"Here's Why Movie Dialogue Has Gotten More Difficult To Understand (And Three Ways To Fix It)"

[Hobbit]

What's the original codec when you upmix with Dolby Surround?

Not absolutely sure the orginal codec. However, I've found this to technique to work on both Netflix and Disney+. That would be my Denon down sampling DD+ or Dolby Atmos to surround. Not exactly sure how it does that. Like I said, there are downsides like more surround background 'noise' and the subs totally respond different. For the worse in both cases.

 

[lovinthehd]

Not absolutely sure the orginal codec. However, I've found this to technique to work on both Netflix and Disney+. That would be my Denon down sampling DD+ or Dolby Atmos to surround. Not exactly sure how it does that. Like I said, there are downsides like more surround background 'noise' and the subs totally respond different. For the worse in both cases.

Why do you think Dolby Surround is downmixing? It's a sound mode/upmixer. DD+ is what Netflix and Disney use afaik.

 

[Hobbit]

Why do you think Dolby Surround is downmixing? It's a sound mode/upmixer. DD+ is what Netflix and Disney use afaik.

I just supposed that being I'm only changing the sound mode on my Denon it's downmixing from the DD+ or DD+ Atmos coming from the Roku. My assumption is DD is a "higher level" than DS, therefore it's downmixing. Conversely, I would think taking stereo to surround would be upmixing.

I'm still curious what's exactly going on and why the dialog would sound better on hard-to-understand content when changed to DS?

 

[cpp]

Not absolutely sure the orginal codec. However, I've found this to technique to work on both Netflix and Disney+. That would be my Denon down sampling DD+ or Dolby Atmos to surround. Not exactly sure how it does that. Like I said, there are downsides like more surround background 'noise' and the subs totally respond different. For the worse in both cases.

Read somewhere the original codec : " Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus is based on the AC-3 lossy bit stream format. It’s biggest advantage over the older audio codec involves the compression technique. "

 

[lovinthehd]

I just supposed that being I'm only changing the sound mode on my Denon it's downmixing from the DD+ or DD+ Atmos coming from the Roku. My assumption is DD is a "higher level" than DS, therefore it's downmixing. Conversely, I would think taking stereo to surround would be upmixing.

I'm still curious what's exactly going on and why the dialog would sound better on hard-to-understand content when changed to DS?

No, Dolby Digital is a lower level than DD+, also less capable (DD is 5.1 lossy, DD+ is still lossy but capable of 7.1 plus Atmos metadata)

 

[chashint]

If it was just us old geezers having problems with hearing the dialogue, I would just figure all those years of operating machines, rock concerts, dirt track racing, motorcycles, RC model airplanes, and lots of other fun stuff had just worn out our ears.
But hearing movie/TV show dialogue is a complaint across all age groups.
When virtually the entire population is complaining it really is as simple as turning the dialogue track up two or three clicks.

 

[Hobbit]

No, Dolby Digital is a lower level than DD+, also less capable (DD is 5.1 lossy, DD+ is still lossy but capable of 7.1 plus Atmos metadata)

That's what I thought I said?

I got confused in explaining how I accomplished getting to Dolby Surround. Sorry, I'm a lonely man with too many buttons to press. So, I just did it to be sure!

Within the app I take it out of 5.1 mode. In Netflix I chose English, not English 5.1 for example. How you pull up the menu is slightly different in each app. It most likely goes to stereo and the Denon up samples it to Dolby Surround (as you said and that's what I see on the Denon's screen). With some content, I find this makes a huge difference in dialog clarity. Try it next time something is difficult to understand.

Wish I really understood why this works? But it does.

 

[lovinthehd]

That's what I thought I said?

I got confused in explaining how I accomplished getting to Dolby Surround. Sorry, I'm a lonely man with too many buttons to press. So, I just did it to be sure!

Within the app I take it out of 5.1 mode. In Netflix I chose English, not English 5.1 for example. How you pull up the menu is slightly different in each app. It most likely goes to stereo and the Denon up samples it to Dolby Surround (as you said). With some content, I find this makes a huge difference in dialog clarity. Try it next time something is difficult to understand.

LOL. No worries, it just sounded odd as written. Yes, the choice is generally DD+ or 2.0 on my Netflix apps (using FireSticks). You can upmix either with Dolby Surround, tho. I generally just turn subtitles on if dialog is hard to understand (whether due to volume, the basic mix or just hard to understand english, like some of the british "dialects" ). With one of my older generation FireSticks I often had a glitch where I would only get surround info, no mains....I'd go into audio settings and flip from 5.1 to 2.0 to get it to trigger proper 5.1 again.

 

[Kingnoob]

If it was just us old geezers having problems with hearing the dialogue, I would just figure all those years of operating machines, rock concerts, dirt track racing, motorcycles, RC model airplanes, and lots of other fun stuff had just worn out our ears.
But hearing movie/TV show dialogue is a complaint across all age groups.
When virtually the entire population is complaining it really is as simple as turning the dialogue track up two or three clicks.

