While it is being developed in the UK, the service is intended to be available internationally. If it succeeds in launching, Films14 will drastically increase the amount of captioned content available online in Australia.
In the UK, as in Australia, levels of captioning on video on demand (VOD) services remain low. None of the UK’s three largest online movie suppliers, Netflix, Love Film and Tesco’s Blinkbox, provide captions. Films14 aims to be an accessible alternative.
As well as captions (which are called subtitles in the UK), it plans to introduce in-video signing – when the latter option is chosen by the viewer, the picture is reduced in size and a sign language interpreter appears in the bottom right corner of the screen. This will be a world-first for a VOD service. Viewers will also be able to have the captions and signing on simultaneously.
Films14 is currently calling for investors, and aims to have licensed 150 movies when it launches next year. It will cost £6.99 ($11.50) to join, but there is a special rate of £4.99 if people sign up now.
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