Poor sound quality

We always have subtitles because actors do seem to mumble a lot these days or sometimes the background music is just too loud and distracting.
Am not sure why so many actors don’t speak clearly.

Some scenes of Jamaica Inn were filmed in a picturesque town near us and my friend and I went to watch. So we were very keen to watch the series - what a disappointment! Unwatchable.

Obviously hearing deteriorates as we get older but I still maintain that the new tv's and the new tv progrsmmes have a lot to answer for.
We like watching old comedies such as 'The Likely lads' 'Sykes' and 'Steptoe and son' Do you know what ? The sound on them is crystal clear, the actors were taught then how to project properly and they have stood the test of time, so what's wrong with today's sound ??

I would love to know what gadget you purchased as I survive with subtitles and its very annoying sometimes especially when they lag behind 🙄

The variable sound quality - or lack of -- is a known problem across channels, or certain shows. If you really have dodgy hearing, get some headphones, to save shaking the walls and winding u the neighbours. Or use subtitles, though not everyone likes them, and you can get some funny mistakes!

Other than that, keep the remote to hand, because as most have said, adverts have sound that blasts out.

I find the same problem with lots of programmes and films. There is so much mumbking goes on, only tonight noticed that some actors hardly even move their lips when speaking. Sound up at about 40 then the adverts come blasting on.

LovesBach: Jamaica Inn was one I truly wanted to watch but found the sound near impossible to hear. And I have excellent hearing. Around the time this was running( without me following it as I gave up after 20 minutes) there were a spate of programmes where the sound quality left a lot to be desired.
Was it due to human mismanagement or what? Often hoped I’d find out.

Curtaintwitcher, you made me smile; it is often British shows that I find mumbly. I guess it is what our brains are used to hearing.

I have seen several articles regarding complaints about sound quality on movies. The conversations are quiet and the sound effect noised blast you out of your chairs. The producers do this on purpose for shock effect of the crisis moments. However it doesn't translate to television very well.

We end up putting on the subtitles so we can keep the volume at a reasonable level. You would think with so many complaints the producers would do something about it.

The digital hearings aid I have on the NHS are as good if not better than any of the private ones I have had over the last 20 years. I watch everything on my iPad as it goes straight through to my hearing aids and is as clear as it could possibly be. It has changed my life. Sadly I cannot get Bluetooth on my smart TV.

This was in the newspapers a few months ago, covering most TV stations. It stated exactly what you have said, films, TV shows etc, were of a poor sound quality but the sounds of the adverts was much too high and people have been complaining.

I have added a link which shows you what to do as it is happening much too often now.

www.techwalla.com/articles/how-to-level-the-volume-on-a-tv-when-the-commercials-come-on

I hope this helps.

My hearing is spot on the other half not so! I can't bare it too loud, but I agree the actors in films just mumble, so we end up putting the subtitles on just so we can desifer what is being said. And yes I get blasted out by the adverts every time, also loud sound tracks on the film's. Drives me nuts 😡

Yes I struggle. I've given up on some programmes because I can't hear but I can hear old films perfectly.

Background music is often intrusive.

Flat screen TVs have smaller speakers.

I think too that in my day actors learnt on the job. Weekly rep in local theatres meant they learnt how to project their voices.

Some time ago I read something about today's poor sound quality. I've forgotten the details but it was to do with staffing - that there used to be a specific person/engineer for sound quality so I Googled Sound on films and this website has a long letter about lack of interest in sound, more emphasis on seeing rather than hearing.

filmsound.org/production-sound/openletter.htm
Below is an excerpt from the website:
Today's crafts still have pride in their jobs but it seems they NO LONGER consider sound assistance to be a part of their job description. The problems began when the in-house studio training system broke down as non-union independent films proliferated. Along the way, the process of learning what their jobs entailed changed the way they perceived sound. The other crafts now don't think they should do anything to help YOU get good sound for YOUR movie. There is no longer an apprenticeship system to pass along this knowledge. They now learn on the job under fire through osmosis.

Auntieflo

*Floradora9*, could you let us know the gadget you purchased to attach to your sound bar, please?

I'd be interested in this as well.

Would love to know what make of soundbar - flat screen tv is driving me mad. My hearing isn’t tga

Floradora9, could you let us know the gadget you purchased to attach to your sound bar, please?

What soundbar did you upgrade to bigbertha?

I have a bluetooth microphone with my hearing aid, it only makes a slight difference to the volume

One of my friends bought a sound bar (and she doesn't buy cheap) and neither of us can hear any difference.
Has anyone else found this?

We all seem to have a problem one way or another with the sound but what annoys me is the quality of the sound and the actors mumbling! I watched Love Island for five minutes and their accents and screeching was like torture to the ears!! I know…. Don’t watch it!! I won’t!! But when it’s a good drama it is really annoying!

We have a sound bar and we both are hearing aid users and we still require subtitles apart from the news.

I suppose after trying to watch the Greatest Showman, I really should have a lot more sympathy for my OH. Generally, I can hear most things on TV OK, whereas his hearing loss makes everything except the clear tones of news presenters extremely difficult to hear, even with his hearing aids and subtitles.

Suggestions of a sound bar are something I will ask ds about look into, so thanks to those of you who have mentioned them.

Petra, it is interesting what you said about the sound quality on old films. There have been a few occasions when we have watched a short snippet of a fils or shows dating from the 'sixties, before switchin off and wondering how we could possibly have understand it back then with no difficulty. I didn't dwell on it long enough for it to occur to me that the quality had deteriorated.

Chelseababy I wonder how many other copies were binned. I thought I'd just bought a faulty one.

I watch several old films over Xmas and the new year.
The first thing I noticed ( especially in Gone With the Wind) was the sound quality.

@greyisnotmycolour I had the same problem with the Mr Turner dvd, I gave up.

I have subtitles permanently turned on as I don't want to disturb the neighbours.