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Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understand

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Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understand

Postby Dave McElderry » Mon Dec 13, 2021 3:19 pm

In the past 5 to 10 years my wife and I have been having increasingly significant difficulties understanding movie dialogue. This has been mostly on our 7.1 home theater system, simply because we seldom go to the theater to see movies anymore. This was true even before Covid. Often we'll have to stop the movie and ask one another what an actor just said, often replaying it, and if we think it's important to the plot even turning on subtitles temporarily to go back and find out what we had missed. Often I've thought of any number of things that might be the cause of our difficulties: We're getting older and our hearing isn't what it ought to be, that our sound system isn't up to the standard that we'd like, or that the dynamic range in newer movies is so great that quieter dialogue is too quiet when the volume is adjusted so that the loud parts don't blow us into the neighbor's yard. There are other examples, but the gist is that I/we have been blaming it on any number of possible things that mostly might have to do with deficiencies on our end. This video tells me that this isn't necessarily the case, and I'm actually relieved to hear it. At nearly 20 minutes long it might be outside of many people's attention span but if, like us, you've been having trouble understanding movie dialogue this puts a new perspective on things. I'm amazed at some of the explanations and points made, and found myself exclaiming out loud in many places as I agreed with some things, and was just astounded by others. I really think it's worth the time to watch.

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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby sidd finch » Mon Dec 13, 2021 6:41 pm

I with you I leave on subtitles all the time because it is so hard to understand. Also a constant finger on the volume throttle. I am always turning down during the excruciating loud scenes that is in most Movies. But to me the overall mumbling of dialog or that talking in a whisper is beyond the pale. And an instant iterant.

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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Peru » Mon Dec 13, 2021 8:02 pm

...so it's not just me.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby John 'twosheds' McDonald » Tue Dec 14, 2021 2:13 am

...no, it is not just you. So it is subtitles on for me when I am watching a film that has dialogue that is incomprehensible. :(
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Steve Grisetti » Tue Dec 14, 2021 7:33 am

A strange little video really. There are virtually no examples of muffled dialog in it!

Also, isn't it ironic that so much of the narration for the video is also displayed as as a subtitle?
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Dave McElderry » Tue Dec 14, 2021 11:44 am

For me it's interesting to know that this wasn't just a personal problem and that it's a real issue for many people. As for subtitles, I really don't like keeping them on all the time. I don't understand how someone can be reading subtitles and be watching the movie at the same time. I read pretty quickly, but I can't read fast enough to appreciate what's going on on the screen. This is the same reason I don't watch films made in a language other than English. Since I don't speak any other languages I just can't appreciate the film while watching subtitles.

Sidd, most TVs today have options to compress the dynamic range, but that kind of defeats the intent of the creators and I can't bring myself to use it. I like the high DR, in general, but when the loudest parts are too loud and the soft parts can't be understood somethin's gotta give.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby TreeTopsRanch » Tue Dec 14, 2021 4:39 pm

Here's another reason for not understanding movie dialog...background music is so loud it drowns out the speaker. I have noticed this is occurring more and more.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby ed » Tue Dec 14, 2021 5:25 pm

This is so funny. I thought I had a hearing problem, and my wife is always saying to turn down the volume when the sound suddenly increases. Now I just use headphones most of the time.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Peru » Tue Dec 14, 2021 6:41 pm

TreeTopsRanch wrote:background music is so loud it drowns out the speaker


I've noticed that in the TV shows that have singers competing against each other.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby John 'twosheds' McDonald » Wed Dec 15, 2021 3:56 am

Peru wrote:
TreeTopsRanch wrote:background music is so loud it drowns out the speaker

I've noticed that in the TV shows that have singers competing against each other.

...and is it just me that thinks that the adverts are louder than the programmes? :(
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby sidd finch » Wed Dec 15, 2021 10:17 am

Maybe you could not hear me I was speaking in parentheses.... :hyst:

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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Peru » Wed Dec 15, 2021 10:46 am

...and is it just me that thinks that the adverts are louder than the programmes? :(

They are.
The FCC does have a regulation limiting the volume of TV commercials to the volume of the program, but they have never enforced it:
https://advertisinglaw.fkks.com/post/10 ... s-too-loud
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby John 'twosheds' McDonald » Tue Dec 28, 2021 6:18 am

Came across this article in the British national press. Clearly news is a bit slow at this time of year...(?)

Muffled%20Sound.jpg
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby Dave McElderry » Tue Dec 28, 2021 1:43 pm

Thanks for sharing the article, John. I can easily believe that the actors are part of the problem but, as the video above noted, there are multiple issues involved. That was a good point about TVs in themselves not being able to reproduce good audio. I wouldn't even think of watching without upgraded external audio - at least a good quality soundbar, but I like our surround system, and even then the problem is still evident.
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Re: Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult to Understa

Postby sidd finch » Wed Dec 29, 2021 7:56 am

It is almost if you need to have a voice speaker up front and close.

I appreciate it being used as an effect. But the whole movie mumbling makes me look for something else to watch.

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