For many of us, understanding what our favorite character is saying in our favorite television show or movie has become a struggle. “I can’t hear without my subtitles!” has become a verbal meme for people discussing their film and television viewing habits. Like any good joke, there is a kernel of truth at the root of it. The problem with difficult to understand audio, and dialogue specifically, is very complex though.
A recent survey carried out by Xperi asked 1,200 adults about their TV viewing habits, with 84% of respondents reporting difficulty in understanding dialogue. 77% of those surveyed stated they use captions or subtitles to help alleviate dialogue intelligibility, while 30% further reported that they keep subtitles on a majority of the time. Subtitles can be a decent workaround, but they can spoil upcoming surprises in the show or be inaccurate during live broadcasts. It’s enough to make even the staunchest film fan frustrated.
Aside from linguistic challenges like dialects or accents, or hearing impairment, one key aspect is that audio quality has suffered noticeably as televisions have become thinner, embracing an industrial design that fits well with modern decor and prioritized picture quality. There have to be compromises somewhere to get that low profile design and high visual fidelity, which means all too often audio quality is sacrificed. But those are not the only reasons.
Audio quality, in general, remains an integral part of the home entertainment experience. However, background music, sound effects, and ambient noise can all overshadow dialogue and negatively affect dialogue intelligibility in addition to linguistics problems and physical device limitations. This can be especially true when many channels are being mixed, which is often the case for immersive or surround soundtracks when played back on a stereo television. This effect of audio masking can easily lead to further viewer frustration and disengagement, and is even more relevant for people with any form of hearing impairment. DTS Clear Dialogue, a new technology from DTS, a subsidiary of Xperi Inc, offers a user-controllable solution that uses the power of AI-based audio post-processing.
A clear solution for unclear dialogue
DTS Clear Dialogue has been developed to identify and separate spoken dialogue from all other audio elements, allowing the viewer the freedom to adjust the balance and boost the dialogue for their personal needs. The technologist is language-inclusive and works across any type of content and content source. DTS has decades of expertise in developing audio processing technology, which pairs perfectly with today’s advancements in AI and machine learning to address one of the most chronic issues in television audio. Powered by AI technology and trained on an expansive audio data set, DTS Clear Dialogue provides a user-first solution that is easy to use and adaptable to various television platforms and operating systems.
Implementing DTS Clear Dialogue
Clear, intelligible audio no longer has to be in conflict with aesthetically pleasing television designs. Many of today’s television hardware is capable of handling complex data operations. Implementing DTS Clear Dialogue at the chip level of televisions is a surefire way to ensure viewers are getting the most enjoyment. A Clear Dialogue UI can also be paired with a dedicated button on the remote control to provide users with a clear, straightforward solution that is easy for television OEMs to implement and even easier to use.
Television manufacturers have the technology right now to make a difference by putting the means to control audio in the hands of users with DTS Clear Dialogue.
