My only complaint is that the music levels are too high.

STF, would you count The Bodyguard or Line of Duty as typical BBC dramas with mumbling?

This is definitely a thing. I don't notice it often but certainly often enough to where this thread was no revelation to me. I think the main culprits are:

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films 1. Acting. There's a new mumbling style that's become fashionable. It's so prevalent the head of the BBC informed directors to stop actors mumbling because they'd received so many complaints. It's particularly bad in intimate/key scenes where the actors are imparting the emotional core of the story...and all you can hear. is bmmmff  bmmmmf lmmmf. It's ironic that character based dramas that rely on talking are the worst culprits. They are becoming unwatchable without subtitles. 2. Sound not being optimised to TV screens/Soundbars etc...though it's a problem on even really expensive surround sound systems. Even if you set individual levels, raising the sound of the central speaker and turning down the surround...the mumbling just gets louder, not clearer...

I would actually put sound over acting. It's becoming a regular occurrence where I'll sit down to watch something with a friend or group of friends and someone will either request subtitles or automatically turn subtitles on before starting. If not that, you're watching something and just realize halfway in you can't hear shit. I just watched a movie with friends with no mumble acting that I can recall and we had to turn the volume up to like 70 before we could start to hear anything. Like Chris (Heretic), I encounter this problem a lot less in the theater, so I'm inclined to think it's a home entertainment issue.

Actors are definitely not off the hook though. I'm not sure this is even a new thing, just more prevalent these days.

Quoted from jayrex My only complaint is that the music levels are too high. STF, would you count The Bodyguard or Line of Duty as typical BBC dramas with mumbling?

I haven't seen them, so I can't comment.

Quoted from James McClung This is definitely a thing. I don't notice it often but certainly often enough to where this thread was no revelation to me. I think the main culprits are: I would actually put sound over acting. It's becoming a regular occurrence where I'll sit down to watch something with a friend or group of friends and someone will either request subtitles or automatically turn subtitles on before starting. If not that, you're watching something and just realize halfway in you can't hear shit. I just watched a movie with friends with no mumble acting that I can recall and we had to turn the volume up to like 70 before we could start to hear anything. Like Chris (Heretic), I encounter this problem a lot less in the theater, so I'm inclined to think it's a home entertainment issue. Actors are definitely not off the hook though. I'm not sure this is even a new thing, just more prevalent these days.

In terms of home systems, it's not the systems themselves (computer games are absolutely crystal clear 100% of the time in dialogue delivery and I have never once needed to try to balance levels on any game), so the problem must be coming from sound tracks that are optimised for a very specific theatre set up that doesn't translate to the home, plus the acting and style of sound recording (games, I presume are recorded entirely in small sound booths whereas films may be recorded on location, or with wider shots).

It's very annoying though. It's essentially ending the format as a passive medium.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films In terms of home systems, it's not the systems themselves (computer games are absolutely crystal clear 100% of the time in dialogue delivery and I have never once needed to try to balance levels on any game), so the problem must be coming from sound tracks that are optimised for a very specific theatre set up that doesn't translate to the home, plus the acting and style of sound recording (games, I presume are recorded entirely in small sound booths whereas films may be recorded on location, or with wider shots). It's very annoying though. It's essentially ending the format as a passive medium.

You might be right. I haven't looked into it myself. Annoying indeed. And sad.

Just watched Black Klansman

Same effing problem on the volume