Using Closed Captioning


Some videos on Discovery Streaming have closed captioning (subtitles) and you can download these videos to watch offline. When you do this you can also download the subtitles.

Downloading the Video

First find a movie that you want to play that has closed captioning available. 

Discovery streaming video display

You'll want to open the Download menu in the menu bar. Then download the Closed Captioning file. When you download the Video it will open another page in Chrome.

Discovery streaming video, download page display

When you get to the new page with the video, right-click the video and select Save video as... 

Downloaded video, right click options, save as link display

You'll want to open up a file explorer window and go to your Downloads (or wherever you saved the CC file). Copy the file name (but not the extension, as shown below).

File name copy example display

And paste it into the name field of the save window. Click Save. 

File name search paste display

Playing the Video

Windows Media Player

Move the video to your Videos folder by dragging and dropping it to copy the file. Do the same with the CC file. 

Open up Windows Media Player (you can search for it in the Start Menu). And go to the Videos section. Right click the Library button and go to Play > Lyrics, captions, and subtitles > On if available.

Windows media player library options, lyrics link display

You'll also want to make sure that the options are set to display subtitles as well. Right-click the library and go to Tools > Options... .

Windows media player library tools options display

This will bring up the options menu. You'll want to go to the Security tab

Windows media player options page, security tab option display

Make sure the boxes for Run script commands and rich media streams... is checked as well as Show local captions when present. (As shown below) Click OK. 

Windows media player options page, security tab display

Then you'll want to play the movie. Open a file explorer window next to the player and drag and drop the subtitles onto the video player. The subtitles are now associated with the video and will play. 

Discovery streaming video, file explorer page display

Windows 10 Movies & TV 

Movies & TV is the default player in Windows 10. You can use Windows Media Center if you wish but if you simply double click the file you wish to play it will play in the Movies & TV app by default. This player only accepts .srt files for subtitles however and the file we get from Discovery Education Streaming is a .smi file. In order to play it we're going to have to convert the file. We can use a tool such as this online converter to do so. Just follow that link to the converter, upload the file with the subtitle and select SMI -> SRT and Do not convert for the second option as shown below. You do not need to enter anything for Sync adjustment unless your subtitles are out of sync with the video for some reason. Then hit Conversion to download. This will download your file.

Subtitles srt smi converter page display

When you have the video open in the Video player click on the icon for closed captioning (the speech bubble in the bottom left corner) and click Choose subtitle file. 

Discovery streaming video display

Select the file that you just downloaded (the .srt file) and the subtitles will be shown on the video.