We hope that one day everything you watch on Virgin TV will have a subtitles option.

At the moment, all channels with an audience share above a certain number must offer subtitles for their programmes. (That's the rule according to the broadcast industry watchdog, Ofcom.)

The amount of subtitling varies widely across channels, but many broadcasters do much more than they have to.

We promise that whenever subtitles are made available by a broadcaster, you'll be able to see them on Virgin TV.

How to turn on your subtitles

On your Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® box

The easiest way to turn on subtitles on your Virgin TV V6 andTiVo® box is to press the 'Subtitles' button on your remote.

You can also turn subtitles on through your Virgin TV V6 andTiVo® box's menu:

1. Press Home on your Virgin TV V6 andTiVo® remote.
2. Go down to Help & Settings, press the Right arrow and go to Settings.
3. Now go down to Displays, then press the Right arrow button or OK.
4. Go down to Subtitling and press OK on your remote.
5. Press the Right arrow to turn subtitles on or off.

On your V+ or V HD box

1. Press Guide on your remote control to bring up the mini guide.
2. Press the blue key on the remote control. This turns on subtitles for all channels.
3. To turn them off again, just repeat steps 1 and 2.

If you can't see your screen very well, audio description will transform the way you watch TV.

A voice tells you what's happening in the programme you're watching. You'll never miss important things like facial expressions, body language and movements on screen - because they're all described in detail.

Broadcasters only provide audio description for certain programmes. But whenever it's available we'll make sure you can hear it.

How to turn on audio description

On your Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® box

1. Press the Info button on your remote control to bring up the Info banner.
2. Press the down arrow twice to go to Audio description.
3. Press OK to turn audio description on or off.

On your V+ or V HD box

1. Press the Home button on your remote control and select Settings.
2. From the Settings menu, choose Change display & audio settings.
3. The Audio Description When Available option can be turned on and off.
4. Press OK to say yes to the new settings and go back to the previous menu.

Note: Some TV stations have separate channels that broadcast with audio description. Just grab your remote and enter the numbers of the channel you want to watch.

• For BBC1, tap in 851
• For BBC2, tap in 852
• For ITV, tap in 853
• For Channel 4, tap in 854
• For Channel 5, tap in 855

Signed programmes have a presenter using British Sign Language to interpret what people are saying on your screen.

Broadcasters provide these shows themselves, but Virgin Media will always show signed content when it's available.

Signed programmes appear on BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 but, since 2009, they've almost disappeared from many digital channels.

This is because many of the multi-channel broadcasters joined to create the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust. Its role is to work with the deaf community to increase the number of dedicated signed programmes on TV. So, although there are fewer channels showing signed content, the number of hours of programming has probably increased.

On Virgin TV, you can find the BSL Zone on the Community Channel (233) or Film 4 (428) . Shows start on the Community Channel at 2:00pm on Tuesdays, 7:30pm on Thursdays and 7:30am on Saturdays. On Film 4, shows start at 8am on Mondays. For more details, visit the British Sign Language Broadcasting Trust website.

If you're a Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® service customer, go to our dedicated Signing Zone collection.

Find the Signing Zone collection on your Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® box

1. Press Home on your remote control.
2. Choose Search & Browse and press OK.
3. Now select Browse TV & Collections and press OK.
4. Select Collections and press OK.
5. Use the arrow buttons to find the 'Signing Zone' collection and press OK.
6. Choose the show you want to watch and press OK.
7. You can then see when the next episode is on, set up a Series Link and see more shows like the one you've watched.
8. To set a Series Link so your box records every upcoming episode, choose Get this show followed by Get a Series Link.

Our Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® service has access features, including audio description, subtitles and signed content. We've made these features easy to find and use. It's another reason why we think it's the best way to watch TV, ever.

Accessibility features can be found from the main Settings menu or the Info Banner. There's also a Subtitles button on your Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® remote.

Using the Info Banner

Press the Info button on your Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® remote to bring up the Info Banner. Then use the arrow buttons to choose one of the options below.

