HBO Now through Apple TV and Volume

[Khalanad75]

Does anyone else have a really quiet stream from HBO Now? Through Netflix I can watch things and hear things loudly at around 32 on my TV.

When watching movies or shows through the HBO Now app, I have to have my TV set around 50 to hear anything and 60+ to hear things clearly.

I am on a ATV2 by the way.

 

[roxbury1]

I haven't had any volume issues with HBO Now. I was getting volume issues with my Tivo and after a little research I just decided to get a relatively inexpensive sound-bar ($130 or so.) My suggestion would be try that with an optical audio cable. That should level out or sound or boost it enough.

 

[Khalanad75]

My sound currently routes through a Bose Cinemate 3-2-1 system. It's fine for everything else. The Xbox is usually around a 21, Netflix through ATV is usually 27-31.

The sound level has to be in the 50's to actually hear HBO Now and usually in the 60's if you want to hear what people are actually saying. Just find it odd that one app has such a lower volume attached to it than the rest.

 

[inklight]

Yes I too have noticed the HBO Now audio is much lower than anything else I watch/listen to on my AppleTV. I consistently have to crank the volume *way* up (and hopefully remember to turn it back down when I switch back to something else!)

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Same here. Netflix, Hulu, everything else, my receiver is on 20-25. HBO Now I have to have it on 30-40.

 

[waw74]

try turning off dolby digital in the audio setting in the main aTV menu.

 

[IPadNParadise]

I have upped the sound on my Center Channel in the AV settings. This helps me hear what they are saying withou having to turn volume up so high that other sounds blare out.

 

[Julien]

Just noticed this thread and can provide an answer. Dolby uses a *default dialogue Level of -27dB. This corresponds to a -4dB (closest to a theater presentation) on home equipment. Some studios change it to 0dB (-31dB) to compete with DTS. However for some (obtuse) reason HBO has theirs set to -7dB (-24dB). This makes for a very low volume presentation.

*DTS sets defaults to 0dB which makes it louder and louder is perceived as a higher quality. This leads many to believe DTS is superior in SQ. While it may or may not be you can only do an unbiased comparison when levels are matched (and of course it must be DBT too).

EDIT: My pre-amp displays the level when a stream starts. This is how I know objectively that HBO's are encoded at -7dB.

 

[IPadNParadise]

Just noticed this thread and can provide an answer. Dolby uses a *default dialogue Level of -27dB. This corresponds to a -4dB (closest to a theater presentation) on home equipment. Some studios change it to 0dB (-31dB) to compete with DTS. However for some (obtuse) reason HBO has theirs set to -7dB (-24dB). This makes for a very low volume presentation.

*DTS sets defaults to 0dB which makes it louder and louder is perceived as a higher quality. This leads many to believe DTS is superior in SQ. While it may or may not be you can only do an unbiased comparison when levels are matched (and of course it must be DBT too).

EDIT: My pre-amp displays the level when a stream starts. This is how I know objectively that HBO's are encoded at -7dB.

That's all technical jargon that's over my tech savvy! So with your understanding of what HBO defaults to, what do you do to raise the dialogue when watching?

 

[Julien]

That's all technical jargon that's over my tech savvy! So with your understanding of what HBO defaults to, what do you do to raise the dialogue when watching?

You raise the volume level 4dB to match most Dolby encoded content (like Movies on iTunes, Netflix, ESPN, etc) or 7dB to match reference level (if you have a calibrated system) or to level match most non (default) Dolby content like iTunes Music or a DTS encoded BluRay/DVD.

EDIT: If really interested get a dB Meter app for your iPhone to measure. dBMeter Pro is a good one. Always use C weighted to measure for HT/music use.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dbmeter-pro/id296264086?mt=8