If your television is like most sold in the United States today, it is easily
capable of receiving Spanish-language soundtracks on English-language programs.
But that doesn't mean there are many, if any, Spanish-language programs you
will be able to receive. Technical limitations, economic factors, and
lack of interest have served to severely limit the use of the SAP (for "second
audio program") capability built into most TVs to benefit people who speak or are
learning Spanish.
Until high-definition digital TV becomes the standard or broadband Internet
access becomes widespread, perhaps the biggest obstacle is technological.
The decoder for the second audio channel is the same as that used for decoding
stereo broadcasts, so the choice for broadcasters is between stereo and a
separate channel. Also, broadcasters can add only one second channel, which
some use for other purposes, including broadcasting programming (such as weather
forecasts or stock reports) unrelated to what's on the screen. Some stations
use it for broadcasting descriptions of what is on the screen, making
it easier for visually impaired people to "watch" TV. This use is likely to
increase in coming years, due to a new Federal Communications Commission regulation
requiring such descriptions for at least four hours a week per station. A
few broadcast in other foreign languages, such as Vietnamese and Chinese.
Finally, a few use SAP for novel uses, such as providing uncensored
dialog for R-rated movies.
Complicating matters is that SAP can't be received by older televisions.
Also, some cable systems don't support SAP, so even if a TV stations uses
it there's no guarantee that TVs hooked up to cable will be able to detect
it.
Despite those serious limitations, some networks have taken advantage of the
technology. For example, ABC broadcasts its evening news and Monday night
football games with a Spanish soundtrack in most major markets. And premium
cable channel HBO includes a Spanish soundtrack with some movies and original programming, although
it recently has been shifting its emphasis to promote a separate all-Spanish
network. Otherwise the use of Spanish-language SAP is spotty and limited mostly
to areas with particularly high populations of Spanish speakers.
Unfortunately, most TV listings don't indicate which programs have a Spanish
soundtrack. Generally, the easiest way to find out if a program is using SAP
is to turn the decoder on, usually by pressing a button labeled "SAP," "bilingual,"
"audio" or something similar. If a station isn't using SAP – which will
be the case nearly all the time – you won't notice any difference in
operation.
The situation is substantially better for those who have DVD players and
want to work on learning Spanish while watching TV. Many DVDs sold in the
United States have subtitles available and optionally viewable in Spanish
and/or French, and some also include Spanish or French soundtracks. The soundtrack
is controlled through the DVD player rather than by the TV. If the DVD includes
both subtitles and a Spanish soundtrack, you can play both to enhance your
learning, just as many non-English speakers in the United States use closed
captioning to improve their English.
In a few years, perhaps, Spanish audio will be available on TV broadcasts
as often as it is in DVDs today, since the wider bandwidth of digital TV
provides a great deal more flexibility for broadcasters. Until then, however,
Spanish-language TV audio is likely to remain hard to find except on stations
devoted exclusively to the Spanish language.
