-based devices. If subtitle settings are not enabled, foreign-language subtitles will be viewed as standard subtitles without the color effect.
A Netflix spokesperson said, "We introduced color-coded subtitles to Physical: Asia, where different languages and cultures come together, to deliver an immersive experience that transcends language barriers," and noted, "Netflix will continue to work to expand accessibility so all users can equally enjoy the best entertainment experience."
Meanwhile, episodes 1-4 of the national flag competition Physical: Asia will be released worldwide on Netflix at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Episodes 5-6 will arrive at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4; episodes 7-9 at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11; and episodes 10-12 at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
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