What is the “Midnight mode” on my new Dolby Digital A/V receiver?
Midnight mode allows low-volume listening with high-volume benefits, reducing the volume on just the loud effects of a program, increasing the volume on quiet sounds, and maintaining dialogue at a consistent level. A Dolby Digital feature applies dynamic range compression that preserves low-level sounds, prevents dramatic passages from getting too loud, and keeps dialogue intelligible during lower-level listening. The amount of compression is not arbitrary, but is decided in advance by the soundtrack’s producers and coded right onto the soundtrack. Some Dolby Digital decoders let you select various amounts of the available compression (for example, 50, 75, 100 percent), while others provide only 100 percent when the compression mode is selected.
Dolby Digital soundtracks can have a very wide dynamic range between soft and loud sounds. At a full playback level, this can be thrilling, providing a truly theatrical experience, particularly for movies. Late at night, however, the loud sound effects on movie soundtracks might not be appreciated by your family or neighbors. But if you turn down the volume to “keep the peace,” the dialogue will be hard to hear, and subtle low-level effects may get lost altogether. What youd really like to do is turn down the volume on just the loud effects, turn up the volume on quiet sounds, and keep the dialogue at the same level. This is what a Dolby Digital feature called Dynamic Range Control does. For lower-level listening, it applies dynamic range compression that preserves low-level sounds, prevents dramatic passages from getting too loud, and keeps dialogue intelligible. To help explain its function, manufacturers of Dolby Digital decoders have come up with names like “Midnight Mode” for this
