tvOS is arguably one of Apple’s more challenging platforms to enhance. How much can really be done to upgrade the television experience? However, with the arrival of tvOS 18, that notion has been debunked as several valuable new features have been introduced—most notably the Enhance Dialogue option, which I find to be an essential enhancement.
Enhance Dialogue Now Available for All in tvOS 18
In the previous version, tvOS 17, a new setting dubbed Enhance Dialogue was introduced for the Apple TV 4K. This feature addresses a widespread issue in shows and films where dialogue gets overwhelmed by excessively loud music, sound effects, or other audio mixing challenges.
You might not have encountered this feature since it was previously restricted to a specific group of users: those who utilized HomePods as their default audio output for the Apple TV 4K.
Thankfully, with tvOS 18, all users can now take advantage of Enhance Dialogue.
Regardless of whether you’re using the built-in TV speakers, HomePods, or third-party sound systems and sound bars, the Enhance Dialogue feature can be activated on your Apple TV.
To enable this feature, head to Settings, then go to Video and Audio ⇾ Enhance Dialogue.
Here, you’ll see three options with the following descriptions:
- Off: The original audio mix remains unchanged.
- Enhance: Dialogue is made more prominent with minimal effect on the original audio mix.
- Enhance More: Dialogue is significantly amplified, possibly altering the original audio mix.
Since the arrival of tvOS 18, I’ve been utilizing the ‘Enhance More’ setting and it has greatly improved my viewing experience in specific situations.
Ideal for Watching TV in Apartments with Sleeping Babies and More
I reside in an apartment, and my baby sleeps just one room away from the living room where my Apple TV 4K is set up.
These circumstances necessitate that I remain conscious of the TV’s volume at all times, as I don’t want to disturb my neighbors or risk waking my sleeping son.
With Enhance Dialogue, I can maintain the volume at a lower setting without missing any important dialogue, even during scenes with intense music or sound effects.
Additionally, if you find yourself in a similar scenario, there’s another option I recommend within the Video and Audio section in Settings: Reduce Loud Sounds.
Apple describes it as:
Enjoy movies and music without disturbing others. Experience softer sound effects and music while retaining all the details of the original sound levels.
I keep this feature enabled along with tvOS 18’s Enhance Dialogue, and it has proven to be a beneficial combination for me. Any changes made to the original mix by these two features are definitely a positive aspect.
If you have little ones sleeping nearby or neighbors that you prefer not to disturb, I strongly suggest enabling some of these settings in tvOS.
Do you utilize Enhance Dialogue or Reduce Loud Sounds? If so, why? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
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