How To Make Voices Louder On DVDs.

Have you ever noticed that voices on DVD movies can be hard to hear? Without getting too technical, that's because modern DVD players are designed to provide wide "dynamic range." This means the "quiet" sections of the DVD are much lower in volume than what you find on cable TV or older movies. This is a good thing in a movie theater, where the "maximum" volume is often louder than you would want to hear in your home. Most people at home choose to listen to DVDs at a volume setting where the loud sounds aren't "movie theater loud".

The result is that voices are often too soft. But you can fix this problem by using the "Menu" button on your DVD player's remote control to engage the DVD player's "night mode" or "DRC."

Night Mode (also known as "TV Mode," "D.COMP," "DRC" or "Dynamic Range Control") is a feature on many (but not all) DVD players. You should be able to find it using the on-screen menu system of your DVD player by pushing the "Setup," "Audio" or "Options" button on your remote control. You may have to have a DVD with a Dolby Digital soundtrack in the player when you change the settings. Make sure you are examining the DVD player's on-screen menus, not the menu system for the DVD disc that happens to be in the player.

When you set your DVD or Blu-ray player to Night Mode or DRC, several things should happen. The overall sound level should go up. There should be less difference in volume between soft passages and loud passages. And voices should be louder and easier to understand.