Comment on Why are some shows so dark?
reev@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks agoThis cause could be downmixing from something like 5.1 or 7.1 to stereo. Because dialogue is mostly on the center channel while music and SFX are much more spread out in the soundstage, you might have a sound appear on speakers center, front left and back left while dialogue only happens on center.
This would mean that depending on the mix, you might have a sound that’s 2-3 times louder than the dialogue when mixed to stereo since all those sounds have to get played on fewer speakers.
This is why a 5.1 compatible soundbar will be more balanced than stereo speakers, even if it doesn’t have full surround sound. They have a physical speaker for each of the channels so at least the mix sounds better.
Not saying this is always the issue but its certainly one of the possible causes.
bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 3 weeks ago
This myth gets brought up so often despite numerous evidence to the contrary. The sound sucks for people with good equipment as well. The sound sucks in theaters.
They just seem to have a hard-on for mumbling. Because of realism or something.
reev@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
I’d love to see the evidence, it depends on your player and how you’re downmixing. There are some that do it better than others but this is definitely a thing.
bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 3 weeks ago
The evidence is that even on good equipment the dialogue is hard to hear.
reev@sh.itjust.works 3 weeks ago
Okay, I guess two can play the “trust me bro” game. I have stereo speakers on which this is an issue and a 5.1 compatible soundbar on which it is not. Same file, same player.