One common issue with TV audio is that the volume levels can vary greatly between different channels, programs, or commercials. For example, you may find yourself constantly adjusting the volume while watching TV, as the sound can be too loud during action scenes and too soft during dialogue or quieter moments. When the volume of a video or audio fluctuates, it can result in an inconsistent listening experience.
This can be especially annoying when you have to adjust the volume every now and then to compensate for the fluctuations. It can also be distracting and detract from the enjoyment of the content, as you may miss important dialogue or struggle to hear softer sounds. Fluctuating volume levels can occur due to poor audio mixing or mastering in the content itself, or due to issues with the playback device or settings.
TruVolume aims to address this problem by automatically normalizing the audio levels and providing a more consistent listening experience. Let’s explore this further!
What is TruVolume?
TruVolume is an audio processing technology designed to provide consistent and uniform audio levels while watching TV shows, movies, or other video content. TruVolume uses advanced algorithms to analyze and adjust the audio levels in real time, ensuring that the volume remains at a consistent level regardless of changes in the source material.
This technology helps to reduce sudden changes in volume and provides a more enjoyable and immersive audio experience for viewers. It is often used in soundbars, home theater systems, and other audio devices to enhance audio quality and provide a more balanced sound output. It is also used in some TVs and streaming devices as a built-in feature to improve the overall audio performance when watching any content.
Benefits of Using TruVolume
Eliminate volume fluctuations
TruVolume helps to normalize the volume levels by automatically reducing the volume during loud scenes and boosting it during quiet scenes. This can be especially useful when watching TV shows, movies, or streaming content where the volume levels vary significantly between different programs or scenes.
Watching TV shows or movies
TruVolume helps ensure that the dialogue, sound effects, and background music in TV shows and movies are balanced and consistently audible, even during scenes with varying audio levels. This can prevent sudden loudness or quietness, providing a more comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience without adjusting the volume all the time.
Multi-channel content
Some TV shows or movies may have scenes with dialogue or actions happening across multiple channels or speakers, such as surround sound setups. TruVolume can help to balance the audio levels across all channels, ensuring that the audio remains consistent and balanced, regardless of the channel or speaker configuration.
Prevent loud commercials
Many TV viewers find that commercials tend to be louder than regular programming, which can be annoying and disruptive. TruVolume can help to mitigate this issue by automatically reducing the volume of commercials to a more comfortable level, thereby preventing sudden bursts of loud noise.
Enhance nighttime viewing
When watching TV shows or movies late at night, you may want to keep the volume levels low to avoid disturbing others in your household or neighbors. TruVolume can help to maintain consistent audio levels at lower volumes, preventing sudden loudness during action scenes or quiet dialogue that can disrupt others.
Improve audio clarity
TruVolume can also help to improve audio clarity by maintaining a consistent volume level. This can be especially helpful when watching content with soft-spoken dialogue or when listening to music, as it prevents the need to adjust the volume manually.
Convenience
TruVolume can be convenient for those who prefer to have a hands-off approach to audio adjustments. With TruVolume enabled, you do not need to modify the volume during different content or when switching between sources, as the feature will automatically normalize the audio levels for you.
Vizio Truvolume
Vizio TruVolume is a feature found in Vizio televisions and sound bars, designed to regulate and maintain a consistent volume level while watching TV programs. This audio technology helps to minimize fluctuations in volume levels between different TV channels, shows, or commercials.
The TruVolume first analyzes the audio content in real-time, measuring its loudness levels using specialized algorithms. These algorithms take into account the perceived loudness of audio, rather than just the absolute volume level, which is a more subjective measure.
Once the loudness of the audio content has been analyzed, TruVolume compares it to the target loudness level specified by industry standards. If the content’s loudness is below the target level, TruVolume increases the volume to bring it up to the target level. If the content’s loudness is above the target level, TruVolume reduces the volume to bring it down to the desired level.
TruVolume also incorporates adaptive processing to ensure that sudden changes in loudness, such as commercials or transitions between different content, are handled smoothly. It uses sophisticated algorithms to dynamically adjust the volume levels, avoiding abrupt changes that may be jarring to the listener.
TruVolume is also capable of processing multichannel audio, such as surround sound or immersive audio formats, to ensure that the volume levels are balanced across all channels, providing a consistent listening experience regardless of the audio format.
To summarize, TruVolume operates in real-time, continuously analyzing and adjusting the audio levels as the content is being played, ensuring that the volume levels are normalized throughout the entire playback duration.