Yeah unfortunately it’s everyone.:

LOL. No worries, it just sounded odd as written. Yes, the choice is generally DD+ or 2.0 on my Netflix apps (using FireSticks). You can upmix either with Dolby Surround, tho. I generally just turn subtitles on if dialog is hard to understand (whether due to volume, the basic mix or just hard to understand english, like some of the british "dialects" ). With one of my older generation FireSticks I often had a glitch where I would only get surround info, no mains....I'd go into audio settings and flip from 5.1 to 2.0 to get it to trigger proper 5.1 again.

my main source spectrums app which has bad audio/video quality is 2.0 so the avr upmixes it to some sort of 5.1
I choose tv logic sound mode if it’s hard to understand tv, but movies sometimes I need captions.
Netflix voices can be harder to understand because that’s just how movie soundtracks are mixed.

 

[cpp]

Yeah unfortunately it’s everyone.:

my main source spectrums app which has bad audio/video quality is 2.0 so the avr upmixes it to some sort of 5.1
I choose tv logic sound mode if it’s hard to understand tv, but movies sometimes I need captions.
Netflix voices can be harder to understand because that’s just how movie soundtracks are mixed.

What AVR are you using

 

[lovinthehd]

Yeah unfortunately it’s everyone.:

my main source spectrums app which has bad audio/video quality is 2.0 so the avr upmixes it to some sort of 5.1
I choose tv logic sound mode if it’s hard to understand tv, but movies sometimes I need captions.
Netflix voices can be harder to understand because that’s just how movie soundtracks are mixed.

Spectrum app I'd think would have multich. Looks like your Onkyo 818 can handle DD+, tho.

 

[Kingnoob]

What AVR are you using

Onkyo 818

Spectrum app I'd think would have multich. Looks like your Onkyo 818 can handle DD+, tho.

The cable box is multi ch , the app isn’t its stereo but it upmixes to dd+ or 5.1 on passthrough.
voice is easy to understand imo .
It’s lfe bass I had to boost +3 db .

 

[lovinthehd]

Onkyo 818


The cable box is multi ch , the app isn’t its stereo but it upmixes to dd+ or 5.1 on passthrough.
voice is easy to understand imo .
It’s lfe bass I had to boost +3 db .

Is it an old cable box? What does it do multich with particularly then?

 

[Kingnoob]

Is it an old cable box? What does it do multich with particularly then?

I’m using the app on roku that’s why it’s not 5.1 native . It’s cable without the box but not as good 720 compressed vs 1080i . Video suffers worse then audio sadly ..
oh it might be 5.1 now If this is correct . It was stereo just last month .. but the graphics still suck .720

 

[cpp]

Onkyo 818


The cable box is multi ch , the app isn’t its stereo but it upmixes to dd+ or 5.1 on passthrough.
voice is easy to understand imo .
It’s lfe bass I had to boost +3 db .

You said on another thread about your TV looks horrible " I don’t have a cable box because parents canceled mine "

plus you are or are not using a AVR ? "Not using a avr was just testing out the spectrum hooked directly to the tv, hdmi cable set roku to auto first , then tried 720p because it’s compressed video. ""

Just trying to follow, do you have two separate systems

 

[Kingnoob]

You said on another thread about your TV looks horrible " I don’t have a cable box because parents canceled mine "

plus you are or are not using a AVR ? "Not using a avr was just testing out the spectrum hooked directly to the tv, hdmi cable set roku to auto first , then tried 720p because it’s compressed video. ""

Just trying to follow, do you have two separate systems

Yes separate systems the other tv is 4k, the box was hooked directly to the tv. Both running on spectrum app , no cable box .I want to bring that tv downstairs but my tv stand has no room for the center channel til i find a bigger used one.

 

[lovinthehd]

I’m using the app on roku that’s why it’s not 5.1 native . It’s cable without the box but not as good 720 compressed vs 1080i . Video suffers worse then audio sadly ..
oh it might be 5.1 now If this is correct . It was stereo just last month .. but the graphics still suck .720
View attachment 59757View attachment 59758

What's Roku got to do with Spectrum?

 

[Kingnoob]

What's Roku got to do with Spectrum?

I got no other way to stream it , tv isn’t smart or new model with a streamer built in.
The bedroom setup hasn’t been used in a few years also, except for testing spectrum app video quality on 4k non hdr tv. Roku doesn’t improve or worsen the app it streams like Netflix or any other app.

 

[lovinthehd]

I got no other way to stream it , tv isn’t smart or new model with a streamer built in.
The bedroom setup hasn’t been used in a few years also, except for testing spectrum app video quality on 4k non hdr tv. Roku doesn’t improve or worsen the app it streams like Netflix or any other app.
View attachment 59759

Looks like you're using Roku device and its apps, so not sure what Spectrum has to do with it....

 

[mtrycrafts]

If it was just us old geezers having problems with hearing the dialogue, I would just figure all those years of operating machines, rock concerts, dirt track racing, motorcycles, RC model airplanes, and lots of other fun stuff had just worn out our ears.
But hearing movie/TV show dialogue is a complaint across all age groups.
When virtually the entire population is complaining it really is as simple as turning the dialogue track up two or three clicks.

But that last may be iffy if that channel also has music that would also be dialed up too. Back to square 1.