I'm watching "Killers" (enjoying it a lot so far) on netflix while folding laundry, and I have turn up the volume to hear what they are saying, and then plunge the volume down for each action sequence.
Why why why do they do this? I don't need to hear the gun fire and squealing tires, pulsing music and inarticulate shouts super clearly to follow the movie, but I sure need to be able to hear the dialog.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
Think of the dialogue as the normal volume level and the explosions as the total opposite, and everything starts to make sense. Still don't get it? Fine, I'll explain, dammit.
Your brain uses sound as an indicator of danger, or, rather, you subconsciously assume if it's louder you should pay more attention to it. It's the same reason (probably) why commercials are louder than the actual programs. If it's louder, you'll focus more on it. Just like we yell when we argue with people.
In other words, explosions are supposed to make you scared and pump that adrinaline, which is why they're louder. And it works, except in your case. You probably need to get some surround sound going in your house, or you need to change the settings on your TV.
Either way, you shouldn't be watching Killers. That movie sucks.
[ June 09, 2011, 09:07 PM: Message edited by: Jeff C. ]
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I'm the same way -- the explosions are too loud, so I turn it down, and then the dialog is too quiet for me to understand it, so I turn it up.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
Well I for one thoroughly enjoyed Killers...Jeff, why did you think it sucked?
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
That's the one with Ashton Kutcher right? If so, then here you go.
It was overly predictable, honestly. I watched it right after it came out on DVD (rented it), and I knew the ending five minutes in. I didn't blame the film for that, but it's just one of those films people will end up forgetting because there was no real substance to it. It was entertaining in the sense that I was too lazy to get up and turn it off or change the channel, and it kept my brain mind-numbingly content (which is, after all, why most of us watch tv), so I didn't complain. In compaison to other good films though, I wouldn't give it much credit.
But that's me. Everyone's different. I've met people who thought Catwoman was amazing (seriously), while I've known others who said Up was stupid (as you can imagine, I was somewhat dissapointed in their lack of awesomeness). Regardless, those movies exist for a reason (obvously, or they wouldn't make them), and people generally like them, even if a month later no one can remember anything about them. But who cares? Movies are movies.
And books are awesome.
Posted by Dan_Frank (Member # 8488) on :
The volume in action sequences usually doesn't bother me. However (possibly due to our lack of good audio equipment/surround sound? Not sure) the balance of some TV shows is such that it's often hard to hear dialogue when that dialogue is being spoken over music. Very frustrating.
Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :
quote:Originally posted by Stone_Wolf_: I'm watching "Killers" (enjoying it a lot so far) on netflix while folding laundry, and I have turn up the volume to hear what they are saying, and then plunge the volume down for each action sequence.
Why why why do they do this? I don't need to hear the gun fire and squealing tires, pulsing music and inarticulate shouts super clearly to follow the movie, but I sure need to be able to hear the dialog.
The answer to this depends on your configuration. A common cause of dialog that is substantially lower volume than other sound is that you have a 5.1 surround source being delivered by a 2-channel (stereo) speaker system, such as that found in most TVs.
A 5.1 source has a dedicated center channel that is used primarily for dialog. This channel is often handled poorly in the 5.1- to 2-channel down-mixing.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
What MattP said. Often times it's the limitation of the audio system, and not something to do with the shows or movies themselves.
Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :
I wouldn't go out of way to recommend Killers, but I enjoyed it and didn't understand the absolutely abysmal ratings it got.
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
More than in action scenes, it's more annoying when you're watching TV and the show is a normal volume, but the commercials are about ten times louder.
Posted by Orincoro (Member # 8854) on :
quote:Originally posted by mr_porteiro_head: I'm the same way -- the explosions are too loud, so I turn it down, and then the dialog is too quiet for me to understand it, so I turn it up.
And you don't have an aging parent slowly going deaf in the kitchen, who sits watching an episode of NCIS or something, and the commercial comes on blaring so loud and with such insistance, that you can hear it all over the house... And by the way, I was visiting my parents recently, and I counted 5 subscription drug commercials in one break, all age-related. We're having a health care crisis, and the tv is screaming at my dad about urinary incontinence.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
quote:Originally posted by Bella Bee: More than in action scenes, it's more annoying when you're watching TV and the show is a normal volume, but the commercials are about ten times louder.
Congress tried to pass a law that would make it so the advertisements didn't get louder like that, but it didn't go through.
Yay lobbying!
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I wrote a letter to AMC about their commercials being so loud that I avoid their station (when upstairs on my old tv, my newer tv downstairs seems to take care of the problem by itself) and they didn't write me back.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
quote:Originally posted by Dan_Frank: The volume in action sequences usually doesn't bother me. However (possibly due to our lack of good audio equipment/surround sound? Not sure) the balance of some TV shows is such that it's often hard to hear dialogue when that dialogue is being spoken over music. Very frustrating.
I agree.
Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :
Having trouble making out dialogue over other sounds usually means that you don't have an audio system with a central channel speaker, and the dvd/bluray/spacehologram you're watching the movie on is poorly converting the audio to a traditional left/right output (or has the option somewhere for the player or the dvd, and this hasn't been changed off of dolby)
Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :
I think you were just irritable because you were watching Killers. I love Katherine Heigl but that movie was atrocious.
Posted by Stone_Wolf_ (Member # 8299) on :
I liked it...if I was irritable it was becuase netflix streaming rarely offers the option of subtitles.
Posted by Jeff C. (Member # 12496) on :
quote:Originally posted by AchillesHeel: I think you were just irritable because you were watching Killers. I love Katherine Heigl but that movie was atrocious.
OMG thank you Posted by happymann (Member # 9559) on :
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