Samsung forum: Closed caption problem

Multiple explanations are possible.

How is your TV connected to the cable box?

Are you using component video? Some TVs can decode captions over 480i component video but some (most? all?) Samsung models don't support Captioning when you use a component video connections even though I'm told it is possible to decode them if the cable box outputs 480i. I'm not an expert but my impression is that it is not possible to decode captions over a component connection if the source does any upscaling. IOW, there are some problems/limitations associated with decoding captions over component video connections, and my impression is that Samsung has sometimes (always?) chosen to avoid the complications by ignoring the issue completely.

If your connection is HDMI you will need to set the cable box to decode the captions.

If your connection is composite video or s-video then I presume the TV should be able to decode captions.

Some options to consider:
(1) Can your satellite box decode the captions? If so, you might be able to go back to using component cables. If not, you might be able to change the satellite box to one that can do the decoding.
(2) What about using s-video? The would improve quality a bit compared to composite video but should still allow the TV to decode captions. I have not done a side-by-side comparison between component video and s-video to know how much difference there is.
(3) When you switch back and forth between composite and component video can YOU see a difference in picture quality? Depending on the source material and screen size the difference may or may not be obvious to everybody. If YOU are satisfied with the picture quality using composite video then it does not really matter whether component is technically superior.
(4) Is it too late to consider returning the new TV and choosing a replacement that does decode captions from a component signal? If you notice a significant worsening of the image using composite or s-video and if your satellite box does not decode captions then this may be your best option.
Unfortunately, all TV purchasing decisions involve trade-offs of price, quality, features ... so there may not be a perfect solution.

My Samsung will decode captions if I send the video from my cable box via composite video, and also if I send the signal from the cable box via coax even if I do not enable captioning in the cable box. In fact, if I use the composite connection and enable captioning in the cable box I have to turn captions OFF at the TV or I get both the captions decoded by the cable box AND the same captions decoded by the TV. The text is identical but it is not in exactly the same portion of the picture, which yields an odd appearance.

What you are describing sounds like a problem involving the satellite box, not necessarily a problem with Samsung. Obviously, if the captions are not there then the TV cannot decode them.

What you are describing is accurate for component or HDMI connections. In those situations you DO have to have the cable/satellite box decode the captions.