Improve your TV’s sound: clear dialogue, an eARC soundbar, headphones and a single remote

TVs keep getting thinner and their speakers smaller. That is why it is so common not to understand the dialogue, to keep turning the volume up and down or to notice lag with headphones. These settings fix almost all of it.

1. Dialogue you cannot make out

Films and series are mixed with cinemas full of speakers in mind. On the TV’s speakers, voices end up buried under the music and effects. And on thin TVs it is worse: the speakers are small and often face downwards or backwards, not towards you.

• Turn on voice enhancement: LG calls it Clear Voice; Sony, Voice Zoom; other brands call it “clear voice” or “dialogue”, depending on the model.
• Try night mode (or reduced “dynamic range”): it brings the volume of whispers and explosions closer together.
• If nothing works, a soundbar with a centre channel makes a real difference, because the voices come out of it.

2. A soundbar with a single cable: eARC

With HDMI eARC, the TV sends the sound to the soundbar over the same HDMI cable and you control the volume with the TV remote. Unlike the older ARC or an optical cable, it supports high-quality formats such as Dolby Atmos or DTS:X.

3. A single remote: HDMI-CEC

HDMI-CEC lets the TV remote control whatever you have connected over HDMI: a TV box, a soundbar or a console. What is more, when you switch the device on, the TV turns on and changes to the right input by itself.

Turn it on in the TV settings (it is usually under “External devices” or “HDMI”) and, on the TV box, in its display or HDMI settings.

4. Bluetooth headphones with lag

Bluetooth compresses and transmits the sound, and that adds a small delay that is noticeable on a TV: the voice lags behind the lips.

1. Look in the TV’s sound settings for audio sync or “audio delay” and adjust it.
2. Many players also let you move the sound earlier or later from within the player itself.
3. If you use them often, headphones with their own transmitter connected to the TV usually have less lag.

5. Does one particular channel sound bad?

If the problem is with one channel or film and not the rest, try another audio track from the player. We explain it in IPTV with no sound or a black screen.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• No es solo conectar y listo: el HDMI de tu televisor tiene dos funciones que conviene activar · Xataka Home, in Spanish

Kastoo is just a player: it does not sell, host or include lists, channels, movies or subscriptions. The screenshots use a demo list with openly licensed content.

Keep reading

• New TV for Christmas: 9 things to do on day one (in 15 minutes)
• IPTV with no sound or a black screen: why it happens and how to fix it
• Expensive or cheap HDMI cable? Which one to actually buy for 4K
• How to choose an IPTV player: 8 things to check before paying