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About halfway through lunch the other day with Ryan Piercy and two retired guy expats, I was thinking, "Well, these guys are nice and all. But I really have nothing in common with them. I was hoping to meet more women and talk about where we could buy nice sheets for cheap."
Then the topic turned to TV and movie channels. I LOVE movies: here was a topic I know something about. We talked about current movies and video rentals.
Then I mentioned about how I was waiting for Amnet* (my cable TV provider) to bring me the box that changes TCM movies from dubbed Spanish to English, even though it's $5/month, and about how I was willing to pay that... I guess I was kinda going on and on and when I looked up, I saw the guys looking at me like I was dumb or something. Then one of them said, "Why don't you press the MTS button on your remote?"
I paused because I don't like not knowing stuff and I was trying to cover. Unfortunately, nothing came to me so I said, "What's the MTS button?"
They said, pretty much in unison, "It's a button labeled MTS on your remote. It removes the dubbing."
Well, I came right home, turned on TCM, pressed the MTS button and, voilà, Turner Classic Movies in English!!!!! It works on all the English channels that are dubbed in Spanish! Which means, da da da dumb, we can now watch The Simpsons in English, too. And Family Guy. A year I've been skipping over these channels. We do watch the cartoons in Spanish sometimes. Good practice and, let's face, no big topics... I can usually follow along. But TCM, that's another story. I just couldn't keep up and no English subtitles, so I'd land, pause, listen... then continue surfing.
Wow. MTS. Is life good or what? Who cares if it's raining?
*I think the girl in the picture on the Amnet homepage is PRESSING THE MAGIC BUTTON!!!!
Sally,
Didn't you KNOW?...
MTS stands for Magical Translation Switch. ...Or is that, 'Make Translating Stop'?
(Need I say more?)
¡Puras Películas!
Paul M.
==
Posted by: Paul M. | 12 October 2007 at 04:00 PM
Hi Sally,
I just found your blog this week, I've really enjoyed reading all the entries. I would love to make some girl friends here, and need to get involved in some activities. Feel free to contact me on my hotmail.
Caio,
Cindy
Posted by: Cindy H | 12 October 2007 at 06:09 PM
You got me all excited and I ran for my remote control... only we don't have an MTS button. I frantically tried every button on the remote, hoping one of them would accomplish the same thing, but no dice. Not that I can't watch them dubbed in Spanish, I've reached the point where I can keep up, but sometimes, I just don't want to!
Posted by: Dan | 13 October 2007 at 07:20 AM
You must be one of those "charmed life" people. I'm happy you found your magic button but I can't find mine.
Maybe because the remote was bought separately from my t.v.??
I'm too occupied right now trying to figure out why my desktop computer died and why my laptop is so screwy. I can't sign onto my blog!?!
Pura Vida
Posted by: Teri | 13 October 2007 at 07:50 AM
Hey Sally,
I would have asked the same thing about MTS, I wasn't familiar with that one. But I did know about SAP, secondary audio programming, which according to wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_audio_program is part of MTS. I have a SAP button on my remote that does the same thing. Works on channels like Discovery, Nat Geo, E Entertainment, etc. Some programs don't have both languages so try again later (same bat channel, different bat time) if it doesn't work.
Jon
Posted by: Jon | 13 October 2007 at 11:52 AM
There is an episode from the TV series Friends where they (by accident) hit the SAP button and all their channels are suddenly in Spanish :)
Posted by: WolfieCR | 13 October 2007 at 02:17 PM
I'm so happy now... I figured out how to do it on my remote... reading the instructions and all that...
Posted by: Dan | 15 October 2007 at 07:38 AM
Thanks, Paul - I like your translation better! Make Translation Stop!
Cindy, I will email you - I'm not good about that... just a warning. But I will...
Teri, it might be because you bought it separately. Do what Dan did: read the instructions. You can find those online these days. Start by googling the brand...
Jon, yeah, the guys actually said SAP at first and that's the "word" that shows up on the screen when I press the MTS button. I don't care what they call it... I'm loving all those channels now. My goal is to be able to watch them in any language, but my brain goes numb in short order trying to translate everything so fast!
Wolfie - that sounds so funny! Sorry I missed that episode...
Um, Dan, you're a man and you READ the instructions? I was pretty certain you were amazing; now I'm convinced.
Posted by: Saratica | 15 October 2007 at 08:18 AM
Yeah - but note, I've had the TV for years, I've lived here for 2-1/2 years, and I'm only just reading the directions because I couldn't believe that if your TV had the button, mine didn't!
Even gay men don't read directions...unless they have to.
Posted by: Dan | 15 October 2007 at 02:27 PM
So it IS a testosterone thing...
Posted by: Saratica | 15 October 2007 at 02:58 PM
Was that ever in question?
Posted by: Dan | 16 October 2007 at 12:35 PM
The joke in my house, living with three men, is how thick the air is with testosterone... Gay men seem to overcome the limitations of testosterone. For the most part /=;-) Definitely no macho thing goin' on that I've ever seen...
Actually, I was thinking of a post on this topic: guys and gals. I really have no idea how different gay men are from straight men in day to day living... the things that annoy me about Hal and the boys that must be testosterone-related, they are so universal: like never asking directions, never reading the instructions, banging at something to make it work rather than take a look at the thing and figure it out. Girls don't do this...
One big difference has really struck me lately, in a "we should take advantage of this" way. I am a detail, micro-manager person (which comes with its own problems...) Hal is the big picture person. I thought it was just us, but lately I hear more and more couples I know remark that it's the same at their house: the women are the details, the men are the big picture. Testosterone? Nature? Nurture? Hmmmm.
Posted by: Saratica | 16 October 2007 at 03:36 PM
Hello Saratica! Our family officially moved to Costa Rica in August so I’m still a newbie. We live in the Santa Ana area. Your site was recommended to me by Jen. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Your site is not only entertaining, but a great source of information. I’ve found several topics that have helped me out….this being one of them. Thank you!!
Posted by: Monica | 18 October 2007 at 09:47 PM
Hi Monica, Welcome to the neighborhood! Thank you for reading - I'm loving writing it, having this journal. I'm wearing this button out on my remote, I'll tell you! I'm sure I'll see you around - come to the CRL gatherings, they are infrequent but a ton of fun and nice to put faces with names.
Or check out http://www.helpinghandscr.com/, the helping hands CR site. Lots of interesting people there and good opportunties to help out if you have any spare time.
See you!
Posted by: Saratica | 22 October 2007 at 02:26 PM