Tucked away in an article about whether people prefer going to the movies or watching at home, was this little revelation:

“Those of us with severe hearing loss cannot understand the dialogue and are forced to make up a story to go with the images. Theaters are required to have Assistive Listening Systems, which usually do not work. We spend half the movie running to the lobby to get it fixed, or we suffer quietly and waste our $8 admission fee. My home theater with HDTV and surround sound will have to suffice.”

So says Larry Kavanaugh, 55, of Davenport, Florida. I didn’t know that theaters were required to have Assistive Listening Systems, though I have seen them around. Nor did I know that they have problems at all, much less to the extent mentioned by Mr. Kavanaugh.

When was the last time you turn on subtitles for your DVD and it didn’t work? I seem to recall a subtitle problem with my Episode I disc, but that’s all. So DVDs at home are much more reliable for hearing-impaired movie mavens than going to an actual theater. Who’d a thunk it?

Link: Yahoo! News - Movies as you like them