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1. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   I have been recording the Handmaids Tale on CH4-HD and just getting round to watching it.

   The audio is appalling, I have to turn on the subtitles to follow it.

   My box is connected to AV receiver with various Digital Audio proceesing options.

   Tried straight, and bog standard Stereo pus all the normal surround de-coding options. Switching to mono doesn't help seeming to indicate the broadcast is double mono with a short time delay between the two giving a horrible echo effect. Once the ads come on all is clear irrespective of the amp settings.

   Thinking of a complaint to Channel 4 and OFCOM, but would love to know if anyone else has noticed the issue.

   | Mon 9 Jul 2018 19:21:15 #1 |
2. 

   Countrysinger50
   

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   I stopped watching it as the picture was so dark at times too, Sound was awful

   | Mon 9 Jul 2018 20:02:28 #2 |
3. 

   Marius
   

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   https://soundandpicture.com/2017/06/the-handmaids-tale-supervising-sound-editor-jane-tattersall-builds-a-sonic-dystopia/

   Too many cooks, by the sound of it:

   "Before starting on the show, supervising sound editor Jane Tattersall met with Miller, Morano (who also directed the first three episodes), and MGM executive Warren Littlefield to go through the first episode and discuss key concepts for sound. She says, "It was absolutely fascinating that three different roles of executives/producers gave almost a whole day and all talked so intensely about sound. They had very strong opinions. They were very enthusiastic about what we should do. They wanted us to explore where sound could go, to be bold and not be tentative when putting sounds in. They wanted it to be an acoustically visceral experience for the audience. I’ve never had that come from such an executive level, that much knowledge of and enthusiasm for the power of sound. It was the coolest thing".

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 14:35:49 #3 |
4. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   Marius - 13 minutes ago  » 
   https://soundandpicture.com/2017/06/the-handmaids-tale-supervising-sound-editor-jane-tattersall-builds-a-sonic-dystopia/
   Too many cooks, by the sound of it:
   "Before starting on the show, supervising sound editor Jane Tattersall met with Miller, Morano (who also directed the first three episodes), and MGM executive Warren Littlefield to go through the first episode and discuss key concepts for sound. She says, "It was absolutely fascinating that three different roles of executives/producers gave almost a whole day and all talked so intensely about sound. They had very strong opinions. They were very enthusiastic about what we should do. They wanted us to explore where sound could go, to be bold and not be tentative when putting sounds in. They wanted it to be an acoustically visceral experience for the audience. I’ve never had that come from such an executive level, that much knowledge of and enthusiasm for the power of sound. It was the coolest thing".

   Hi Marius - Have you listened to an episode ?

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 14:49:57 #4 |
5. 

   Faust
   

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   grahamlthompson - 19 minutes ago  » 

   Marius - 13 minutes ago  » 
   https://soundandpicture.com/2017/06/the-handmaids-tale-supervising-sound-editor-jane-tattersall-builds-a-sonic-dystopia/
   Too many cooks, by the sound of it:
   "Before starting on the show, supervising sound editor Jane Tattersall met with Miller, Morano (who also directed the first three episodes), and MGM executive Warren Littlefield to go through the first episode and discuss key concepts for sound. She says, "It was absolutely fascinating that three different roles of executives/producers gave almost a whole day and all talked so intensely about sound. They had very strong opinions. They were very enthusiastic about what we should do. They wanted us to explore where sound could go, to be bold and not be tentative when putting sounds in. They wanted it to be an acoustically visceral experience for the audience. I’ve never had that come from such an executive level, that much knowledge of and enthusiasm for the power of sound. It was the coolest thing".

   Hi Marius - Have you listened to an episode ?

   I'm afraid Graham your 'flappers' are probably in the wrong age demographic to be considered.

   According to the audiologist my hearing is 'so so'. However, I find I'm using subtitles more and more as modern production techniques appear to demand overly loud incidental music interspersed with mumbling dialogue.

