FAQs

Follow these instructions to turn captions on for your TV or set-top box.

Follow these instructions to turn captions off for your TV or set-top box.

Follow these instructions to turn audio description on for your TV or set-top box.

Follow these instructions to turn audio description off for your TV or set-top box.

Yes. Follow these instructions to turn audio description on permanently for your TV or set-top box. However, this is not possible through SKY Digital and some Freeview boxes.

TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ DUKE, Three, Bravo, Sky Open.

TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ DUKE and Three.

Able is currently funded to focus on providing captioning and audio description for broadcast TV.

However, we are continually increasing our delivery of captions to TVNZ+ and ThreeNow, including all captions we provide for broadcast TV (e.g. TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ Duke or Three). 

If you find some content that is not captioned and you would like it to be, you can get in touch with us to request that it is made accessible. 

Currently, neither TVNZ+ nor ThreeNow are able to carry audio description.

Able is fully funded by NZ On Air and allocates funding available to caption and audio-describe programmes, with a focus on local and prime-time content. Able provides captions for six free-to-air channels – TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ DUKE, Three, Bravo and Sky Open – and audio description for TVNZ 1, TVNZ 2, TVNZ DUKE and Three. These channels have specialist equipment to broadcast captions and/or audio description. Extending the service to additional channels would require greater technical capability from the broadcasters. 

If the dialogue is rapid, the captions can sometimes be edited down so that the text can be read comfortably.

Able creates captions from scratch for many programmes. However, when a programme is created overseas, where possible the caption file is purchased and formatted for broadcast here.

Many audio described programmes are produced here. However, when available, audio description files are purchased and formatted for broadcast here.

Selected adverts are captioned. Able provides a commercial captioning service. Advertisers can pay a small fee to have captions added to their commercial, enabling access to a wider audience.

There is no regulation in New Zealand regarding captioning or audio description.

Visit our caption listings and audio description listings pages for schedules of content that have been made accessible. These lists are updated weekly. 

Alternatively, sign up to our mailing list to receive a weekly schedule of captioned and audio described programmes directly to your inbox.

You can also view captioned listings on your TV’s electronic programme guide and publications, such as the TV Guide. 

Yes. We love receiving feedback about which programmes you’d like to see captioned or audio described.

Live captioners use pre-prepared material where possible and respeaking speech recognition captioning for live-to-air segments.

Yes. Get in touch with us to talk about what you need – commercial@able.co.nz.