“What did he just say?” These are the words that are frequently uttered in my household. Despite increasing the volume on our TV, my wife and I often struggle to understand the dialogue in streaming movies and shows. We usually resort to turning on the subtitles, even though we don’t have hearing difficulties. We’re not the only ones facing this issue. In the streaming era, with video consumption shifting towards smaller screens like televisions, tablets, and smartphones, ensuring clear and crisp dialogue has become the toughest technological challenge in the entertainment industry. Surveys show that about 50 percent of Americans, especially young people, rely on subtitles most of the time because they struggle to decipher what actors are saying. Even Si Lewis, who has been running a home theater installation company for almost 40 years, says that all his customers face issues with hearing dialogue, and many of them use closed captions. Fortunately, tech and media companies are beginning to tackle this problem with solutions such as speech-boosting software algorithms.
The issue is complex, influenced by various factors. In big movie productions, professional sound mixers adjust audio levels for traditional theaters with powerful speaker systems capable of delivering a wide range of sound. However, when content is streamed through apps on televisions, smartphones, or tablets, the audio is compressed to accommodate weaker speakers. Moreover, modern flat-screen TVs, designed to emphasize the picture, often hide speakers, directing sound away from the viewer’s ears. Streaming presents additional challenges because unlike broadcast TV programs, which have regulations on loudness levels, streaming apps have no such rules. As a result, sound levels can vary widely between different apps and programs, requiring constant adjustment to hear dialogue properly. It’s a bit of a wild west when it comes to online streaming.
Subtitles are far from a perfect solution, so here are some remedies to try, including add-ons for your home entertainment setup and speech enhancers. One effective solution is to add a separate speaker like a soundbar to your TV. Soundbars are sleek, stick-shaped speakers that are more budget-friendly and easier to set up than multispeaker surround-sound systems. They significantly improve sound quality compared to built-in TV speakers. For example, the Sonos Arc soundbar, although a bit pricey, delivers richer sound quality and includes a speech enhancer that makes it easier to hear spoken words. Some streaming apps are also starting to build their own dialogue enhancers. For instance, Amazon’s Prime Video app has an accessibility feature called dialogue boost, which enhances dialogue in certain shows and movies. You can activate this feature in the language options. However, even with these enhancements, actors’ lack of enunciation can still pose challenges.
In summary, investing in a separate speaker like a soundbar can greatly improve dialogue clarity in movies and shows. Features like speech enhancers in streaming apps are also a step in the right direction. Although subtitles remain a reliable option, they are not ideal for everyone. Remember not to adjust the sound settings on your TV, as modern TVs have software that automatically calibrates sound levels. And if all else fails, subtitles are foolproof.