Movie Volume.

PeaSea · 01-01-2022 4:45pm #1

Getting very frustrated with the gap between lowest speech and loudest effects when watching a movie at home. Currently watching Godzilla vs Kong and its a constant volume adjustment exercise. Up to 25 to catch the Whispered Important Conversation and the Muttered Podcast Explanation. Down to 10 to stop the rest sounding like NATO are carrying out manouvres in my living room. Up to 25 to catch Whisper Whisper Whisper. Down to 10 for Big Alarm Klaxon. And dont get me started on Tenet. Most films have the problem to an extent though.

Can people not capture sound correctly anymore ? Or is it deliberate ? If they would at least stop speech being muttered it would be huge progress.

01-01-2022 4:47pm

My soundbar has a speech clarifying mode which i need every time these days, agree with you 💯

Table Top Joe · 01-01-2022 5:09pm

For awhile I thought it was just me, or maybe my TV since I found myself constantly adjusting the volume and even resorting to subtitles for some (English speaking) movies. It's incredibly annoying.

I came across an article on this phenomenon recently that you may find interesting actually.....

https://www.slashfilm.com/673162/heres-why-movie-dialogue-has-gotten-more-difficult-to-understand-and-three-ways-to-fix-it/?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB&fbclid=IwAR3uTMVDLqL5PVl_YPuAXWdaNauWVGG60Y47RaUIpT-ESKhAJlFrjlxKlwI

Del2005 · 01-01-2022 5:34pm

Though I was going deaf myself. Even using headphones sometimes I'd have to rewind a few times to hear what's said, then a second later my ears are being blasted with explosions.

PeaSea · 01-01-2022 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118401603#Comment_118401603

You're right, that was interesting, thanks. Hopefully the vision over sound priority is just a fad and will fade with time.

Capt'n Midnight · 01-01-2022 7:06pm

Check your TV sound settings for an AGC or automatic sound levelling to increase the volume in quiet passages. Check for movie/speech sound settings.

If you have a cheap n' chearful flat screen TV then you need external speakers. And old HiFi or stereo with a line in socket or old computer speakers is a fraction of the cost of a soundbar.

Another problem is ads. They are a wall of noise so that you can't put the volume up as much as you'd like to. It's one of the reasons I'd record films rather than watch live.

Flinty997 · 01-01-2022 8:54pm

Good article.

Sound often sucks these days.

Kermit.de.frog · 01-01-2022 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118402331#Comment_118402331

Ditto on ads. I hate how often I have to adjust the volume down once the ads come on. I'd say it's intentional too 🙄

Flinty997 · 01-01-2022 10:34pm

Ads don't bother me. Don't have any since I cancelled TV a few years back. Streaming TV has no ads.

blue note · 02-01-2022 8:21am

It's one of the things I love about the cinema - films can be properly loud. It's what I remember best about watching 2001 in the ifi, probably one of the reasons interstellar blew me away so much.

But it's just not suitable for watching films at home day to day. I'm the same as the OP, constantly adjusting volume because it gets too loud and rewinding then for the quieter conversations.

PeaSea · 02-01-2022 10:09am

Yes the sound is great in cinemas but then you have to factor in listening to multiple people chewing popcorn beside and behind you. I would pay more to go to a popcorn free movie, genuinely.

PeaSea · 02-01-2022 10:38am

Thanks all for the input so far.

I listen to streamed movies mostly, usually Netflix, sometimes Now or Amazon or Disney, and sometimes Bluray but all through a PS4. I changed the sound output on the PS4 from Linear PCM to Dolby yesterday and it has made a bit of a difference, speech is a bit clearer. The PS4 is connected to the TV by HDMI.

Sometimes we listen through a decent Denon amp (connected by optical from TV out) and Wharfedale 9.0 speakers plus a subwoofer, so not a shabby setup. Most times we just use the TV speakers, an 8 yr old Sony Bravia, which are fine as well. I increased the speech setting to the max on the TV which again has improved things a bit.

