The difficulty in comprehending the dialog on TV is multi-faceted

Start with hardware. New flat LCD TVs have poor speakers facing backwards. Get a sound bar.

Some shows have actors that mumble or accents making it tough to understand. Use closed captions or write to the producers

Commercials have higher volume. This was supposed to be FCC regulated years ago, but nothing has been done.

Watched the movie All is Lost with Robert Redford. Turned on the closed caption but nothing happened. BTW that's an inside joke for those who watched that move. :)

waiting 4 # 4

So, you're saying the problem is multi-faceted? :icon_wink:

I have no problem hearing dialogue in old (1930-1940's)movies. But sound effects, music have apparently become more important than dialogue in movies and tv. Whispers in real life are used so you won't be over heard. In the newer shows whispering is used so we won't overhear the actors, or at least that is how it seems. Cover it with loud music and you have no chance.
As for speech, seems that actors, probably prompted by directors, mumble, slur and run words and sentences together. Old actors honed their craft on stage. They had to project their voices, clearly and speak distinctly so they could be heard and understood from the back of the theatre.
People, particularly younger folks, seem to speak indistinctly and "runtherwrdstogethr". Sloppy speach, mumbling, slurring, like they are drunk or on somthing.

Sub titles are very useful for all telecasts
 

Subtitles
 

I totally agree! Especially Scottish (and Australian) accents…volume increase doesn’t help!💕

We are using them because my hearing sucks. We started with a better speaker system that reviews said make speech crystal clear - eh... not so much.

So, now I keep sub-titles on so I can glance down when I missed something.

Next up will be hearing aides I can pair with my TV.

Always!
 

[QUOTE=dewilson58;2077387]Am I the only one starting to use Sub-Titles during certain TV shows & movies.

Foreign Accents are killing me.

:eek:[/QUOTe

We have the captions on all the time. My husband has an especially hard time with accents.

Once upon a time UK tv was presented by people who spoke 'proper' English.
Then in the spirit of inclusiveness, the powers that be, led by the very Woke BBC, decided to have more 'Regional Accents' presenting the programs, preferably accompanied with a speech impediment, or lisp.
Since that day wife and I have used captions for all news and entertainment.
Can't understand a bl**dy word 90% of the announcers are screaming about otherwise!

PS. ...and to make it harder to understand, Let's shove in some background music!!

I am Sooo tired of paying for foreign flicks! I do use subtitles all the time and can’t stand to look at their faces and see the dubbed audio! Must we get EVERYTHING from another country??? I sure wish they had CC on teleprompter messages. I can read!

Where's Wilson?
 

Perhaps, he spotted Wilson? All Is Lost - Wikipedia I am mixing movies. I have a tendency to cross a lot of genres and things.

still love most of the shows put on. Many are true time machines. My fav now is gilded age as i keep it in my thoughts simultaneously with the western frontiers depicted in 1883 and deadwood. And how our manifest destiny starting with east coast capital and
wealth was directed by both capitalism and our federal government.

Have been using for years. So what?

Yup, it is multifaceted.

Got a GOOD sound bar, it helps - we switch from Music to News profiles when watch TV or listening to music. Works well, but we still use captions.

We do not watch ANYTHING that uses commercials. We haven't in 10 years. Can't stand commercials, we see thing occasionally at friends houses and they always make my blood pressure rise. We only use services that have a subscription without commercials.