• CMDR_Horn@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    There is a lot that goes in to sound engineering in order to make a movie going experience really good. Basically the sound is engineered to sound really good on the 100ish channels that movie theaters have, but when going to a home they have to crunch all that down to work with a 2.1 or 5.1 etc and there is inevitably loss due to overlapping frequencies and even immersive aspects. How can a voice seem to be as loud as an explosion for example.

    On top of those difficulties you have directors like Christopher Nolan who has said that he doesn’t care about home audio and that his movies are made to be seen in a theater.

      • Marduk73@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Exactly! My comment above was in reference to Breaking Bad (not something in theaters). I’m watching this thru probably for the fifth time but the really quiet skyler and walt whispering dialogue (crank to 32 to hear) takes time so i missed part of it. Volume averages at 10 in my living room. Then have to be johnny on the spot and hope that 32 gets back to 10 before the whispering is over. And good help you if you’re watching subtitles because the volume indicator appears right over them.

    • hardypart@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      There is a lot that goes in to sound engineering in order to make a movie going experience really good. Basically the sound is engineered to sound really good on the 100ish channels that movie theaters have, but when going to a home they have to crunch all that down to work with a 2.1 or 5.1 etc and there is inevitably loss due to overlapping frequencies and even immersive aspects. How can a voice seem to be as loud as an explosion for example.

      A simple sound compression of the entire signal would solve the issue. VLC player has this feature and it’s working perfectly.

      • null_@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yeah, unfortunately while it’s very simple to set up compressor levels in a DAW or even in feature-rich players like VLC, I haven’t come across any easy way to blanket apply one to your computer’s output without weirdly looping it through something like Ableton.

        It seems like it should be so simple to have in Windows sound settings, but it’s never been an option. Sometimes there’s a toggle for “normalization”, but that gives you no control at all. You at least should be able to set compression ratio, lower threshold (in dB), and upper threshold (in dB).

      • PassTheChicken@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        I was wondering if there’s a software compressor for the master channel of a computer. Like many, I usually stream movies nowadays, so VLC is of no use unfortunately. Any ideas? I’m on windows, if that matters.

    • m0nka@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      unfortunately it sounds like this in the cinema too. Dialogue is barely understandable and 80% of the scenes are so dark, it looks like shot with an iPhone under moon light.

      Just compare with any movie from the 80’s or early 90’s.

      I personally reached a point where don’t even bother to pirate those movies anymore.

      • Tomthndsh@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Who watches movies anymore? Costs a fortune, theater is dirty, people are annoying, food is overpriced, show times are inconvenient, …

        At home you can just choose another movie to watch, pick another video.

          • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            I don’t care now that I’ve bought a big TV and an ATMOS/surround system but I understand it’s not financially possible for everyone…

            • Heisl@feddit.de
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              1 year ago

              I‘m in the same boat. I went to the cinema a few times in the last weeks and I actually prefer my home setup. Sound and image wise. Everything is perfectly tuned in and I can lay down on my comfy sofa and just enjoy.

              • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                Once you’re at a correct distance for the screen, 65" or 40’ doesn’t matter, in a theater I’m just farther away and still end up losing some of the image and have to deal with the other watchers.

                As I said, once you’ve got proper equipment at home you just don’t care for the theater experience. I’ll never say it’s the same thing, I still enjoy it much more.

                • Tavarin@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Nope, completely different experience. Sitting a few feet from a 60" TV does not have the same sense of scale as a 40’ screen, unless you’re sitting at the very back of the theater. A 40’ screen feels huge.

                  I have a very nice home setup, but the theater is bigger and better.

                  • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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                    1 year ago

                    See, better is totally subjective. To me it isn’t better, my setup, tuned how I like it, without other people around, without having to turn my head left and right to see the whole screen, without having to show up in advance to make sure I’m sitting in a spot that’s appropriate for the screen… That’s much better. To me.

                    I haven’t been to a theater in years and never plan to go back.