Around the world, living rooms are filled with the sounds of families and friends watching television or movies and debating whether or not to turn on the subtitles.
But with reports that dialogue is getting harder to hear, it looks like the number of pro-subtitle advocates is growing.
The jury is out on whether audiences in general prefer subtitles or not.
A survey of more than 2000 UK adults led by British charity Stagetext in 2021 found the majority of viewers across multiple age brackets preferred watching content with subtitles.
A 2023 YouGov survey of more than 3000 UK adults found the majority preferred no subtitles.
But both studies found subtitles are particularly popular among the 18–25 age bracket, despite once considered a tool mainly for those who are hard of hearing, or to help viewers watch foreign productions.
The issue isn’t because the younger generation is having more trouble with their hearing; rather, the general consensus seems to be that movies and shows are getting harder to understand.
Tweet from @blurayangel
Accents and art
The issue may seem perplexing, given technological advancements have enabled filmmakers to capture clearer audio.
Increasing globalisation means audiences are watching content that, even if it uses their spoken language, could contain unfamiliar accents that necessitate captions.
But much like the issue with movies and shows getting darker and dimmer, a lot of the blame could lie with artistic choice.
The sound mixing choices of director Christopher Nolan’s films have long been debated, with discussion reaching fever pitch after the release of his 2020 film Tenet.
Professional and couch critics alike declared much of Tenet‘s dialogue as ‘unintelligible’ – but Nolan previously defended his admittedly “radical” audio style while discussing his 2014 film, Interstellar.
“I was a little shocked to realise how conservative people are when it comes to sound,” Nolan said.
“Because you can make a film that looks like anything, you can shoot on your iPhone, no-one’s going to complain.
“But if you mix the sound a certain way, or if you use certain sub-frequencies, people get up in arms.”
Some filmmakers may also decide whispering or low-quality sound is more realistic, while some actors, such as Tom Hardy, are well-known for their indecipherable way of speaking.
Tech troubles
Your device’s sound settings may be at fault if you’re having trouble making out what’s happening in your movie or show.
If you’re watching on a TV, delve into the settings to try and get the best results you can, and try out different audio mode presets to find which one works best overall or for particular content.
And you might have to adjust your settings multiple times, given studios often have different post-production audio preferences.
Jackie Jones, senior vice-president at post-production audio company Formosa Group, told AV Club that many post-production companies are struggling to keep dialogue coherent while trying to meet different needs across the sector.
“Every network has different audio levels and specs,” she said.
“Whether it’s Hulu or HBO or CBS. You have to hit those certain levels for it to [meet specifications].”
Sound is often also mixed to be played in specific areas; if your room is too big or too small, it might affect the quality of the sound you’re hearing.
The quality of TV speakers could also be an issue, as they may not be able to project all the nuances of the audio that is capable of being captured nowadays.
But that doesn’t mean buying an expensive speaker system will solve your problems. To get as good results as possible, you’d have to tune it correctly and possibly alter your room layout, wall and floor coverings, and furniture to get the absolute best sound.
