Re: dvd sound

[rdclark2@comcast.net]

Slalomguy wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a Panasonic plasma screen with integrated speakers and a good
Sony
> dvd player but when I play dvd's the TV sound level really has to be
> crancked up so that it can be heard.However even at the higher volume
its
> pretty hard to make out the dialogue.I alwasys check the dvd set up
menu and
> select stereo if its there.This only occurs with dvd's,cable and free
to air
> broadcasts are fine.
> I guess the quick answer is to hook up a receiver plus surround
speakers but
> I was wandering if there is another solution.
>
> Thanks in advance.


Worth mentioning, although it's probably not the case: sometimes with
DVD players that have 6-channel analog audio outputs, the "front
left/right" outputs are mistakenly used instead of the stereo l/r
outputs. This could product inaudible dialog on DVDs that only have 5.1
tracks, depending on the player's setup menu settings.

However, I tend to agree with the other posters that this sounds like a
dynamic range issue; DVD players commonly have much lower *average*
output levels than much more highly compressed sources like analog
broadcast/cable TV, although peak levels can be higher.

RichC

[Slalomguy]

thanks all
I have concluded ,rightly or wrongly,that it is an issue with the audio
level of dvd's
and not a connection/setup thing with the hardware
dialogue or the mid range(?) seems to come off worst and is drowned out by
background sound effects and music,making it near impossible to hear some of
the dialogue
too bad one spends good money on a plama screen and dvd player but then
discover you old crt and vhs gave better audio results
somebody in the dvd industry should be ashamed

<rdclark2@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:1105208303.676250.78300@c13g2000cwb.googlegro ups.com...
>
> Slalomguy wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I have a Panasonic plasma screen with integrated speakers and a good
> Sony
>> dvd player but when I play dvd's the TV sound level really has to be
>> crancked up so that it can be heard.However even at the higher volume
> its
>> pretty hard to make out the dialogue.I alwasys check the dvd set up
> menu and
>> select stereo if its there.This only occurs with dvd's,cable and free
> to air
>> broadcasts are fine.
>> I guess the quick answer is to hook up a receiver plus surround
> speakers but
>> I was wandering if there is another solution.
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Worth mentioning, although it's probably not the case: sometimes with
> DVD players that have 6-channel analog audio outputs, the "front
> left/right" outputs are mistakenly used instead of the stereo l/r
> outputs. This could product inaudible dialog on DVDs that only have 5.1
> tracks, depending on the player's setup menu settings.
>
> However, I tend to agree with the other posters that this sounds like a
> dynamic range issue; DVD players commonly have much lower *average*
> output levels than much more highly compressed sources like analog
> broadcast/cable TV, although peak levels can be higher.
>
> RichC
>

[Rich Clark]

"Slalomguy" <youwish@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:OB%Dd.110934$K7.17615@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
> thanks all
> I have concluded ,rightly or wrongly,that it is an issue with the audio
> level of dvd's
> and not a connection/setup thing with the hardware
> dialogue or the mid range(?) seems to come off worst and is drowned out by
> background sound effects and music,making it near impossible to hear some
> of the dialogue
> too bad one spends good money on a plama screen and dvd player but then
> discover you old crt and vhs gave better audio results
> somebody in the dvd industry should be ashamed

Well, I don't know who told you that spending good money on a plasma screen
and DVD player would give you good sound, but you were deceived. I've yet to
see a plasma with sound worthy of an AM radio, let alone DVD. A plasma
screen is a visual display system.

Analog sources like cable and broadcast compress their audio so severely in
order to make the dialogue audible on the 10-cent speakers typical of TV
sets. It works for that purpose, but if such low-fidelity audio were
included on DVDs it would be criminal.

The manufacturers of expensive digital displays like plasma screens include
speakers -- when they do, which is not always -- as a convenience. They
fully expect owners to be using an external audio system comparable in
quality to the display.

RichC

[Slalomguy]

