This feature will change the sound in ways that the creators did not intend, and you may not want to leave it on all the time. This is a handy feature when playing any Marvel movie on a Tuesday night, but be sure to turn it off if you plan to have people watching Dune on the night of the opening.
Upgrade your sound system to something better than stereo
If you don’t have a center speaker, it might be worth upgrading to a better audio system. You don’t even have to get an expensive system – there are many soundtracks for every budget. However, if you only have a stereo soundbar, then all the sound from your movies is pumped to the left and right channels and this can be a problem.
Since stereo systems do not have a dedicated center speaker, the sound from the dialog box will need to be switched to the left and right speakers. Most stereo systems will reduce the volume of the center channel before sending it to each speaker. However, if the dialogue was already quieter than the rest of the film’s soundtrack, the result could be a bad mix where you can’t hear the dialogue very well.
When looking for a better sound system, try to get something that at least has a 3.1 setting. This applies to three speakers – left, right and center – as well as one subwoofer. 5.1 surround system. which adds two surround speakers is even better in terms of immersion, but anything that adds a center channel will be a big improvement for your home theater.
Think about the acoustics of your room
Most people don’t think much about how the sound bounces in their living room, because it’s not really a priority for a room where you want to relax. The room you are in can have a huge impact on how you hear movies you watch. If you have very hard wood and bare walls, for example, the sound from your speakers can bounce more easily and feel even louder. And potentially bother your neighbors even more.
We don’t expect anyone to start installing acoustic panels in their living room just to mute movie sounds, but there are simpler settings that can help. Air conditioning systems, for example, can be very loud, but people tend to drown out these noises when they hear them every day.
If you find that you are switching the TV to power an AC, fan, or a powerful computer or console in the area, then you can try to keep the TV away from these noises. You can also try turning off powerful appliances while watching. With less sound competition, you can reduce the TV a little more and still have easier time to hear the dialogue.
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