Am I going deaf or does everyone on telly mumble theses days?

[CaraBosse1]

Just watched first episode of Pretty Little Lies - God, the mumbling!

First series of House of Cards, I kept putting subtitles on because I couldn't understand Kevin Spacey.

Watching McMafia the other night, I kept saying to DH "eh, what did he say?" to which DH replied "Dunno"

Am I going mutton and jeff or does anyone else struggle to follow dramas because of the bloody mumbling?

Fewer actors are 'classically trained', and perform on stage. This results in less emphasis on enunciation.

(That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.)

I think it is also that adverts and sound effects/background noise and music can be so loud that in comparison the speech ends up quiet. If I turn it to the point that speech is a comfortable level then ads and other sounds are too loud.

Nope just I feel like I've gone "mutton and jeff" and then the back ground music will come on and that's always far to loud and drowns out any talking.

I struggle to hear if there's any background noise and find that so many people do speak with their hand partly over their mouth so I can't lip read either! Two conversations at the same time in a small area and I just can't hear a thing. Anyone speaking during a tv programme and I can't hear the dialogue.

You're not at all wrong. I genuinely considered checking my hearing until I realised that it's only new stuff. So watching old reruns of greys anatomy/friends/whatever- I can hear. New shows - house of cards, the crown etc- I can't hear. That fact rules out that it's a problem with flat TVs too.

I've tried changing the settings but none of the sound settings on my tv manage to change the sound so that I can hear it clearly. It's the overuse of "background" music "atmospheric " sounds and tracks. LET ME HEAR THE DIALOGUE! If your dialogue is too shit to be able to hold up without the heavy musical interference that you need to go back to the drawing board.

Think my tv is too old for such fancydancy sound setting: it's up or down!!

I just don't find this at all but we have a sound bar so maybe that's making the difference??

Over the years there have been many many letters to the Radio Times from people complaining about the over loud soundtracks, especially on documentaries. The replies are always non-commital and unhelpful. These programme makers should try watching their programmes on TVs in people's houses so that they can hear how awful the sound quality is these days.

I find this with certain dramas. Some are fine though so it can't be the tv. I couldn't hear a word in Kiri. Has to stop watching it. It's really annoying as I was looking forward to it.
As well as mumbling they seem to make the background noises too loud so turning the volume up doesn't help.
The clear sound setting is a revelation. Will have to investigate.

We have subtitles on all the time too, glad it’s not just me.

www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/hearing-health/check-your-hearing/

Everyone should check their hearing if they think people are mumbling, have trouble following conversation in busy places like pubs etc. I thought that my kids mumbled, I had to have subtitles on all the time, my husband constantly asked me to turn to down and I didn't hear my phone ringing or alarms etc. Now I wear hearing aids in my early 40s!

Omg yes! Subtitles on for almost every programme. And also yes to bloody dark programmes where you can't see what the hell is going on! With modern tech it shouldn't be hard to show its night time or portray a heavy/dark atmosphere without just blacking the whole sodding screen out!

Actually I've been watching programmes made 10/20 years ago and I do think it's far more poor diction than atmospheric or "for dramatic purposes"

Everyone mumbles. Peaky fucking Blinders is the worst 😡

I watch almost everything with subtitles.

Have to say though, kids tv, like cartoon and such, clear as day.

I’ve actually had my hearing checked because I had a ear problem and the hearing was five by five.

But I have to have subs on a lot these days because I can’t hear what people are saying.

I think it’s possibly more likely down to the bad audio on flat screen TVs than mumbling, although it could be both.

But no you are not alone, op!

But actually that may be bollocks about flat screen audio, because I watch a lot of old films and can hear what they’re saying just fine!

So who knows.

Just changed the sound mode to 'speech' on my tv off the back of this thread. Will be eternally grateful if it does solve the problem, it drives me mad!

I’ve had my hearing checked it’s fine, we have a sound bar as well but I still spend all my time turning up the sound when the actors are talking and then turning it down again when the music or sound effects come on. I don’t even watch live programmes anymore ,just recorded ones so that I can fast forward through the adverts which are ridiculously loud when compared to the programmes. I just give up on programmes that are too dark to see what is going on.
Don’t programme makers want people to watch their programmes?

ICjump Yes exactly! It's their job to communicate the actual bleeding words. You know, so we can have a clue as to what is going on.

Personally I'd award the Oscar for mumbling to Liam Neeson. I cannot understand ANYTHING he says in any film, ever. He also does this weird fake gruff thing with his voice, which makes the mumbling even less audible. FFS man, enunciate!

Don't think it's my hearing. I do have issues with background noise out in the real world. But as i don't think it's 'everyone' mumbling just certain actors I don't think that's the problem.

The new (ish) thing for make actors to talk in a 'gruff' voice when they are portrating a tough man has a huge baring. (Thougg im ok with Liam Neeson!).

Taboo was ridiculous. Gave up. Then there was another thar I've forgotten in name of (fictional post war Britain after German won the war) the main character in that was dreadful; impressively fail to ennunciate anything just seemed to growl.

Thinking that people mumble is one of the first signs of hearing loss. You can test your hearing online here. www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/hearing-health/check-your-hearing/

We just watched first series of True detective last week and I couldn't pick up a word of what Matthew McConaughey said!!! Couldn't get subtitles to work either 😡

Another lover of subtitles here! For me I don't think it's that I can't hear them, I just can't understand what they are saying if that makes sense.
American accents are especially hard to understand.

Personally I'd award the Oscar for mumbling to Liam Neeson. I cannot understand ANYTHING he says

Ooooh I’m not sure, Super. I mean, Matthew

McConaughey is just one big mumbling wreck!