Tv Sound/Hearing

[fruitsalad]

I consider myself to have good hearing, but lately not sure if its just me, but I have to have the TV volume really high, to be able to hear what the actors are saying as there seems to be so much mumberling.

[bednobs]

yes, i think the same.

[Buenchico]

My friend didn't think she'd got a hearing problem until someone from the local council knocked on her door to say that one of her neighbours had complained about the volume of her TV set. The council official asked my friend to turn her telly on at the usual volume that she had it set to and then advised her to get her hearing tested. Not long afterwards she was the proud possessor of NHS hearing aids ;-)

Time for a test, maybe, Fruitsalad?

[david small]

Inefficient sound engineer’s problems.

[fruitsalad]

No definitely not a hearing problem as I recently had them tested, that being one of the reasons.

[Buenchico]

It's also worth remembering that, when you get a new telly, you're meant to go into its menu settings to configure the sound to the best set-up for your liking. Hardly anyone ever does though; they all leave the set using its default settings.

Even my ultra-cheapo Polaroid set (from Asda) offers 'Standard', 'Music' and 'Theatre' modes, along with 'User' mode where the treble, bass and balance can be finely adjusted. Have you configured the audio on your TV set properly?

[fruitsalad]

No I haven't done that, but will definitely give that a try, thank you.

[Patsy33]

We've noticed it, too. We look at each other's and say, "What do he say?" :-)
Then when the adverts come on, well! it's blaring!!

[fruitsalad]

Yes Patsy exactly the same in this house, if you are trying to follow something it can be really annoying, if you miss parts of the film or series because they are speaking so quietly.

[gness]

My hearing's excellent, Fruit...and Dave is a whizz with TV settings but the sound these days is a pain.
If it's not the mumbling and whispering it's the unnecessary music that is happening more and more.
Two minutes in and we look at each other and mouth..subtitles.

[lankeela]

I can hear the volume ok but so many times I can't hear or understand some things - the young girl having a tea party with her stuffed toys on the PG tips advert I can never make out what she is saying, nor the man cooking the lamb for Easter! I also find a lot of the dramas have mumbling actors.

[elliemay1]

I find that they mumble in soaps too, especially the younger actors

[riptide]

Same here, I can hear any movie on my iPad but if I play it on the tv I often have to put the subtitles on. Terrestrial tv is not that much better.

[jennyjoan]

Yous all need your subtitles on and there ya go - yous will all be able to hear again.

[Mamyalynne]

Please Miss, I can't read the subtitles unless I sit a foot away from the screen.

[barry1010]

Try a soundbar, the speakers in many flat screen TVs are dreadful

[Espresso125]

i hate it when some reporters are mumbling away to camera with a mask on when there outside and well way from their camera man

[barry1010]

My tv has an 'speech' setting hidden away in the settings. It really does help and reduces the background noises. Hopeless if I want to watch a concert or music show, though, I have to change the setting.

Dive in to the settings, fruitsalad, and see if you have something similar.

[margarettom]

I think it’s the actors etc. Can hear The Antiques Roadshow perfectly for instance, but use subtitles for most dramas.

[CrapAtCryptics]

I have reasonably good hearing but find that the incessant background music and the way some people tail off their words makes it hard to listen to even with playing around with the settings.

[furrypusscat]

What really annoys me is the background music that overpowers any speech, now that does infuriate me. On occasions background music is necessary as part of the film but not so loud you cannot hear the essential bits. Rant over.