Some people say that watching TV in the language you wish to learn is a great idea… although very few actually do it 😉
Going without subtitles is the best way… but it’s like climbing the Himalayas… VERY difficult. And disheartening. Except if you watch a film you’ve already seen in your own language.
According to the film, you have to take the accents into account… another potentially tricky difficulty.
Now, with subtitles… you will never ever get in writing what is actually said so you have to operate a subtle contortion between hearing a language you don’t master and subtitles that are sometimes not very close to the spoken words. And yes, avoid the news with subtitles… they aren’t reflecting what is said at all.
Some people advocate watching shows for kids… be realistic, you’re going to be fed up in less than 5 minutes !!!
So what is best?
I would go for an un-subtitled film that you’ve already see in a dubbed version. You will know what it’s all about (important) and then you can concentrate on listening to a story you already know… just in another language.
Not easy… but who said it was easy too orally understand a foreign language, whichever it is?