What do OV and OmU mean? Meaning of the abbreviation (Kino, Stream & TV)
If you want to go to the cinema with friends, you should know better what the abbreviations OV and OmU mean – otherwise you could get an unpleasant surprise. Here on GIGA we explain to you what the terms mean that appear more and more frequently after the film title in the cinema, television and streaming services.
What does the abbreviation OV mean?
If you like the acronym OV behind a film or a series, this stands for the term “Original Version ”, the original version. This does not mean that a forgery of the same film is showing in cinema B, for example, but that the film is shown in the original sound – i.e. not synchronized.
The English language skills of Germans have risen sharply in recent decades and many film lovers now prefer to watch the original version of a film instead of the German dubbed version. For this reason, there are more and more films in the cinema and television that are shown with the original soundtrack in addition to the German dubbing.
OV does not necessarily have to stand for the English version of the film, as is often wrongly assumed. The majority of the films that come to the cinema in Germany come from the English-speaking world. But if, for example, the abbreviation OV is placed after a French or Turkish production, this means that the film will also be shown in the corresponding language and not in English.
What does OmU mean?
OmU has a very similar meaning to OV: OmU stands for “Original mit Utitle “. The film is shown here with the original soundtrack, but subtitles are also displayed. In Germany, these are mostly in German.
But this is not guaranteed. Some cinemas also show the films with English subtitles so that you can read along for a better understanding of the language. Sometimes it is followed by the abbreviations OmU (eng) or OmengU, so “Original mit closelylish Untertiteln “, pointed out.
If the language of the subtitles is not explicitly stated and you absolutely need German subtitles, you should ask the respective cinema beforehand.
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