Can't hear what people say

[Twizbe]

I'm sure this has been done before but wondered if anyone had any great solutions.

I've recently re watched all of Lost on Amazon Prime. Just as enjoyable this time round, impressed that it's held up so well given the first series was 2004. I was also able to hear every thing that was said.

Started the 4th season of handmaids tale last night. Couldn't hear a word of it. I turned up the volume and put it on clear voice mode. Still have no idea what they were saying! The music and other sounds were so loud though! It was also so dark I couldn't really see what was happening either. Think I'll have to rewatch the first episode tonight to catch what I missed.

Is this a new trend in TV?

If so, any tips on how to watch it?

Subtitles?

Oh yeah, that's a very obvious solution, but not ideal as I like to crochet as I watch.

Try having a look at the sound settings on your TV - see if there is an option called Voice which should emphasise speech over background sounds (there is also a music one and some others I think) - have tried this with a really cheap TV and an expensive one, both had the option. It helps a bit.

I found this with Handmaids Tale, Sunday's was particularly bad, I was watching through a Sky box which I think made it worse as Sky is particularly bad with sound, I then tried it on freeview, is that what TV from the aerial is called but I can't wind it back on that if I misheard a bit, which I often do. It didn't seem any better. On freeview anyway.

I have to watch everything with subtitles these days.

My DSis was deaf as a child so I’ve always watched with subtitles, my whole family do and now so do some of my friends are watching with me!

Agree, Ozark is the worst for this, I keep wanting to shout "put the fucking light on!"

We have a sound bar which you can set for Voice as per poster above,this does help but increasingly we are watching everything with subtitles - sometimes it's just so we can track what's happening when we are struggling with accents and speed. we use it for The Wire especially, who knew Baltimore drug dealers and cops would be so hard to follow?

@IjustbelieveinMe

I have to watch everything with subtitles these days.

Same

@IjustbelieveinMe

I have to watch everything with subtitles these days.

So do I, even YouTube, I don't know why

I often watch with subtitles as I find it helps me concentrate!
Plus I ramp up the brightness if it's something gloomy (of course if they ever switch to a scene in a hospital you almost get blinded!

This infuriates me. I find Amazon Prime particularly bad. I had to watch Underground Railroad with headphones so I could hear what was being said.

Same. Mumbling in the dark. Thought it was me getting old.

I thought the dark thing was my tv being shite! Obviously not.

I use Subtitles all the time now due to moody mumbling and my hearing is fine.

How old is your TV? We have an old TV and quite often struggle to hear dialogue and DH reckons that TV programmes now are made to be played on newer TVs with different sound set up. Could be him angling for a new TV, of course!

Modern actors never seem to be able to enunciate. Is it lack of classical training? I don't know.

what is this Voice setting of which you speak ??
is it buried in the remote or is it in the set up thingy on the TV no im not teckki as you can tell

@tootiredtobother

what is this Voice setting of which you speak ?? is it buried in the remote or is it in the set up thingy on the TV no im not teckki as you can tell

I've never looked on the tv, we have a sound bar and it has a button for Voice.

Anyone who uses Sky and has a Sky+ HD box, there is a lot on the Sky forums that say the sound is noticeably quieter and not very clear. We have a Sky+ HD box and this is what we find, we also have a brand new TV and Sky is still bad

I use subtitles now for most dramas. Oddly, I don't usually need them for soaps, like Corrie or Neighbours, or the news.

Exactly the same here - need subtitles on for most modern things now AND I hate the trend to film everything in the dark! Sometimes my ears are straining to catch the mumbly drawls, my eyes are straining to make out dim shapes flitting from one dark alley to another, and I lose the will to carry on! WHY??

We watched the whole of I, Claudius from the 80s during lockdown and the actors enunciated so clearly, the difference was really marked.

The Handmaids Tale is the absolute worst out of them all, I was watching on catch-up because of the football and I had to rewind several times and still couldn't catch what was said. I will use subtitles this week but not sure if you can on catch up

thenightsky - exactly - never a problem with Maggie Smith a nd Judi Dench!

Is it an enunciation thing? I'm sure it must be! Everyone seems to be either mumbling or gabbling! We frequently have to rewind to try and guess what the actor just said, even then we sometimes cant work it out. Turning the sound up makes no difference,

My ds does a lot of drama and poetry recital, and he is taught to enunciate clearly and to get his pace right - his teacher is an absolute stickler for it! There is no way he would be allowed to mumble or gabble.

I think it's assumed if you have a flat screen you have a soundbar nowadays so it could be that