Flat screen TV speakers are all but worthless on anything apart from the high-end 55” models where there’s room to get decent tweeters and woofers inside.
As other posters have noted, flatscreens rely on bouncing the sound off the wall behind the TV to direct it at the viewer. If the wall (or anything else) behind the TV absorbs or distorts any or all of the sound frequencies, you’re going to have a poor audio experience.
Even a cheap sound bar below or in front of the TV pointing at the viewer is going to beat the TV’s internal speakers.
Just don’t enable any surround modes unless you have the additional surround speakers set up as it’ll sound terrible.
I have a mid-range LG sound bar with separate subwoofer and activating the “DTS Virtual Surround” mode appears to simulate placing the sound bar into a bathtub full of custard.
OH, stop it, all I need now is a giant apple crumble.
But to be serious I do have a hearing problem although probably age/bouchon related and when I get a moment to myself (3 visitors already this morning and the doc due anytime) I am going to rinse them out with some stuff I have bought.
I too use s/t for everything other than live speech ( not coincidental (can’t remember the correct word)) .
Subtitles, even though it is irritating as you can miss the acting whilst reading, and also the speech arrives before the actor has pronounced it. But try watching The Wire without subtitles.
I’m sure hearing becomes tuned in well to some sounds. Since buying plastic mouse traps out of necessity I can hear the plastic ‘clink’ of a mouse trap door closing upstairs when I’m downstairs and upstairs when I’m downstairs. The sound somehow finds its way through! But not mumbling on tv!
Have downloaded the manual for my tv, to get to know how the inner workings of the tv work, and was surprised to find I could update its software via a USB connection on the back of the tv. Had no idea! Somehow, I managed to update the tv successfully.
Will now try to get the best audio I can in its current setup and then consider what’s next if film audio is still lacking.
I connect my TV to my audio amp via toslink (fibre optic audio) and then through the room speakers. I do agree about the mumbling on a lot of modern films, and it drives me mad. From the amp, I also can send it via Bluetooth to my headphones which does seem to give much clearer sounds.
Agree. Mind that the one you buy is actually sold by AMZ not a 3rd party supplier.
And do not buy any electronic item from Amazon Warehouse. They are, in my persisitently futile experience, customer returns that are duff, are re-packed and put straight back on sale, complete with the original fault.
But sold by AMZ one of the options you can choose as a reason for a return is ‘incompatible with my system’ or words to that effect.
I don’t have any spare loudspeakers or an amplifier, but I do have an HDMI ARC connection. The tv’s loudspeakers are generally quite good, of reasonable quality. Nothing to really complain about, apart from the mumbling.
At the moment, since I’ve learnt more about the inner workings of my particular tv, and have used the menu to get the best audio I can get, I shall wait until the next mumble-filled film is on and reassess what to do next.
Hi
There seem to be a couple of issues ongoing in this discussion. My background was in sound engineering and I trained with the BBC. Like many, I find the difference in loudness between ads, trails and programmes quite annoying. I gather this is, at least on C4, down to the fact that a job done by 4 people, (Network director, Vision mixer, Sound engineer, Continuity announcer) is now done by one person, the announcer, trying to balance sound using headphones rather than on a loudspeaker. Consequently, ‘good enough’ seems to be the standard which is accepted rather than ‘best.’
As for indistinct speech, I dont entirely buy the argument that small personal microphones have given actors freedom to use a wider dynamic range. We used small personal mics in telly in the 1980s (the Sony ECM50 was everywhere) and I well remember watching, ‘The Sweeney’ one night with colleagues where we played ‘hunt the mic’ on John Thaw’s clothing. I also don’t remember problems with hearing dialogue which people report today, granted that I was younger…but I do wonder whether directors now are more ready to accept indifferent diction from actors knowing that they can always rely on subtitles to make up for poor speech.
Watching the dvd’s today… Death in Paradise… OH wearing his headphones as he likes the sound a little higher than I do… (yes, he does have a little hearing-loss)
Me… I’m fine with the sound gently coming out of… wherever…
no booming crescendo when the body is disovered etc etc … it all flows gently… and I can hear everyone’s conversation… music/sound & speech are perfectly aligned.
such a pleasure…
OH has promised to check our dvd collection and chuck to the back of the cupboard all those which have “lost the plot” re noise/music/mumbling…
Are you talking modern films, as actors back then went to proper stage schools learnt how to project their voices and clear diction. Low cost wannabees take the quick routes.
I think maybe this is a general decline of diction, not only in English.
I have trouble understanding talk on the radio all too often. Too fast and not enunciated. Then there are TV persons. Quite remarkable how many words escape without their lips moving.
I tried watching the tv news muted, relying on the subtitles. Hopeless! I don’t know how deaf people manage. Perhaps they just have to learn how to keep up with rapid jerky text.
I’ve noticed of late how tv presenters of current affairs programmes try to cram in as much as possible by speaking fast, and telling guests they have 40 seconds, or less, to squeeze in an answer.
You can hear the best fast speaker presenters on radio - LBC - and that’s ok, but I see it more and more on tv, and subtitles just don’t cut it! IMO.
Edit added - maybe lip reading betters sub-titles, but with so much fast speaking going on now on tv I wonder if lip readers can manage.
I do too. And, although my previous liking of Paxman diminished over the years as he got more sneerie, I am bereft that his University Challenge job has been handed to the ‘mumbler-in-chief’, Amal Rajan.
