2 years ago
Why do movies from the 'dvd era' have quiet dialogue and loud music/sound effects?
I have noticed this for a long time. Movies that came out when DVDs were dominant (especially action movies) seem to have quiet dialogue and loud music/special effects. When watching a movie form this era, I seem to have to always turn the volume up and down.
I'm not sure if it has to do with DVD's or some technology that is used, but I never noticed it on VHS movies and it doesn't seem to be a problem with movies released in the last couple of years. I notice this problem even on movies from that 'era' that are in a different format (on TV, digital downloads etc).
Is it all in my imagination?
Was there some quirk of the technology of the day that caused this to happen?
Is that just how they made movies back in the day?
I would love to hear a technical explanation of why this happens.
I'm not sure if it has to do with DVD's or some technology that is used, but I never noticed it on VHS movies and it doesn't seem to be a problem with movies released in the last couple of years. I notice this problem even on movies from that 'era' that are in a different format (on TV, digital downloads etc).
Is it all in my imagination?
Was there some quirk of the technology of the day that caused this to happen?
Is that just how they made movies back in the day?
I would love to hear a technical explanation of why this happens.
Separate topics with commas, or by pressing return. Use the delete or backspace key to edit or remove existing topics.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$1 Answer
I can't say that I found a definitive answer, but there are some hypotheses that might explain it.
1. Perhaps the DVDs are set up for Dolby 5.1 which requires 5 speakers, so if you only use your TV's 2 speakers it may not decode accurately the sound levels.
2. Perhaps the movies have soundtracks from the theatrical version which are optimized for large theater auditorium settings, and don't work as well for a small room.
3. It may be the "gee whiz" effect of having the visual special effects be reinforced by loud sound effects and/or music, while the dialog does not require such.
The sources below will provide some additional reading you can follow more of this on.
1. Perhaps the DVDs are set up for Dolby 5.1 which requires 5 speakers, so if you only use your TV's 2 speakers it may not decode accurately the sound levels.
2. Perhaps the movies have soundtracks from the theatrical version which are optimized for large theater auditorium settings, and don't work as well for a small room.
3. It may be the "gee whiz" effect of having the visual special effects be reinforced by loud sound effects and/or music, while the dialog does not require such.
The sources below will provide some additional reading you can follow more of this on.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$Report Abuse
