To really enjoy the television program, it's not just the images that matter. Sound is also important and can quickly cause problems. Music or background noise often overshadows the dialogue. The “Plain Language” feature provides immediate relief to many people televisions .
You should know this hidden TV settings
Contrary to what one might expect, this useful feature for televisions and receivers was not developed by the respective manufacturers, but rather arose from a collaboration between ARD and ZDF. Therefore, the feature is available on several televisions. However, it only affects the sound of the selected channels.
Supported channel list (HD streaming required) :
- ARD
- ZDF
- M.D.R.
- WDR
- BR
- NDR
- RBB
- ZDFinfo
- ZDFneo
- 3Sat
- et al
Stiftung Warentest, among others, has shown how well the new soundtrack works. The verdict after the test was: “The difference can be heard clearly” . The language is not only easier to understand through the alternative soundtrack. Despite the artificial highlighting, it still looks natural and not overdone. Additionally, music, ambience, and background noises remained understandable, but played much quieter.
Here's what the new TV feature can do
In detail, the “Plain Language” setting ensures that the existing audio track is regenerated in real time using artificial intelligence (AI). While watching a series, a movie or anything else, an algorithm separates the voice from the rest of the noises, acoustically placing them in the foreground and at the same time pushing the background noises into the background.
However, according to Stiftung Warentest, there is a problem. Depending on the device, it is not always easy to find the right TV setting. For example, the soundtrack itself has a different name depending on the manufacturer and rarely has its actual name “Plain Language”.
Warning : Since the feature applies to a live stream, only very few movies or series in the media library can be optimized with it.
How to enable clear voice
If you still want to search, you can find instructions broken down by TV and receiver or brand on the ARD Digital help page. This quickly shows whether your device is suitable for optimizing the audio track.
Compatible TVs:
- Blaupunkt
- chiq
- Dyon
- Grundig
- Hisense
- JVC
- LG
- LOEWE (older devices until 2014)
- LOEWE (2014 newest devices)
- LOEWE (image i, image c, Us. View)
- Medion
- Metz
- Panasonic with “LONG” button
- Panasonic without “LONG” button, older models
- Panasonic without “LONG” button, newer models
- Phillips
- Samsung with HOME button (house symbol)
- Samsung with SMART HUB button
- Sharp (Android TV)
- sony
- technisat
- phone
- xoro
However, if you want to try the feature first, you can do so on the ARD and ZDF live stream, according to Stiftung Warentest. To do this, go to the respective live areas in the media libraries of your cell phone or tablet and then select “Clear language” in the language settings at the bottom right of the image.
Sources: Stiftung Warentest, ARD Digital
By Dana Neumann