Why you can't hear the dialog anymore

[MartyG]

I started using a device called TV Ears when my hearing was diagnosed as heading south. Kind of a crude set of bluetooth-like headphones that boost the dialog. Without them I typically would crank up the volume to the point where my wife was irritated, or leave it so low that I could not pick up any dialog. I must say they have been very helpful. I can even use them and turn the TV sound down to zero - they have a separate volume control. I wish they were more comfortable, but nothing else I've tried is as effective. I'ver had them for a couple years. Replaced the rechargeable battery once so far. YMMV

Marty

TV Ears

 

[Westerly Wood]

Still better than the dialogue in this movie:

 

[jp]

Interesting video, GAD. It makes absolute sense. On a related note, I often think about how much mastering for audio in general has evolved over the years since the emergence of the mastering components in digital audio workstation software--DAWs. With the possibility for one to master at home with a DAW, DIYers master and release audio online themselves according to more subjective tastes. I've noticed the huge variation in how not only mastering for film audio, but digital music as well varies greatly compared to pre-digital formats.

And with so many different devices for listening, it must be a huge challenge to master audio for all the various mediums for listening, just as film audio is approached similarly as explained in the video. To my ears, it seems that guidelines for mastering have drastically deviated from what they used to be, especially since audio output is delivered digitally through various mediums in phones, car stereos, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and home systems.

 

[davismanLV]

This issue has been going on for a LONG time. You turn a movie up just loud enough to hear the dialog, then when an action sequence happens the FX sound is WAY too loud. You instantly grab the remote and turn it down. Then the dialog is too quiet again. A never ending cycle.

This ^^^ right here. We have remotes that actually have a 50% mute button, which I kept my finger on all the time. Dialogue at 100%, and action scenes/special effects hit the 50% mute. Back and forth and back and forth. I rarely watch movies any more. I think this may be a huge contributor to that. Sound may be more "real" these days, but I rarely watch TV or movies for reality. Kinda sad, really.

 

[Opsimath]

One always obeys the Queen, the name on one of my wife's mugs which she likes to use often.

By the way, I like the way you think, too.

 

[crank]

Our latest tv has different modes, preset EQ selections really, they can help some. And yes our flat screens, except the one in the bedroom go into sound systems.

 

[lungimsam]

Some tv sets now have a “night mode” feature where it acts like a compressor and keeps the volume down during the loud parts so as not to disrupt sleepers nearby while you watch.