How to Access Descriptive Video Service on PBS

Before you start

Descriptive video service adds a narrator who describes key visual details during natural pauses in a program. PBS offers this audio on selected television and streaming content, but availability depends on the show, the app, the device, and the audio track supplied to PBS. Check whether the program itself has a descriptive audio option; not every episode or promo includes it. You do not need a camera or microphone, but on a smart TV or set-top box you may need to change the audio language or secondary audio setting before playback.

Step-by-step instructions

Find a program with descriptive audio

• Open the PBS app on your television, phone, tablet, or computer.
• Search for the show you want to watch.
• Open the program page and look for an audio or language option.
• Choose an option labeled Descriptive Video, DVS, Audio Description, or a similar accessibility track when available.
• Start playback and confirm that you hear the narrator between dialogue.

Enable descriptive audio on a television or set-top box

• During playback, open the audio or language menu on your TV, remote, or set-top box.
• Look for a secondary audio track or language such as Spanish, Descriptive Audio, or English with description.
• Select the descriptive track if it is present.
• If the menu does not list such a track, the current program or broadcast may not include it.
• Return to the regular audio track by selecting the original language or setting.

Check app and device accessibility settings

• Open the settings area of the PBS app.
• Look for Accessibility, Audio, Language, or Playback settings.
• Enable descriptive audio or audio description if the option is available.
• Close the settings and play the program again.
• Note that older app versions may label the option differently or place it inside the player's audio menu.

Check the output

Play a scene with visible action and quiet dialogue. The descriptive track should let you hear a separate narrator identify people, settings, or actions during pauses. If you hear only normal program audio, the descriptive track was not selected or is not available for that program. Some streams may use a different encoding or bitrate for the accessibility track, so the voice may sound different from the main mix. The frame rate and recording format of the original program are not changed by selecting descriptive audio.

Common problems and next steps

The audio option is missing

A missing option usually means the program, capture source, or app version does not provide descriptive audio for that playback session. Try a different episode, update the app, or check the program page for accessibility information. The same show may include descriptive audio on one platform and not another because each provider may receive a different audio package.

The narrator is too quiet or not synchronized

First confirm that the TV or media player is not forcing a downmix or alternate audio mode. If the narration seems out of sync, stop playback and restart the stream. The issue can occur when the descriptive audio track is encoded separately from the main program. Use the app's audio settings to switch back to the original track, then select descriptive audio again.

PBS app does not expose the setting

If the app's settings do not include an accessibility audio option, use the player's on-screen audio or language menu during playback. On some televisions, the descriptive track is selected through the TV's own audio settings rather than the PBS app.