Why dialogs in old movies are easier to understand

You realise it when watching old movies: often the actors seem to speak much more intelligibly, there is clear separation between music and sound on one hand, and dialog on the other so that the dialog always stands out clearly from the background music. There are a few reasons for this impression;, audio in movies from the past is somewhat different to today:

Sound technology

Firstly, there is the sound technology: older films used simpler sound-recording technology than the advanced audio systems available today. Recorded in mono, that is, on a single track, it was easier for the sound engineer mixing the film sound to estimate accurately how other playback equipment, unknown to him, would reproduce his film mix. So if this single mono soundtrack was mixed in such a way that the speech was clear and understandable at all times, there was a high probability that the speech would also be reproduced accordingly on other mono playback devices, such as TVs or TV external speakers.

Sound mixing

Another factor is sound mixing: modern films use complex sound-mixing techniques during post-production, often adding layers of sound effects, music and ambient noise. While these elements enhance the overall cinematic experience, they can sometimes, if not properly balanced, make dialog less intelligible. The latest sound technologies for motion pictures record the sound on up to 64 tracks, of which the speech or voice track is usually only one, that of the center channel in the middle of the screen, at ear level. This ratio of 1 to up to 63 means that speech (1) may be overlaid by music and noise (up to 63), making it unintelligible.

Listening situation

Furthermore, the listening situation in the cinema is different to the living room at home: cinema films, with up to 64 sound tracks, use all the tonal possibilities of a movie theatre. Here, a large number of powerful speakers are installed, which place the sound both around the moviegoers and above their heads. In the living room at home, on the other hand, either two speakers, namely those of the TV or those of a soundbar, are available in a normal setup. These speakers are much smaller and less powerful than the cinema speakers and, moreover, the up to 64 channels from the cinema must be combined in the so-called downmix to the minimum of two channels. Through this downmix, possible overlaps of music and noise over speech can be amplified. In addition, people listening at room volume or quieter perceive volume differences much more strongly than in a comparatively loud movie theatre. For example, the dialog of modern films is often perceived as too quiet at home. In the cinema, on the other hand, we enjoy it when there are comparatively loud explosions during action scenes relative to the quieter dialogs.

Recording technology

Finally, recording technology back then was quite different to what it is today:
Many early films used microphones that were less sensitive and had a shorter range, which meant that actors projected their voices more and spoke with clearer diction to ensure that their dialog was captured effectively. This may have resulted in more pronounced and articulate delivery. Older films therefore often featured actors who had training as stage actors, and in large theatres it was critical to emphasize their voices and deliver the text clearly to reach the audience. Modern films can incorporate more natural acting styles, sometimes resulting in more subdued and less distinct dialog.

So how can TV and streaming sound be improved for movies?

The solution to the problem of dialog that is too quiet and sometimes incomprehensible in TV and streaming content is in translating the sound tracks intended for the cinema to the capabilities of a normal, average audio system in the home. The sound reproduction must generally be adapted to the more limited capabilities of the speakers at home so that they are not overwhelmed and can reproduce all sound information in a balanced manner. In addition, the dialogues must be re-emphasized after the downmix to compensate for the imbalance of the many music and noise tracks to the one voice track so that it is understandable at all times.

The solution: The HDSX TV Sound Optimizer

The HDSX TV Sound Optimizer from Kronoton does just that: using patented technology called HDSX – High Definition Sound Expansion, the palm-sized device compensates for excessive volume fluctuations in real time while positioning speech in front of the soundscape of music and noise. Simply plugged in between the TV and a TV external sound system such as a soundbar, it optimizes in real time any audio track that is being used. It doesn’t matter if it’s a mono, stereo or multi-channel digital track. Since any sound coming from the TV is optimized, the Optimizer is also source-independent, which means that it optimizes TV programming as well as streaming and internet channels such as Youtube, Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, Paramount+ and Sky, to name a few. Due to its small size and weight, it can also be mounted behind the TV to avoid cluttering up living space with another technical device. The sonic result is consistent volume and clear speech on all channels.

The Toslink variant of the HDSX TV Sound Optimizer with the digital fiber-optic cable also has a headphone output with the innovative technology HDSX.headphone Surround Sound, which allows, for example, much clearer sounds and spatial effects, even when gaming.
The HDMI ARC version of the HDSX TV Sound Optimizer has new virtual 3D sound technology with HDSX.360, which extends the sound stage of the music to the left and right, freely positioning the sounds in the room and allowing clear and intelligible speech from the sound center at all times. This intensifies the dramatic sound experience, even from sound systems such as soundbars that emit sound exclusively from the front.