DVD volume (1 Viewer)

[ChrisMark]

I have a Yamaha 5650 receiver and Athena Audition B1 and C1 speakers, with small sony's in the rear. I have setup my system using Sound & Vision (without an SPL meter). Things sound great. However, I notice I am changing the volume when I watch certain movies. For instance, The Two Towers is more than loud enough at -50 on the receiver, but The Brotherhood of the Wolf needed to go up to -40 or more. I have noticed this with other movies. Is this normal?

 

[Gary Thomas]

I wouldn't sweat it. While most dvds are calibrated at reference levels, I'm sure there are ones that have been set differently. I often notice this when playing cd's...they are often recorded at different levels.

Another consideration may be the background noise in your listening room. I typically need to crank up the system a bit during the day to compete with house noise, outside traffic, etc., but turn down the volume when all's quiet at night. You may also have a very live room, with sound slapping around the walls and ceiling, making it difficult to hear dialogue. Some calibrate the center channel 1-2 db above their other speaker levels.

Dynamic range also varies among movies. Dynamic range is the difference in volume between the quiet passages and loud thundering explosions in a movie. Many dvd player and receivers allow you to minimize the dynamic range. Some call this a "night time" setting.

I do recommend a Radio Shack sound level meter. You don't need to spend extra on the digital model. I think the analog is about $35.00. Also, spend time setting the speaker distances / delays on your receiver.

 

[Michael Reuben]

For instance, The Two Towers is more than loud enough at -50 on the receiver

Among other reasons, The Two Towers will sound louder because of an unusual setting of what's known as the "dialnorm" parameter on its Dolby Digital track. The short version is that the track will play back 4db louder than most other DVDs.

M.