Television Decoder Circuitry Act Complaint Procedure Go back to Table of Contents Go back to Complaint Procedures Go forward to Televised Emergency Programming Complaint Procedure Return to Web Version

"My TV won't display captioning." Captioning requirements for networks won't do any good if the television circuitry needed to decode them are not readily available. With the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, Congress has mandated that caption decoding capability be standard in a wide variety of television products.

When to use this procedure: You are a consumer who has encountered a television receiver that cannot decode or display closed captions.

Products and services that are covered by the Television Decoder Circuitry Act:

• Television receivers, including analog and digital equipment and certain personal computers with TV cards or other internal TV circuitry

Other "fine print":

• Anyone can file a TV Decoder Act complaint, i.e., you do not have to have a disability; you just need to have information about a TV that you believe cannot decode or display closed captions.



• The Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990 requires televisions with screens 13 inches or greater to contain built-in circuitry that receives and decodes closed captions.



• FCC rules have extended this requirement to digital television (DTV) receivers. Because typically DTV receivers are used with screens that have a more rectangular shape, the digital rules apply to screens that are 7.8 inches or larger vertically. In addition, all DTV tuners sold separately in the United States must have internal decoder capability.



• Digital TV receivers must allow consumers to control the print font and size, as well as the foreground and background color of the captions. Digital receivers also must be capable of decoding and displaying up to 6 streams of captions.



• Converter boxes used to display digital programs on analog receivers must deliver the analog captioned information to the analog receiver.



• Personal computers with TV cards must also contain internal circuitry to decode and display captions if those computers are sold with screens that are at least 13 inches.



• On occasion, television models have been built which turn off sound when captions are turned on. This impedes the ability of deaf and hearing people to watch television together. When this problem has been brought to the attention of the manufacturer, it has been corrected.



• Many TVs activate captions automatically when you press the mute button, but the procedure will vary by manufacturer and model. Be sure to read the television's directions thoroughly before proceeding with a complaint.

How to proceed with the complaint process:

Build and document your case	Your name, address, telephone/TTY number and email address Name and address of the television manufacturer A detailed description of the television or personal computer, including company name, brand and model of the receiver that does not display captions properly The date you bought, acquired or used the equipment or service (or attempted to do so)
Contact the customer service department or relevant senior management at the TV manufacturer and try to resolve the problem	Google Search Engine (to look for the company)
Document your interactions with the business	Dates of conversations, emails, letters or faxes Person(s) with whom you interacted, including their contact information Details of your conversations Copies of emails, letters, or faxes
If you cannot resolve the problem by working directly with the television manufacturer...
File an informal complaint with the FCC	Forward documentation of your case - including your interactions with the manufacturer - to the FCC using one of the following methods: Online: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html Email: fccinfo@fcc.gov Mail: Federal Communications Commission Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau Consumer Complaints 445 12th Street, SW Washington, DC 20554 Fax: 1-866-418-0232

If you are interested in learning more about the Television Decoder Circuitry Act, check out these resources:

• Text of the Television Decoder Circuitry Act of 1990



• The FCC's fact sheet on Closed Captioning



• The FCC's news release dated July 21, 2000 concerning Technical Standards for Display of Closed Captioning on Digital Television Receivers



• The Access Board's Guide to Section 508 Standards: Video and Multimedia Products (which references the Television Decoder Circuitry Act)



• Gallaudet University's Technology Access Program information on captioning



• National Association of the Deaf's Position Statement on Captioning

Go back to Table of Contents

Go back to Complaint Procedures

Go forward to Televised Emergency Programming Complaint Procedure

Return to Web Version