Sound quality on TV films & American programs very bad ????

collectors

Is it me just getting older or is the sound quality on films getting bad. I got to the stage of having my hearing checked & in all fairness i had a 30% drop in my ability to pick up certain frequency . Basically the treble end of sounds. But after getting a hearing aid, i cant say its that much better. Now checking out the problem in a different way i find i can hear all things like adverts, BBC news, & lots of other programs, its just films, especially when via the internet like Amazon Prime. Is anyone else having the same problem, & if so did you find something to help.

Cheers.

Rodders53

Films are mixed to a different standard to TV programmes.

They have a much wider dynamic range - difference between quieter parts and older parts - because they are intended to be viewed in Cinemas. Thus you can hear the explosions and loud music OK, but speech is much quieter (unless they are shouting).

Adverts are compressed so the loud and quiet bits are almost the same level... Often people complain they are too loud!

Many Audio Video Receivers (surround sound amps) allow a dynamic range compression to be applied to the sound through them which might help? I don't know if any TVs allow a similar process? (May be referred to as Night Mode). Or if TV Soundbars do the same?

EdwardB

You do not say what your source is, I use a media server but you could pipe the TV audio out to a surround sound box, plenty around that are second hand.

It consists of an amp and 5 speakers

You may find your hifi will have an INPUT to take the sound from your TV, DVD player or other TV Kit

were

Audio compression/expander/limiter (or compression-decompression) is built into some TVs, here is an excerpt

"Labeled as “Dynamic Range Compression”, “Dynamic Range Control”, “DRC”, “Night Mode”, or (much less commonly) as “Dialogue Enhancement”, “Volume Amplification”, “Boost Downsample” or the like, this option instructs the device to compress the range of volume in the audio track of the displayed video such that the highest and lowest points are closer together. This makes the booms less boomy and the whispers less hushed."

From the full article https://www.howtogeek.com/218949/htg-explains-why-the-dialogue-on-your-hdtv-is-too-quiet/

Also there once were many decades ago black boxes that took TV audio output, compressed/expanded it then this is sent through headphones or a hifi system,[STRIKE] but I did a quick search and can no longer find them on ebay[/STRIKE]

Here are some cheaper examples on ebay
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EELA-AUDIO-EA801-easy-to-use-general-purpose-compressor-limiter-/141925521017?hash=item210b6b9679:g:hsMAAOxyVLNSyWg-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BSS-AUDIO-DBR-402-COMPRESSOR-PEAK-LIMITER-DE-ESSER-DYNAMIC-PROCESSING-RANGE-C-/112396860098?hash=item1a2b5ffac2:g:1SkAAOSwdzVXvM-h (kudos to the designer for the knob-twiddling factor)

ARandomMiser

I am really glad you raised this thread - both my partner and I have been thinking our hearing has deteriorated over the last couple of years and have been meaning to make an appointment to get it checked. So I must try out some of the other channels first.

A coup;le of examples that are really bad
- movies, seems like half of the script is whispered these days usually followed by a loud explosion
- In the Big Bang Theory I really struggle to make out a word Bernie is squeaking

Often our night of TV viewing is interspersed with one of us saying 'What did he/she say?' followed by several goes at stopping and replaying the bit umpteen times trying to figure it out.

We do have a surround system and have tried that but it isn't much better - must try the dynamic sound thing mentioned by another poster.

were

here is a software solution, and I have no idea how good it is but cost £0
put it on a PC with headphones/ear buds and have a go http://www.hotto.de/software/audiocompressorlimiter.html

Now for the weird one, if you want ot go one step further, and I have no idea if this will work, "virtual audio cables" this is the paid version, http://software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm. There is a free version too of you google. I think you will need support for this idea, unless your really want to fiddle.

My idea is you get the above to compress the signal, then send it down virtual cable via bluetooth (or wifi) to your mobile. Software like vlc accepts audio streams too and plays on some mobiles. Each person can adjust their own volume without upsetting the neighbours, or each other,


Some soundcards on PCs support compression too, and the result is often possibly ok-ish, better than nothing. look here for "Loudness Equlization"
https://superuser.com/questions/357828/how-can-i-prevent-sudden-audio-peaks-while-gaming

Also while getting the above audio peak link , found that other were trying to do similar to the start of this post here and more https://superuser.com/questions/493485/windows-7-8-tool-for-amplifying-sound-equivalent-to-pavucontrol

Sicard

I'm the same and I think it's down to the boom operators not being as good as they used to be and the laziness of the directors. I find a lot of actors mumbling now and it seems the director is too much in awe of some actors to pull them up on it. Another irritant is the need to shoot in almost pitch dark so you can't see what's going on.

But maybe I've just become a grumpy old git.

Norman_Castle

Try adjusting the sound settings on the tv. Many have movie or similar settings. To me these just increase the noise but don't sound better or clearer. I use mine on the flat setting.

A few years ago there was a documentary series about fossils which was ruined by endless and pointless sound effects. Despite being a documentary everything, rain, the sky, trees, all had intrusive sound effects including a swooshing sound when presenters names appeared. It made the series unwatchable as it was impossible to concentrate on what was being said.
I think sound editors need better direction.

vacheron

This can often be the result of a users equipment re-mixing and the multiple audio channels and encoding methods which modern shows are broadcast with.

When decoded in the manner intended by the sound engineers and broadcasters the results can be great, however many people have TV's AV equipment left at whatever setting the kit was left in when they were last messing about with it. This can sometimes lead to equipment using its own internal DSPs to re-process the sound for "cinema modes" virtual 3D" etc.

I have experienced these DSP's almost completely destroy the dialog of a program because of destructive phasing as the users amp / TV attempts to recreate centre channels rather than using those provided in the audio stream (The Big Bang Theory is a program particularly susceptible to this in my experience).

My first tip as Norman mentioned above would be to see if your equipment has a "Direct" or "Straight Through" mode that bypasses all processing / compression and see if that improves things (or at least makes different shows a bit more consistent).

littlerock

I too have this problem and started to think it was my hearing frequency at fault. But I can hear fine in everyday life and live broadcasts. I do have a problem with the clarity of sound of streamed films and made for streaming tv shows, maybe digital sound is not so clear as speech, on digital tvs. My tv is not new and i was thinking of replacing it, but my son has a new 30" flat screen - and of course these have less room for speakers- so he has to use a sound bar with it. I struggle on some streams unless i turn sound up.

If like me you like action films and shows, it is noticeable how many shows are filmed in semi darkness (eg in dark unlit streets, , in unlit warehouses, by waterfronts at night etc) with mumbling actors,. If the actors are African Americans playing baddies who mumble or speak in street slang, you have double disadvantage that you cannot make out their faces in the darkness so cannot supplement the low sound with lip reading. In daytime or close up shots it is much easier.

Mostly though, i just turn the subtitles on......

RumRat

Even people with surround sound systems have problems because they don't bother to set them up properly and have the same levels going out of every speaker. Check the settings.
If you are having trouble with the sound from the TV, see it it has a speech or similar setting, that will cut some to the background noise and emphasise the speech.