Amazon’s Prime Video rolls out Dialogue Boost feature on select titles which will use AI to isolate and enhance speech.
Do you have trouble understanding dialogue in movies? You’re certainly not alone. Recent studies have shown than more than 50% of viewers use subtitles when watching movies and TV shows, but Amazon is hoping to help. The streaming service is rolling out a new feature called Dialogue Boost which Amazon claims will let you raise the volume of dialogue relative to background music and effects.
“At Prime Video, we are committed to building an inclusive, equitable and enjoyable streaming experience for all our customers,” said Raf Soltanovich, vp technology at Prime Video and Amazon Studios. “Our library of captioned and audio described content continues to grow, and by leveraging our technological capabilities to create industry-first innovations like Dialogue Boost, we are taking another step to create a more accessible streaming experience.”
How the hell does Dialogue Boost work? According to the official Amazon announcement, Dialogue Boost “analyzes the original audio in a movie or series and intelligently identifies points where dialogue may be hard to hear above background music and effects. Then, speech patterns are isolated and audio is enhanced to make the dialogue clearer. This AI-based approach delivers a targeted enhancement to portions of spoken dialogue, instead of a general amplification at the center channel in a home theater system. As a result, Dialogue Boost can be enjoyed anywhere the Prime Video experience is available.“While Dialogue Boost was “built with the needs of customers who are hard of hearing in mind,“Amazon says that”anyone can use the feature to suit their personal listening preferences.“Generous.
Unfortunately, Dialogue Boost isn’t available on many titles at the moment, but that should change as the year progresses. Currently, Prime Video subscribers can use Dialogue Boost on shows such as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maiseland Harlemas well as movies such as The Big Sick, Handsome Boyand Being the Ricardos. You’ll be able to find the feature in the audio and subtitles drop-down menu with audio tracks labeled “English Dialogue Boost: Medium” and “English Dialogue Boost: High.”