   Both the wife and I will spend half the evening when watching a programme asking one another 'what did they just say'. It's then either subtitles or hit the rewind button to listen again.

   I think present day TV/film producers would benefit from listening to 'radio'. Not only do you have good concise diction they also inform the listener who it is that's speaking. The Archers being a classic example.

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 15:22:52 #5 |
6. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   Faust - 9 minutes ago  » 

   grahamlthompson - 19 minutes ago  » 

   Marius - 13 minutes ago  » 
   https://soundandpicture.com/2017/06/the-handmaids-tale-supervising-sound-editor-jane-tattersall-builds-a-sonic-dystopia/
   Too many cooks, by the sound of it:
   "Before starting on the show, supervising sound editor Jane Tattersall met with Miller, Morano (who also directed the first three episodes), and MGM executive Warren Littlefield to go through the first episode and discuss key concepts for sound. She says, "It was absolutely fascinating that three different roles of executives/producers gave almost a whole day and all talked so intensely about sound. They had very strong opinions. They were very enthusiastic about what we should do. They wanted us to explore where sound could go, to be bold and not be tentative when putting sounds in. They wanted it to be an acoustically visceral experience for the audience. I’ve never had that come from such an executive level, that much knowledge of and enthusiasm for the power of sound. It was the coolest thing".

   Hi Marius - Have you listened to an episode ?

   I'm afraid Graham your 'flappers' are probably in the wrong age demographic to be considered.
   According to the audiologist my hearing is 'so so'. However, I find I'm using subtitles more and more as modern production techniques appear to demand overly loud incidental music interspersed with mumbling dialogue.
   Both the wife and I will spend half the evening when watching a programme asking one another 'what did they just say'. It's then either subtitles or hit the rewind button to listen again.
   I think present day TV/film producers would benefit from listening to 'radio'. Not only do you have good concise diction they also inform the listener who it is that's speaking. The Archers being a classic example.

   No problem with the audio during the ads or on other Channel 4 HD content. DTS Master-HD and similar from blu-ray sounds superb.

   It sounds very much like the much criticised audio on a BBC 1 HD programme (I forgot which this was).

   Currently watching Escape To The Chateau - DIY using ALL 4. The audio is just fine no subs required.

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 15:35:14 #6 |
7. 

   Marius
   

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   grahamlthompson - 3 hours ago  » Hi Marius - Have you listened to an episode ?

   No. The plot sounds a bit too horrific for my delicate sensibilities.

   But you mentioned bad audio in BBC dramas and Googling:

   bbc mumbling

   nets you almost a quarter of a million results (although the actors are usually blamed, rather than the sound crew).

   But searches for:

   "channel four" mumbling

   and:

   "The Handmaid's tale" mumbling

   throw up next to nothing.

   So - as every UK customer services rep loves to tell you: "No one else has complained!"

   Still, the speech on the HD trailer:

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAXy_NyUN6k

   is muddy and poorly differentiated from the background soundscape as though someone's filtered out the higher frequencies. And since many Americans seem to suffer from ADHD, they like to ensure that there's never so much as a nanosecond of silence in any production, so that the intervals between words must be filled in with music or random noise to avoid the audience becoming bored.

   YouTube has thousands of serious lectures and discussions that are quite unlistenable because some moron's added terrible "background" music.

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 19:01:24 #7 |
8. 

   grahamlthompson
   

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   To add insult to injury, one episode failed to record. All 4 catch up has the same crap audio but no subtitles. Words fail me.

   Removing ALL 4 catch up from Freesat despite it wouldn't have cost them anything extra - Why ?

   Freesat charging options are regulated by OFCOM, and it doesn't so far seem to have put off new FTA HD channels joining Freesat.

   TBH some Channel 4-HD content is worth viewing, alienating there Freesat viewers seems to be rather bad idea to me.

   | Tue 10 Jul 2018 22:21:04 #8 |

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