I used to have the PS4 connected optical to the amp directly but changed it so we could watch whatever was on the TV through the amp with no hassle. To be honest I hear no difference either way. The amp has HDMI inputs as well and I've tried using those instead of optical so the amp acts as an HDMI switch but thats no better and the speech delay is more pronounced. It also means the amp has to be on to watch anything.

However it is definitely on movie makers to improve this as we dont get the same issues listening to TV (through a BT box) at all - or indeed through series on Netflix through the PS4. The BT freeview is connected to the TV by HDMI so no different to the PS4.

Capt'n Midnight · 02-01-2022 1:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118404444#Comment_118404444

https://theoatmeal.com/comics/movie_theater_layout

..

privateBeavis · 02-01-2022 2:00pm

I've started turning on subtitles for anything that has them for this reason even though I used to curse at having to read subtitles on anything!

blue note · 02-01-2022 2:56pm

The thing is, I want things that are loud to be loud in films. Gunshots are loud, planes taking off are loud, rock concerts are loud. If they're in a film they should be loud.

Unless I'm at home and my baby is trying to sleep upstairs. I don't want the film to be suddenly loud n that instance. Or if I'm watching TV and my wife is listening to the radio in another room. Being loud then is annoying then.

Maybe an audio option for minimal sound contrast would be an option or something like that.

Fighting Tao · 02-01-2022 3:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118405607#Comment_118405607

Netflix has that option, but it is still not perfect. Valine seems too low when using it.

TheIrishGrover · 06-01-2022 11:11am

The first time I had issues was when I went to see "VanHelsing" in the cinema years ago (Don't judge me!). I was coming out thinking the action scenes/music were deafening (Although I didn't have a problem hearing dialogue.... unfortunately). Thought to myself "You're getting old". Until I head a pair of teenagers behind me: "Jesus Christ, me EARS!!!"

Christopher Nolan is famous for this. Tenet was a very egregious example of this. Some quite dense, exposition-heavy dialogue followed by HANSZIMMERMUUUUSSSSIIIICCCCC/ACTION!!!

Doctor Who is the same for me: Low dialogue volume (Apart from deafening Daleks/Cybermen) and then OTT music. I have no problem with loud music/action. But not when it is an order of magnitude louder. Some of this is undoubtedly me getting older (50 this year). But some is very obviously a decision by the director/studio. I had no such problems with Dune or the last James Bond or last Spiderman or last Matrix (Unfortunately). But I have had to turn on subtitles from time to time lately. (Most recently with the Wheel of Time series but that was more to do with me not knowing the books and trying to catch some of the references made by characters rather than volume.

And on that, Please Netflix and Prime etc: Give two English subtitle options. Closed Captions and simple dialogue. I don't need to read [Footsteps approaching. Frustrated sigh] :)

Edit: Hah. Didn't even read that article until I posted this and I see Nolan is front and centre.

Fysh · 06-01-2022 3:39pm

I find this problem more pronounced at home than in cinemas (although Nolan os still Unrepentant Bollox #1 there, and seems to be proud of overseeing films that are, in audio design at least, inferior film-watching experiences).

One assumption I have long held about this is that the decline of home media sales means it's not financially worthwhile doing any work to rebalance the sound mix for home viewing relative to theatrical viewing. I want the theatrical experience to have a wider dynamic range, because cinemas have the soundsystems that can show that off to full effect. I don't have that luxury at home , and want to be able to watch the film without constantly messing around with volume changes. (I've not yet gotten to the point of applying automatic normalisation/gain control when ripping my home media, but at the rate we're going it's only a matter of time)

Capt'n Midnight · 06-01-2022 5:40pm

Check your TV sound settings for an AGC or automatic sound levelling to increase the volume in quiet passages. Check for movie/speech sound settings.

NowTV stick has options for Night Mode (limits max volume) and Volume Levelling

If you have a cheap n' chearful flat screen TV then you need external speakers. And old HiFi or stereo with a line in socket or old computer speakers is a fraction of the cost of a soundbar. This will improve the quality so it may be easier to distinguish speech.

Another problem is ads. They are a wall of noise so that you can't put the volume up as much as you'd like to. It's one of the reasons I'd record films rather than watch them live on TV.

Movie Volume.

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