Channel 4 has made significant strides in making its content accessible to visually impaired audiences through the use of Audio Description (AD). This feature provides a secondary audio track with a narrator who describes on-screen action, character expressions, and scene changes that would otherwise be missed. While Channel 4 is committed to expanding its AD offerings, support for this crucial feature varies across the different platforms where its streaming service is available visit channel4.com/code.
Platforms Supporting Audio Description
The availability of Audio Description for Channel 4’s on-demand content is most reliable on its primary web and mobile platforms. Viewers can confidently find and use the feature on the following:
- Channel 4 Website: The official Channel 4 streaming website is a key platform for accessing AD content. If a program was originally broadcast with an audio description track, it will be available on the website.
- Android and iOS Apps: The Channel 4 apps for both Android and iOS devices fully support audio-described programs. These apps are also compatible with built-in screen readers like TalkBack and VoiceOver, enhancing their overall accessibility.
How to Find and Enable AD
For platforms that support it, activating Audio Description is typically done from within the video player once you start watching a show.
- Begin playing your selected episode or film.
- Open the playback controls and look for an audio or subtitles menu.
- Within this menu, you should find an option to select the “Audio Description” track, often marked with an “AD” symbol.
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On the Channel 4 streaming service, you only need to select the AD option once; the app will then remember your preference and automatically play the AD track for all other supported programs you watch. You can identify which shows have AD by looking for the ‘AD’ logo on the program information page before you start watching.
Inconsistent and Unsupported Platforms
While a significant portion of Channel 4’s programming has AD, its availability is not universal across all devices and services.
- Smart TVs and Streaming Devices: While many smart TVs and streaming players like Apple TV and Chromecast have the Channel 4 app, the AD experience can be inconsistent. The general method of enabling AD through the audio menu applies, but functionality can depend on the specific TV model and its software.
- Third-Party Services: Audio Description for Channel 4’s on-demand content is generally not supported on third-party catch-up services. For example, the Sky Go and Virgin TV Go apps do not offer AD for Channel 4’s streaming library.
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Channel 4 continues to work on expanding the quantity of its audio-described content, including for its popular foreign language dramas on the “Walter Presents” service. However, events such as a major technical incident in 2021, which caused a catastrophic failure of its access services systems, highlight the complex challenges in providing seamless accessibility across all platforms.
