Watch Instantly Volume Problems?

Reader Alttab writes, "When you watch Netflix watch it now movies, do you find the audio very low on some titles? I have 3 different PC's: Media Center, laptop, and work PC, and all 3 suffer from what could be described as very low sound on most movies. Others I work with have the same issues."

Is anyone else having volume problems with Watch Instantly?

Comments

[Old Timer Too]

I don't know about others, but my PC has always had low volume when playing back any commercially-produced DVD. On a movie that my son-in-law created, it is fine. Of course, I have to turn down the volume when we play it on my home theater system.

My feeling is that even with a separately powered speaker system, most people will experience lower sound volumes. My laptop is particularly notorious for this.

[snowmaiden]

Yes! I've experienced this problem ever since Watch Instantly started, and I keep hoping that it will improve, but it doesn't. In order to hear most movies, I have to crank the volume on my laptop almost to the max. And then I forget to turn it back down, and the next time I turn on my computer the Windows start jingle almost deafens me!

Old Timer is right in that I have to turn up the volume a few notches above normal when playing back DVD's on my laptop as well, but the problem with Watch Instantly is several orders of magnitude greater than with DVD's, so it's not just that.

[Matthew Evans]

I also have the same issue where the volume is low and I also find that the picture is very dark as well. Regular DVD's are fine for volume and brightness, but the Watch Instantly movies are quiet and dark by comparison. This was happening on both Windows XP and Windows Vista.

[sean]

I have to max out the volume on my laptop and crank the volume on the tv for watch instantly... and remember to back them down afterwards.

I need to try out a DVD through the same setup to see if there is a difference.

[Ann]

Same problem here. I was watching a couple TV shows over the weekend and had to crank up the volume which I never had to do before. Don't seem to have the problem when watching movies for some reason.

[zenubio]

I generally have it a little louder than most other inputs as well. I play on laptop connected via a tv.

[Becky]

Yes.

[Reese]

I echo sean's comment. I only use watch instantly with my laptop + TV, so I don't know how it would be otherwise though.

[easymo]

I also have low volume problems. To complicate matters I often listen to movies after my wife goes to bed. I use wireless headphones. The volume signal must be strong enough to trigger the sending unit. Or it simply cuts off. This unfortunately happens a lot.

[Nathan]

Sometimes I find it too low, but most of the time I have a problem with volume variation. Loud sounds-- like eplosions-- are too loud, and quiet sounds-- like dialogue-- are too quiet. I wonder if DVD's that are originally mixed in 5.1 are losing something in the downmixing process. Any ideas?

[Michael]

Yes, I too have had this problem, albeit the severity varies from movie to movie. I've also hit at least one movie where Netflix has recorded completely the wrong audio track from the DVD, leading to a movie that plays only with music and no dialogue whatsoever.

[Erich]

Has anyone called NetFlix about this? Any official technical response? Any helpful hacks that do away with the problem?