"Rich Clark" <rdclark2SPAM@TRAPcomcast.net> wrote in message
news:7c2dnQ3Ams_kFn3cRVn-rw@comcast.com...
>
> "Slalomguy" <youwish@nowhere.com> wrote in message
> news:OB%Dd.110934$K7.17615@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>> thanks all
>> I have concluded ,rightly or wrongly,that it is an issue with the audio
>> level of dvd's
>> and not a connection/setup thing with the hardware
>> dialogue or the mid range(?) seems to come off worst and is drowned out
>> by background sound effects and music,making it near impossible to hear
>> some of the dialogue
>> too bad one spends good money on a plama screen and dvd player but then
>> discover you old crt and vhs gave better audio results
>> somebody in the dvd industry should be ashamed
>
> Well, I don't know who told you that spending good money on a plasma
> screen and DVD player would give you good sound, but you were deceived.
> I've yet to see a plasma with sound worthy of an AM radio, let alone DVD.
> A plasma screen is a visual display system.
>
> Analog sources like cable and broadcast compress their audio so severely
> in order to make the dialogue audible on the 10-cent speakers typical of
> TV sets. It works for that purpose, but if such low-fidelity audio were
> included on DVDs it would be criminal.
>
> The manufacturers of expensive digital displays like plasma screens
> include speakers -- when they do, which is not always -- as a convenience.
> They fully expect owners to be using an external audio system comparable
> in quality to the display.
>
> RichC
>
which explains why a 5 year old crt/vhs combo pruduces superior dialogue
audio than new plasma/dvd ?
not looking for good sound or fireworks,just audible dialogue
picture quality of dvd/plasma is great but I dont think its asking for too
much to be able to pop in a dvd and enjoy a quite movie that does not really
benifit from 5:1 surround sound
anyways we dont want to wake the kids!
if dvd sound compression is to blame then a warning could be printed on the
dvd box that a surround system must be employed so that the dialogue can be
heard properly.
where are all ther lawyers when you need them?

[Rich Clark]

"Slalomguy" <youwish@nowhere.com> wrote in message
news:2a1Ed.111222$K7.67073@news-server.bigpond.net.au...

> much to be able to pop in a dvd and enjoy a quite movie that does not
> really benifit from 5:1 surround sound

If you can't hear the dialog on a "quiet movie," then revisit the post about
checking your DVD player's output jacks. Does it have a set of jacks labeled
"front, center, surround," etc?

There is no reason you shouldn't be able to hear the dialog on a "quiet
movie" if your player is properly set up to downmix surround tracks to
stereo, and you're using the analog left/right (red and white) stereo
outputs on the player. You will probably have to turn the volume up quite a
bit compared to analog sources, however.

Perhaps your display has some sort of pseudo-surround setting that's messing
things up?

RichC

[L Alpert]

Slalomguy wrote:
> "Rich Clark" <rdclark2SPAM@TRAPcomcast.net> wrote in message
> news:7c2dnQ3Ams_kFn3cRVn-rw@comcast.com...
>>
>> "Slalomguy" <youwish@nowhere.com> wrote in message
>> news:OB%Dd.110934$K7.17615@news-server.bigpond.net.au...
>>> thanks all
>>> I have concluded ,rightly or wrongly,that it is an issue with the
>>> audio level of dvd's
>>> and not a connection/setup thing with the hardware
>>> dialogue or the mid range(?) seems to come off worst and is drowned
>>> out by background sound effects and music,making it near impossible
>>> to hear some of the dialogue
>>> too bad one spends good money on a plama screen and dvd player but
>>> then discover you old crt and vhs gave better audio results
>>> somebody in the dvd industry should be ashamed
>>
>> Well, I don't know who told you that spending good money on a plasma
>> screen and DVD player would give you good sound, but you were
>> deceived. I've yet to see a plasma with sound worthy of an AM radio,
>> let alone DVD. A plasma screen is a visual display system.
>>
>> Analog sources like cable and broadcast compress their audio so
>> severely in order to make the dialogue audible on the 10-cent
>> speakers typical of TV sets. It works for that purpose, but if such
>> low-fidelity audio were included on DVDs it would be criminal.
>>
>> The manufacturers of expensive digital displays like plasma screens
>> include speakers -- when they do, which is not always -- as a
>> convenience. They fully expect owners to be using an external audio
>> system comparable in quality to the display.
>>
>> RichC
>>
> which explains why a 5 year old crt/vhs combo pruduces superior
> dialogue audio than new plasma/dvd ?
> not looking for good sound or fireworks,just audible dialogue
> picture quality of dvd/plasma is great but I dont think its asking
> for too much to be able to pop in a dvd and enjoy a quite movie that
> does not really benifit from 5:1 surround sound
> anyways we dont want to wake the kids!
> if dvd sound compression is to blame then a warning could be printed
> on the dvd box that a surround system must be employed so that the
> dialogue can be heard properly.
> where are all ther lawyers when you need them?

Is there a way for you to limit the dynamic range? Some call it
"compression" (my Motorola 5100 cablebox has this in it's set up menu), or
"Midnight" (Marantz reciever).

If you use a reciever for dish or cable, there should be a setting for it
(if you are using a digital sound output. I'm not sure if it works in
analog)...........