The Fixer: Movie Dialogue Too Quiet?

WSJ's Michael Hsu offers 4 tips to help you improve the clarity. Photo/video: Drew Evans/The Wall Street Journal.

More from the Wall Street Journal:

[captainspaulding]

Still stuck on the fact that he took a steel bowl out of a microwave.

[ReligiousZombie]

Jesus Christ, I wouldn't have expected such a worthless video to have been published by the Wall Street Journal. Is this some kind of cruel joke?

[pdubs]

Do the idiots that made this video not realize people are seeking out a sound solution to avoid using headphones and subtitles?

[bootroota]

Never ever had this problem with VHS only started with dvds

[kermit]

I could have thought of that stuff. telling people to buy more equipment or subtitles isn't helpful at all. we need a way to adjust the tv without purchasing more gear.

[chuckweeks]

I think the headphone solution is on the right track. Dialogue is difficult to hear for a few reasons, but primarily in a surround sound mode. If I listen to a news channel, it is much easier to hear, ; using most headphones will turn the sound back into two channel audio. Not the ideal method for most, for other reasons but a band aid until it is addressed on the recording end as mentioned below.

[ShahirUsmani]

Despite so many dislikes, still showing 2nd on the search, really YouTube?

[mark_beastpriest]

I find it also helps to turn up the treble.

[ThunderKat]

Watching Youtube video at 10% volume then watching movies at 100%, something ain't right, right?

[heitor]

The ONLY fix for this is to insert a compressor between the source of the audio and the amplifiers (soundbar, home theater, whatever). Sometimes this is available via software, but it'll introduce latency.

[jacktaylor]

Why did you have metal in the microwave?!

[Pennyburn]

Turn on the Duh, why did I not think of that.... I wear glasses 😜

[dummonkey]

That's a good idea but if they would turn the volume down on the music in everything that is viewed on YouTube TV and movies it's like they don't want you to hear the dialogue they drowned everybody out with music YouTube is getting real bad at it you can't hear what they're saying cuz they blast the music too loud turn it down or off when someone is speaking

[Totalplonker]

If one is going to buy a soundbar forget about gimmicky Dolby Atmos, choose a soundbar with forward facing a drivers
And leave those stupid Reflections alone 😂

[tailtaptailtap]

Garbage Video. It's called "compression" check it out

[MiserySage]

What a waste of my time... Is it plugged in style tech help