However, like any audio processing feature, Vizio TruVolume may not be perfect for everyone or in all situations. Some users may find that it affects the natural dynamics of the audio, resulting in an artificial or compressed sound. Others may prefer to have the original audio dynamics preserved, even if it means dealing with volume fluctuations. Other potential drawbacks of Vizio TruVolume include;
Artificial sound
Vizio TruVolume uses audio processing techniques to adjust the volume levels, and some users may find that it results in an artificial or processed sound quality. The adjustments made by TruVolume may not always perfectly replicate the natural dynamics of the original audio, and some users may perceive the audio as less authentic or less enjoyable.
Loss of dynamic range
Vizio TruVolume aims to even out volume levels by reducing the difference between loud and soft sounds. This means that the dynamic range of the audio may be compressed, with loud sounds being attenuated and soft sounds being amplified. This can result in a loss of impact or immersion, especially in content where dynamic range is intentionally used for artistic or dramatic effects, such as action movies or music.
Inconsistent performance
The effectiveness of Vizio TruVolume can vary depending on the specific audio source, content, and settings. It may work well for some content but not as effective for others. For example, if the content has already been mixed with consistent volume levels, or if you are using external audio devices with their own volume control, TruVolume may not provide noticeable benefits or may even introduce unintended changes in volume.
Compatibility limitations
Vizio TruVolume is a proprietary feature of Vizio sound bars and may not be compatible with all audio sources or devices. It may not work as expected or at all with certain audio formats, devices, or content, limiting its usefulness in certain situations.
Audio artifacts
Like any audio processing feature, Vizio TruVolume may introduce audio artifacts, such as audio delays, distortions, or glitches, especially in complex audio scenes or with certain audio sources. These artifacts can negatively impact the audio quality and overall listening experience.
How to Turn Vizio Sound Bar TruVolume On or Off
As we have mentioned, Vizio TruVolume is a useful feature for creating a more enjoyable and consistent audio experience. This feature comes in handy while watching TV, particularly in environments where there may be varying audio levels, such as during late-night viewing or when watching broadcast TV channels with different audio levels.
Vizio TruVolume can be accessed through the TV’s audio settings menu, and you can turn it on or off as desired.
To turn TruVolume on;
- Access the settings or audio menu on your audio device using the remote control or on-screen menu.
- Look for the audio settings
- Scroll to advanced audio settings
- Locate the TruVolume feature and select ‘turn on’
While TruVolume can be a useful feature for maintaining consistent audio levels, there may be instances where you might want to turn it off, depending on specific use cases. Some of the instances that may require you to turn off the TruVolume feature include;
- Some movies or content are intentionally mixed with varying volume levels to create dynamic audio experiences, where quiet moments are meant to be quiet and loud moments are meant to be loud for dramatic effect. If you prefer to experience the intended dynamic range of such content without any automatic volume adjustments, you may choose to turn off TruVolume.
- TruVolume is primarily designed for TV shows and movies, where dialogue and sound effects need to be balanced. However, when listening to music on your VIZIO sound bar, you may prefer to have the original dynamic range of the music preserved without any volume normalization. This is because music is often mixed differently compared to TV or movie audio.
- If you are using your VIZIO sound bar for gaming, some video games may have their own built-in audio balancing or dynamic range settings. In such cases, TruVolume may conflict with those settings or alter the intended audio experience of the game. You may choose to disable TruVolume if you prefer to use the in-game audio settings or prefer the original audio dynamics of the game.
- Audio preferences can vary from person to person, and some users may simply prefer to listen to audio without any automatic volume adjustments. If you find that TruVolume is not to your liking or you prefer to manually adjust the volume as needed, you can choose to turn off the TruVolume feature on your VIZIO sound bar.
To turn TruVolume off;
- Access the settings or audio menu
- Select audio settings
- Scroll to advanced audio settings
- Locate the TruVolume feature and select ‘turn off’
After making changes to the TruVolume settings, be sure to save your changes if prompted, and exit the audio settings menu. Generally, the TruVolume feature should now be turned on or off according to your preference and specific case use. That said, it’s worth experimenting with the feature and determining if it enhances your audio experience based on your listening habits and preferences.
Parting Shot!
TruVolume helps to eliminate the annoyance of constantly adjusting the volume levels when watching or listening to multimedia content, providing a more enjoyable and consistent audio experience for viewers or listeners.
With TruVolume, VIZIO sound bars can analyze and adjust the audio in real-time to ensure that the volume remains consistent and comfortable, eliminating the need to adjust the volume manually during different content or when switching between channels or sources.
That said, it is always a good idea to consider the benefits of Vizio TruVolume and weigh them against the perceived disadvantages. If you find that the feature does not meet your expectations or preferences, you can always disable it in your Vizio sound bar’s settings and use the sound bar without it.
