In about ten years, linguistic transfer for TV has been studied a lot, mainly from particular points of view. So far few systematic work deals with the question of their production and/or reception, their impact, their cultural and linguistic effects. This transfer is often seen as exclusively “practical”, if not “mechanical”. And it is a paradox that the linguistic perspective is dominant, whereas the object is multisemiotic, combining images, sounds, language (oral and written), colours, proxemics, gesture, etc., integrated into audiovisual codes (directing for the stage, sets of sequences and shots, voices and lights, scenograhy, narrative conventions, etc.). Two factors may account for this paradox and limitation : on the one hand, the training of researchers and their background ; on the other constraints of (printed) publications. First the entire field of study will be circumscribed (Sections 1 and 2); then subtitling (Section 3), the other modes of transfer (Section 4) and their theoretical and socio-cultural implications (Section 5) will be dealt with. One basic and strong consideration is underlying : audiovisual translation is not necessarily either a problem or a configuration of problems, it is rather a solution and an asset in multilingual and intercultural interaction.