Subtitles

Use this option to turn subtitles on or off. If subtitles aren't available for a programme, the icon will be dimmed.

Audio description

Use this setting to turn audio description on or off. If the icon's dimmed, audio description is unavailable.

Using the Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® service's audio cues

If you have difficulty seeing your screen, Virgin TV V6 and TiVo®'s 'audio cues' might help you find your way around your menus. These are sounds that show actions and reactions to button presses on the remote control.

There are five main audio cues:

• A tone that starts low and goes higher - this means you've moved forward into the next menu.
• A tone that starts high and goes lower - this sounds means you pressed BACK or returned to the previous menu.
• A single tone - this sound means you've pressed a button when moving around the TV guide.
• A deep tone - you'll hear this sound when you've tried to carry out an action that isn't available.

Our high contrast Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® box remote is available to all our customers with accessibility needs who may benefit from it.

All Virgin TV V6 and TiVo® remotes offer the following features:

• Buttons of different shapes to make using them easier.
• Curved sides so you know which way it's facing.
• A raised indicator on the 5 button.
• Audio feedback cues on the TV.
• Audio description available.

If you struggle with the programme guide on your TiVo®, let our amazing Virgin TV apps do the work for you.

Virgin TV Anywhere has now been replaced by two new apps – Virgin TV Go and Virgin TV Control. Do everything you could on Virgin TV Anywhere, and then some…

Virgin TV Go

Lets you watch telly at home or on the go, anywhere in the UK. You can now watch selected live TV channels (including BT Sport), On Demand and Box Sets* on 3G/4G as well as on Wifi, on two compatible devices, (this includes mobiles, tablets or web browsers).

With Virgin TV Go you can access subtitles and audio description on Live TV. In addition, Virgin TV Go is compatible with accessible access options on your device.

We’re currently working on supporting subtitles or audio description with On Demand content in Virgin TV Go.

On all devices Virgin TV Go offers:

• Subtitles when watching Live TV (dependent on the channel)

• Audio description when watching Live TV (dependent on the channel)

When using the Virgin TV Go app on Android, iOS and Windows 10, assisted access options such as VoiceOver, TalkBack or East of Access are supported.

When using Virgin TV Go via a computer browser, assisted access support is dependent on your operating system.

Using Subtitles and Audio Description

Not all channels carry subtitles or audio description for Live TV. Where the channels do carry these, you can access them when watching the channel.

To do this:

• Select or Tap on the language options icon

• Choose your subtitles or audio description options. You’ll only see the options for the language options available

If you don’t see the language options icon then the channel doesn’t offer either subtitles or audio description.

Virgin TV Control

Manage and set recordings on your Virgin TV V6 or TiVo box from anywhere in the world with Wifi, 3G or 4G. Plus, turn your mobile or tablet into a handy extra remote to browse the TV Guide or change channel when you’re at home. With a Virgin TV V6 box, you can even stream selected recordings to a mobile or tablet around the home.

See the below tab on how to use TV Control to control your Virgin TV V6 or TiVo box, or visit Getting Started with Virgin TV Control for more information. 

Want to use the TV Control app as a remote control for your TiVo box? Great news…

It’s easy to use Virgin TV Control on your mobile devices. In fact, many of its features are just like the ones you love on your Virgin TV service, so you’ll feel right at home, even if you’re not at home when you’re using it!

With Virgin TV Control you can:

• Manage your Virgin TV V6 or TiVo box, set up, manage or delete recordings

• Use your device like an advanced remote control for your TV. For more information on how to do so, see Using Virgin TV Control as a remote control 

• From the comfort of your sofa (or anywhere else on your home network) you can change channels, search through the On Demand library using a full keyboard, then pause, rewind or fast forward on your Virgin TV V6 or TiVo box as much as you like

• Take your selected recordings with you on the go or watch them live at home on any compatible device, in any room of your home with WiFi when you have Virgin TV V6, powered by TiVo

For more information on setting up your TV Control app, visit Getting started with Virgin TV Control.