When I switch from a captioned standard def program to their HD equivalent, sometimes the captions go away! Why?

There have been some problems with captioning for users of high-definition televisions. Unfortunately, it will take some time, as well as action from consumers like you before these problems can be completely resolved. If you are getting HD captions on some channels but not others, there are several possible reasons:

• Some stations may fail to pass through the captioning signal for the HD channel(s). This may occur because they do not yet have the proper equipment in place or forgot to make the necessary adjustments.
• Most HD captions are "upconverted" from standard captions. Some HD programmers may not have performed the upconversion.
• Some HD programmers contend that they are a "new" network and therefore fall under the four-year exemption for captions.

In all cases, we recommend that you contact your local station(s) to make sure that they have performed the necessary steps to pass through HD captions. Sometimes all it takes is a polite call from a consumer to address the problem.