If you work in the film industry you will see comments like this online often, and with lots of people agreeing. While youtube influencers have made endless videos with claims that cannot be substantiated, the absolute worst is that somehow director “don’t care” or “don’t want the audience to hear the dialogue”. I can assure you, the writers, director, editor, actors, dialogue editor, and rerecording mixers would all disagree. And pointing to an edgy example such as Christopher Nolan is not the ‘hot take’ people might think it is – the guys only made 17 films in total. Its not COVID, it doesn’t spread by proximity.
Why the issue exists is not easily solved, because there are no standards in home listening…. But I do have a theory which could help narrow down the source of the problem for many and point them towards how to improve their own specific issues. A streaming company such as Netflix or Disney etc could easily choose to help their audience have a better sonic experience with one simple process:
Release a free app for iOS and Android. It could have a dumb populist name like:
MAKE MOVIES SOUND GREAT AGAIN
How it would work:
1. You put your phone down in the same spot you sit when watching a movie.
You launch the app and choose your setup: stereo, 5.1 etc
The app then starts listening
2. You view a short video (which has the same name) on the streaming platform.
The video has a short burst of noise at the start, which cues the app to start monitoring.
The video then plays pink noise and the app listens and indicates to the user if their TV is at a correct overall level.
3. The video then plays a sweep from 20Hz to 20kHz, while the app listens.
Some analysis then occurs and a result is shared, as to how close to accurate playback your system has.
A quick version of this process could be done in a few minutes.
If you have a 5.1 system and each speaker is tested individually it might take 5 minutes.
I’ve calibrated my own studio plenty of times following the same process, except using a hardware SPL meter.
Similarly I’ve calibrated my own Mac screens plenty of times following the same process, except using a Spyder X meter.
So for all of my learned pro audio people, where is this idea flawed?
– First would be that phone microphones are not calibration mics with perfectly flat response.
But how much of an issue is that, compared with the current option of most people doing nothing & complaining?
Lets say the mic is only 80% accurate. OK well lets get people 80% calibrated. Because 80% would be better than none at all.
– Second is that we might find out that some/many ‘sound bars’ are inaccurate sub par pieces of shit.
Currently, listening to TV or a movie via streaming is not a closed loop.
Currently there is only an unreliable human in the open loop and their data can’t be trusted.
Thats not their fault. The fault lies with the companies who take the $$$ and dont help with delivery.
Its a bit like FedEx saying ‘well, we delivered the package somewhere near your house… so good luck with that’
Actually it doesn’t need to be Netflix or Disney who make the app, but having their branding on it would add to legitimacy and also would show they care about the issue… Do they care? Or is it all care & no responsibility. Maybe an indie dev could make it. Put AI in the title and access some VC?
I did a quick search & a Reddit thread turned up a few paid phone app options from musicians wanting to calibrate their studio speakers.
But I think such an app needs to be free, so there is no friction to using it.
Hang on a minute. After the sweep and the analysis, where are any adjustments made? Is there any way to adjust, say, EQ with the output of the app? I use a tiny A/D converter (Qubelix) with my phone that allows me to download EQ profiles for specific headphones, or tweak my own. That needs to be part of the process.
Identifying the issue would be the main motive for the app. I think that it would be overreach and a path to failure to attempt to provide a solution to a problem that cannot be resolved by software. For example lets say after the test the response indicates frequency response rolls off abruptly at 500Hz – there is no software solution to fix that. No amount of boosting low frequencies will fix a blown or missing woofer. Same goes if people have their speakers backwards or pointing at the wall or something. It would be a verification app, and of course would need to offer up next steps, but those next steps range widely in complexity. But real world data collected could also be incredibly valuable for recommending speaker/monitor systems that do provide good/great results.
IMO the issue is not that of tuning but of long term dynamic range. While I want dynamic range in a cinema, I live in an apartment with neighbors and don’t want as much dynamic range while listening at home. I wish film mixers would provide an “I have neighbors” mix that maintains the integrity of the mix (ie doesn’t rely on playback devices’ built-in compressors) while having relatively smaller dynamic swings overall.
Its not the theatrical mix that plays on streaming. At the end of a film mix, the mix is first mastered for theatrical – that is the print master. Then it is remastered to different specs for broadcast/TV/DVD etc… Have a look at the delivery specs for Netflix for example:
https://partnerhelp.netflixstudios.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001794307-Netflix-Sound-Mix-Specifications-Best-Practices-v1-6
2.1 Near Field Atmos® Mix – Mastering and Archive – Original Language Version
2.2 Near Field 5.1 Surround Mix – Mastering and Archive – Original Language Version
2.3 Near Field 2.0 Stereo Mix – Mastering and Archive – Original Language Version
3 Theatrical Mix – Mastering and Archive
4 Best Practices
4.1 Dialog-Gated Loudness and Loudness Range
4.2 Peaks
4.3 Room Setup
People like to blame the director or rerecording mixers, but they deliver to a spec. If the complainers think the spec is wrong then the only way to investigate that is to ask if they are listening in a calibrated environment, or are their problems of their own making eg listening to a 5.1 mix on a shitty sound bar etc… No amount of tweaking the specs will fix that.
The idea of compromising the mix for your neighbours would compromise it for everyone, so it would need to be a seperate/additional spec & master. And what spec would that be? Your house/building will have different isolation from neighbours than mine.
Thinking about your issue more, of neighbours hearing the mix, I think the only way to solve that would be to remove low frequencies. You already have control of volume, so you can turn down but bassy low frequencies are structure born. Step 1 would be to disable the subwoofer if you have one, which would also likely mean switching to stereo and not 5.1. And then you would need to reduce bass response from main speakers, until the low end stops being transmitted. If its dialogue that is being transmitted then your neighbours would have the same issue with you speaking, since we don’t need a film to be any louder than typical speaking level.
For many action films it almost seems by default that anything that moves, falls, explodes etc is accompanied by a sub hit. Those bass frequencies are what transmit through walls & floor. Making sure your subwoofer & speakers are not physically connected to floor or walls may help a little… But it is all very much dependent on the physical structure of the building.