How to Turn Off Descriptive Video Service on Comcast Xfinity

Before you start

Descriptive Video Service, sometimes called DVS or video description, adds narrated explanations of visual scenes during quiet moments in a program. On Comcast Xfinity equipment, this setting is not controlled by your camera, microphone, or computer capture source. It is a service option managed through the Xfinity set-top box, the Xfinity remote, or your Xfinity account settings. If the box is currently delivering audio to a capture or streaming setup, switching off the service on the box should change what reaches the connected device.

You do not need to change the recording format or encoding settings on a capture device to remove descriptive narration. Those settings affect how audio and video are stored or transmitted, not whether the source includes the narration track. Keep the capture connection unchanged while you adjust the Xfinity output.

Step-by-step instructions

The exact menu names can vary by Xfinity hardware and software version. Use the method that matches the equipment you have.

Use the Xfinity voice remote

The quickest method is usually a voice command through the Xfinity Voice Remote or the Xfinity mobile app remote. Hold the voice button and say a command such as “turn off descriptive video” or “turn off video description.” After the command, check whether the narration stops during the current program.

Turn it off through accessibility settings

Press the Xfinity button on the remote, then open Settings. Look for Accessibility or Accessibility Settings. Depending on the interface version, the option may appear as Descriptive Video Service, Video Description, or DVS. Set it to Off. If your box has separate options for turning it on for all programs versus only when available, choose Off for the setting that is currently active.

Some boxes may require you to press Exit after changing the setting. If the menu remains on screen, exit back to live TV and listen to a few seconds of the program before deciding whether the change worked.

Use the on-screen audio menu

On some Xfinity interfaces, you can press the Down arrow or OK button while watching a program to open the playback controls, then look for an audio or language menu. If a Descriptive Video Service option appears there, switch it off. This method may only affect the current channel or recording rather than the global box setting.

Check the output

After changing the setting, watch a program that previously included narration. Listen for quiet scene descriptions such as “she walks to the window” or “the car pulls away.” If the narration is gone, the service is off for that output.

If the Xfinity box is connected to a capture card, recording device, or video call input, do not use the capture source settings as the primary test. The bitrate, frame rate, or recording format may affect audio quality, but they do not remove an existing narration track. Compare the same content before and after the Xfinity change using the same capture configuration.

If your equipment lets you preview audio metering or monitor a specific audio channel, avoid muting the entire source while checking. Descriptive narration may be mixed into the main stereo track on some channels, so reducing overall gain can hide the result you are trying to confirm.

Common problems and next steps

If narration continues after turning the setting off, restart the Xfinity box. Unplug it from power, wait about 30 seconds, plug it back in, and let it complete its startup sequence. A restart can clear a setting that did not apply to the current program.

On recordings, descriptive video may have been saved as part of the audio track. Turning off the service on the box will not remove narration already stored in that recording. Test the change on a live channel to separate a box setting problem from a recording-specific issue.

If the voice command does not work, use the on-screen settings instead. Voice commands can fail if the remote does not hear clearly, the command is not recognized by the installed software version, or the service is named differently in the menu.

If the setting is already off but narration still appears, confirm that the channel is not providing the description as a separate audio track selected by the TV or external audio system. In that case, check the TV or receiver audio settings rather than the Xfinity accessibility menu.

When the narration affects content that will be captured or broadcast, re-check the audio after changing any downstream device. A connected computer or video tool may keep an earlier audio configuration, so reselect the incoming source if the first test does not reflect the change.