Sony Support

Article ID : 00025072 / Last Modified : 05/25/2022Print

The picture on the screen is covered with a square, black box.

    The square, black box covering the picture on the screen may be a Closed Captioning or Extended Data Services (XDS) text box.

    Some broadcasters provide programming and station identification information, auto clock settings and v-chip content ratings in a text format using the XDS feature in analog television signals. This is not the same as closed captioning, which displays the audio portion of the program as text for viewers with hearing disabilities. XDS information is visible when the Caption Vision or XDS feature is enabled. If the broadcaster is not providing any information through the XDS feature, the black box that usually displays the information will be blank. Likewise, if the program being broadcast does not have Closed Captioning data, the Closed Captioning field will be blank.

    To remove a closed captioning text box, press the DISPLAY or CC button on the television re mote control.

    NOTE: The images below are examples of the location of the Subtitle or CC button on different Sony® remote controls.

    CC buttons

    If the box appears repeatedly, the Caption Vision option may be enabled in the television menu. In this case, the black square is probably an XDS text box, not a Closed Captioning text box.

    To disable the XDS feature, set the Caption Vision option to Off in the television menu. If you were trying to turn on closed captioning, select a CC option ( CC1-4 ) instead of a Text option ( Text1-4 ). Refer to the television operating instructions for model-specific information on menu settings. Manuals are posted on your model support page.

    NOTES:

    • If the television does not have the XDS feature or the box still appears after verifying the settings above, XDS may be a built-in feature on an external unit such as a set-top box or VCR. If the box appears only when viewing programming through an external device, disable the XDS feature on the external device. Refer to the device operating instructions for information and specifications.
    • The box may also be a Picture-In-Picture (PIP) window that is set to a video input that is not receiving a signal. To remove a PIP window, press the PIP or PIP OFF button on the remote control.