Sound Quality

Although this isn't specifically a TIVO problem, perhaps someone here can shed some light
on this.

Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast over Directv just
bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the sound when the actors are speaking softly,
so I must crank up the volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street scene, and I
must crank down the volume. This happens quite often, and it is usually on the non-premium
cable channels. PPV movies don't seem to have this problem, and I don't recall this
problem on the premium channels, back when I subscribed to the premium channels.

Does everyone go through this volume adjusting exercise?

Some of the newer TV sets have an option to equalize the sound (there are
different names for it, I think it is called Smartsound or something like
that). Don't know is this would help or not.


"Mike Moran" wrote in message
om...
Although this isn't specifically a TIVO problem, perhaps someone here can
shed some light
on this.

Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast over
Directv just
bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the sound when the actors are
speaking softly,
so I must crank up the volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street
scene, and I
must crank down the volume. This happens quite often, and it is usually on
the non-premium
cable channels. PPV movies don't seem to have this problem, and I don't
recall this
problem on the premium channels, back when I subscribed to the premium
channels.

Does everyone go through this volume adjusting exercise?

Mike Moran wrote:
Although this isn't specifically a TIVO problem, perhaps someone here
can shed some light on this.

Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast
over Directv just bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the
sound when the actors are speaking softly, so I must crank up the
volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street scene, and I must
crank down the volume. This happens quite often, and it is usually on
the non-premium cable channels. PPV movies don't seem to have this
problem, and I don't recall this problem on the premium channels,
back when I subscribed to the premium channels.

Does everyone go through this volume adjusting exercise?

Other than the typical volume changes on some channels as compared to
others, I have not noticed this problem. I primarily use the optical
audio connection, but have analog hooked up as well. How are you hooked
up? What digital processing are you using on your receiver? DPL, DPL II,
DD, etc.

--
David G.

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 14:23:29 GMT, "Mike Moran" wrote:
Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast over Directv just
bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the sound when the actors are speaking softly,
so I must crank up the volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street scene, and I
must crank down the volume.

I use the Digital Audio connection and have olny noticed this
recently, and only with some of my recordings. It seems as if the
center channel information is coming through much lower than the
surround channels. It is very problematic on the shows where it
occurs.

Scott

Scott wrote:

I use the Digital Audio connection and have olny noticed this
recently, and only with some of my recordings. It seems as if the
center channel information is coming through much lower than the
surround channels. It is very problematic on the shows where it
occurs.

I noticed a reduced center volume on some shows. Then I played a DVD
where the sound was terrible. I turned off the surround, and just used
the TV. It turned out my center speaker wasn't working at all due to a
wiring problem. Most shows had enough left-right that I didn't really
notice, but some really needed the center speaker.

--
---
Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8-122.5

"David G." wrote in
message
Mike Moran wrote:
Although this isn't specifically a TIVO problem, perhaps someone here
can shed some light on this.

Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast
over Directv just bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the
sound when the actors are speaking softly, so I must crank up the
volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street scene, and I must
crank down the volume. This happens quite often, and it is usually on
the non-premium cable channels. PPV movies don't seem to have this
problem, and I don't recall this problem on the premium channels,
back when I subscribed to the premium channels.

Does everyone go through this volume adjusting exercise?

Other than the typical volume changes on some channels as compared to
others, I have not noticed this problem. I primarily use the optical
audio connection, but have analog hooked up as well. How are you
hooked up? What digital processing are you using on your receiver?
DPL, DPL II, DD, etc.

Maybe that's the problem. My receiver is just an older stereo receiver. The audio goes
from the DirecTivo receiver to the aux inputs on the receiver. Two channels, left and
right, and two speakers.

Scott wrote:
On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 14:23:29 GMT, "Mike Moran" wrote:
Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast
over Directv just bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the
sound when the actors are speaking softly, so I must crank up the
volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street scene, and I
must crank down the volume.

I use the Digital Audio connection and have olny noticed this
recently, and only with some of my recordings. It seems as if the
center channel information is coming through much lower than the
surround channels. It is very problematic on the shows where it
occurs.

Scott

It sounds like you may need to calibrate your audio system.

--
David G.

Mike Moran wrote:

Maybe that's the problem. My receiver is just an older stereo
receiver. The audio goes from the DirecTivo receiver to the aux
inputs on the receiver. Two channels, left and right, and two
speakers.

That setup should be fine for stereo listening.

--
David G.

This may be a simple as lack of compression (aka audio processing) on the
part of the programmer. This is common in broadcast for a myriad of reasons
but the result is a loss of quality due to loss of dynamic range. The upside
for the programmer (at least in broadcast) is that the audio "sounds"
louder. It also keeps them in compliance with laws on modulation level.


"Mike Moran" wrote in message
om...
Although this isn't specifically a TIVO problem, perhaps someone here can
shed some light
on this.

Is it my equipment, or is the sound quality on some movies broadcast over
Directv just
bad. Specifically, often I can barely hear the sound when the actors are
speaking softly,
so I must crank up the volume. The scene changes to perhaps a noisy street
scene, and I
must crank down the volume. This happens quite often, and it is usually on
the non-premium
cable channels. PPV movies don't seem to have this problem, and I don't
recall this
problem on the premium channels, back when I subscribed to the premium
channels.

Does everyone go through this volume adjusting exercise?