You are not alone if you've found yourself straining to catch the dialogue in blockbuster films. Recent research from YPulse indicates that closed caption use is rising across age groups and demographics. 

That could be due to increasing noise-induced hearing loss (mainly due to the overuse of headphones) but also due to stylistic choices in Hollywood. 

Directors and producers like the boomy bass-filled background noise that covers up speech. 

Last week Amazon released a much-needed feature that will help anyone with hearing loss and buck the trend of hard-to-hear movie audio. 

Introducing Amazon Dialogue Boost

Amazon's new Dialogue Boost feature is available inside the Amazon Prime video player. Not all movies have the feature built in just yet, but given Amazon's scale, you can expect this to become a defacto feature.  

Here's how it works: 

• Select a show or movie you'd like to watch on Prime Video.
• In the viewing controls, locate the Subtitles and Audio button. It's identifiable by its screen-like appearance with a line at the bottom.
• Under the Audio heading, you'll find the option to choose Dialogue Boost levels, if they're available. Depending on your preference, select either Medium or High to enhance the sound quality.
• Now, settle in and enjoy the show.

Why We Love It

The new Dialogue Boost feature is a great option for anyone struggling to hear the TV, but the story might be more significant.

Amazon is a giant in tech, and even a tremor from their development team has ripple effects across the tech and entertainment space. One can hope this news from Seattle has a ripple effect throughout the country.

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