4 TV settings to change for clearer dialogue

The modern world of smart TVs, with all its technological advancements and ingenious innovations, unfortunately often struggles to meet the most basic needs of viewers, especially when it comes to sound. It’s not necessarily a design flaw, but while TVs are made to optimize the image on the screen and support the best audio, they don’t necessarily produce it. This means that if you haven’t invested in a proper soundbar and surround sound system, which you should definitely buy if you have the budget, viewers will have some work to do to optimize their setup and experience high-fidelity, immersive content.

Related

5 ways to make your TV louder

You may have trouble hearing the TV, but your ears will not.

A common issue viewers face is the inability to clearly hear dialogue, which is the result of a combination of settings that accentuate background noise and music and tame voices. This is especially problematic in high-energy movies, such as action or sci-fi content that features special effects, explosions, or tense scenes.

Luckily, there’s a way to solve this common problem so you can listen to the conversations between characters and understand what’s actually going on.

1 Turn down the bass and turn up the treble

The simplest solution

The first and easiest way to solve this problem is to check the most basic settings for bass and treble. Bass often makes it hard to hear dialogue because it tends to overwhelm speech frequencies, making them harder to hear among all the other noise. Most basic TVs have an option to turn down the bass. Turn it down until the dialogue is clear.

Related

5 Unimportant Smart TV Features

New smart TVs come with a variety of features and perks, but not all are created equal.

If that still doesn’t work, look at the treble, which handles the high frequencies, and turn it up in small increments until you get the results you want. More advanced TVs might have a more detailed equalizer that you can tweak. This takes more time and effort, but giving you a chance to try out more audio levels will make it easier to find the perfect balance for your content. Even with a more detailed EQ, the goal is the same: reduce the bass that can overwhelm voices, and increase the treble.

2 Check the audio mode

Presets are content-optimized

If you can’t adjust the bass and treble, or the changes aren’t enough, presets might be the solution. Your TV might have specific modes that optimize dialogue or cater to certain types of content, such as drama, action, sports, or music.

These are seasonal equalizer presets that place treble, bass, and other frequencies in specific ratios to more faithfully recreate the listening experience for a particular genre. Typically, there are presets that emphasize dialogue while suppressing background noise.

Related

Best Bose Soundbars: Audiophile Picks and Rankings

Currently, these are the best soundbars in Bose’s catalogue that can take your home theater listening to the next level.

If there are presets, you should be able to find them in your TV’s audio settings. The name of the preset will vary depending on the type of TV. It may be anything related to or sounds like “clear speech” or “dialogue booster.” A similar option might be something called “night mode” (if available), which will lower the bass and special effects. This setting is designed to be used when people in other rooms are sleeping, but it will also amplify conversations.

3 Remove Surround Sound

Compression can be an issue

One of the reasons sound, especially audio, can become distorted or difficult to hear is dynamic range compression. Some TVs and apps have default settings for surround sound setups, optimizing audio delivery for a 3-, 5-, or 7-channel arrangement. If you have a soundbar and associated speakers connected, this isn’t a problem, but if you’re using your TV speakers, or a simple 2-channel soundbar, it can make it hard to hear dialogue.

Related

For the best picture and sound quality, I always check out these 7 smart TV setups

Adjusting these settings will help you get the most out of your new TV right out of the box.

This is especially noticeable with Netflix, which often automatically sets the audio to a 5.1 channel system. While watching content on Netflix, pause the title and scroll down to the on-screen audio options. You can toggle English 5.1 off and switch to uncompressed English. If you can hear dialogue properly on some streaming services or apps but not on others, the problem may not be with your TV. Check the audio settings in each app to make sure the app isn’t compressing the audio because it thinks you have a larger sound system than you actually do.

Four Turn on subtitles

read

apple

This doesn’t make it easier to hear, but it does help improve comprehension. When all else fails on TV, subtitles are the next best thing to hearing dialogue. With the growing popularity of content in languages ​​other than English, more and more viewers are becoming accustomed to using subtitles, especially those who regularly use streaming services.

Related

5 cool Apple TV tricks tvOS users should try

If you’re an Apple TV user, taking advantage of these features is essential to making the most of your viewing time.

This also means that subtitles are better than ever. Platforms like Apple TV strive to ensure that subtitles are precisely synchronized with the dialogue, popping up when characters are speaking, and not too early or too late. For example, many platforms like Amazon Prime allow you to change the size, style, and even color of the subtitles to make them easier to read on your screen. Having subtitles on your screen doesn’t necessarily have to be distracting, and you don’t have to read them the whole time. Keeping subtitles on can be helpful when there’s loud background noise during certain scenes in a movie. You might not want to adjust the settings if it means lower audio quality for other parts of the story.

Not being able to hear dialogue clearly is a common issue with modern TVs. Investing in a quality soundbar, preferably a three-channel one, will go a long way to solving this problem and improving your overall audio experience, but there are also settings you can adjust to help you follow what’s going on without straining or getting confused.

Related

7 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your TV

You might want to upgrade your TV if you’re looking for newer technology, a slimmer look, or if it’s more than five years old.