Movie dialogue

Man with broke phone

Am I going deaf or has the sound on films gone to the dogs over the last ten years. I thought it was the flatscreen so I bought a good sound bar. I find tv shows and sporting events fine but when I turn on the latest blockbuster I can have either dialogue or backround and music. To hear both at the same time I would have to fall out with my neighbours because of noise.

MisterAnarchy

Man with broke phone wrote: »

Am I going deaf or has the sound on films gone to the dogs over the last ten years. I thought it was the flatscreen so I bought a good sound bar. I find tv shows and sporting events fine but when I turn on the latest blockbuster I can have either dialogue or backround and music. To hear both at the same time I would have to fall out with my neighbours because of noise.

Alot of films have 5.1 soundtracks and they sound poor when downmixed to stereo.
I often select the stereo sound track as the dialogue is usually clearer.
If listening in 5.1 on the surround sound system, I boost the central speaker, most amps have an enhancement mode for the central speaker which boosts the audio.

Some films are terribly mixed though, its frustrating.

There didn't seem to be this problems before flatscreen tvs, dont remember not being able to hear dialogue growing up. Just watching the old Papillon last night there were scenes are the start where the dialogue you just can't hear at all what they are saying. The old low tech having better sound then the latest tech seems very weird

Optimalprimerib

I watch everything with subtitles. I am not deaf or anything but I got the idea watching the wire as that dialogue has so many colloquialisms i never understood what they were trying to say.

Mr Crispy

I'm relieved to see it's not just me! I find that even trailers on TV are terrible for this - music overpowering any lines of dialogue that are put in to entice you to watch!

MisterAnarchy

Mr Crispy wrote: »

I'm relieved to see it's not just me! I find that even trailers on TV are terrible for this - music overpowering any lines of dialogue that are put in to entice you to watch!

Maybe try Night Mode on an amp if you have one, that reduces the special effect noises and increases the dialogue .

Most modern thin Tv's aren't able to produce good sound as the depth isnt there to physically accomodate proper sub woofers.
The sound is tinny and indistinct.

alchemist33

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

I watch everything with subtitles. I am not deaf or anything but I got the idea watching the wire as that dialogue has so many colloquialisms i never understood what they were trying to say.

Same here, subtitles for almost everything. I kinda assumed it was my age.

CastorTroy

I'm the same. Got in the habit of using subtitles due to trying to hear dialogue over music.
I just use my tv, so no sound system. Does no execs think they should allow those with a tv only setup to hear dialogue?

TV series aren't much better. Don't know how many times i'm increasing and decreasing volume due to trying to hear dialogue and suddenly loud music or sound effects shake the tv. And then ads come on even louder than anything in the show. Of course can hear that dialogue clearly.

Yakult

It's all about dynamic range. Unfortunately most sound for films are mixed with the cinemas sound system in mind, controlled and quiet environment and a system that has a very wide dynamic range (And growing) compared to that of a TV's sound setup. So, dialougue is much quieter and explosions/fx can be much louder. You're essentially hearing the cinema mix.

Films that are released straight to digital platforms might fare better (?) because they know it's primary outlet will not be the cinemas sound system, rather a laptop or TV.

Sad Professor

Yakult wrote: »

It's all about dynamic range. Unfortunately most sound for films are mixed with the cinemas sound system in mind, controlled and quiet environment and a system that has a very wide dynamic range (And growing) compared to that of a TV's sound setup. So, dialougue is much quieter and explosions/fx can be much louder. You're essentially hearing the cinema mix.

Films that are released straight to digital platforms might fare better (?) because they know it's primary outlet will not be the cinemas sound system, rather a laptop or TV.

Yes, it's this exactly. The loudness war was lost in music quite some time ago and will presumedly be lost in films before long too due to most people watching them at home or on mobile devices with limited or poor sound systems. Most direct to streaming films in my experience are designed and mixed with tv in mind. This doesn't just mean the dialogue is higher in the mix, it also means the sound effects are often very poor presumedly because there's no point spending a lot of money on them if people aren't going to hear them. In many cases you can tell if a film was intended to be released theatrically just from the sound.

gogo

Optimalprimerib wrote: »

I watch everything with subtitles. I am not deaf or anything but I got the idea watching the wire as that dialogue has so many colloquialisms i never understood what they were trying to say.

Wow, I actually stopped watching The Wire for this reason, couldn’t understand what they were saying,
I’m going to give it another go with subtitles

Man with broke phone

gogo wrote: »

Wow, I actually stopped watching The Wire for this reason, couldn’t understand what they were saying,
I’m going to give it another go with subtitles

It takes a few episodes to start understanding the accents, like in real life it takes a few days in a foreign country even if they speak english, it explains america better than anything Ive ever seen and slowly explains it piece by piece over the seasons, it loses out to the greatest tv show of all time by a nose hair. The second best tv show of all time but almost a draw for the best one.

Tenet was ruined by this in the point isense

Wildsurfer

I find the sound on Netflix movies to be very poor, have to turn tv volume up to almost max when watching anything on it

MisterAnarchy

Interesting article on subject
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/sep/03/tenet-dialogue-christopher-nolan-sound-technology