The questions are about when and if it will be for all dramas or just the most recent ones. I noticed the new feature a while ago, but it didn’t work.
I think it will be implemented in many languages and I am very curious about the Italian dubbing.
I just saw a Viki post on FB asking viewers if they prefer dubbed or subtitled shows, and explaining that this feature is available for some shows now.
Some shows already have it. One show put my default setting on English! 
I also heard Spanish and Portuguese on some show. So at least some languages are on some shows and they work. But of course, I quickly changed back to the language of origin.
Dubs are unnatural. I can understand it’s good for children and people who can’t read fast or have some eye issues but other than that, what use are dubs? Read the subs or learn the source language! Simple as that.
6 Likes
I really prefer the original language, it adds the cultural aspect. It happened to me once a Korean show was dubbed in English and it was so bad to listen to it, it sounded unnatural, I couldn’t put the Korean actors suddenly talking English together… and I was so confused, cos I didn’t know you can switch it, somehow it must have happened by accident. - I was so happy to put it back in Korean language. For hard hearing persons, it’s easier with subtitles.
4 Likes
The most worrying thing is also the speed of a language. Chinese is very fast, few sounds make a sentence. Italian needs many more words to say the same thing. Will they use the same (often clumsy) version of the subtitles or making some changes to syncronize? Many years ago, they added a dubbed version of Nirvana in Fire and the public was outraged.
1 Like
I first came across this feature on YouTube a while back, when it automatically turned this on for me, and ever since then I’ve found it to be absolutely awful. Of course, it’s extremely useful for people with disabilities that prevent them from reading the subtitles, but to go from there to promoting this feature as “the next big thing” for everyone is illogical and offensive to those who create and edit the subtitles, not to mention a great injustice to the authenticity of the original Asian-language audio. It’s downright cringeworthy to hear AI voices that are completely devoid of any emotion and that even spout nonsense at times. I repeat, it’s a useful feature for those who have trouble using subtitles, but under no circumstances should it be viewed as a breakthrough that can replace humans.
Instead of wasting time on such nonsense, Viki should be more actively engaged with our community of volunteers and let us edit those pre-subtitles that are of poor quality and riddled with problems.
Just yesterday I was talking to my father, who is currently watching a Chinese period drama with pre-subtitles, and he told me that the Romanian subtitles are a disaster, the biggest problem being that over 95% of the gender is incorrect. Added to this is the fact that such series use a great many names of sects, leaders, techniques, fantastical places, remedies, weapons, etc., which Viki’s AI translates mechanically, unlike us volunteers, who do research to figure out what those terms mean and how they can be translated to best fit the context and meaning of the source language.
1 Like
Even then, no, especially then, it should be done by humans. I’d still hate it but if they really want to do something for the non-subtitle-reading community, they should do it with respect.
2 Likes