When I watch normal movies (90% of the time), I have to turn my amp to four hash marks on the volume control. But for pornos (do the math), I have to turn it down to one (so the neighbors don’t know I’m a perv – it’s still at listen-able levels though).
WTF???
Well, most of the actors don’t - can’t - wear clip-on mikes, so I’m at a loss.
Maybe - just guessing, mind - it’s something to do with the articulation of “Oh, Yeah!”, “Oh, God!”, “Harder!” and “Mmm, fuck me!”
Research needed here.
It’s so you can hear the movie over that fwap fwap fwapping sound coming from your lap.
I hate to get all serious - - but I think that it’s a psychological thing…
I almost always watch porn with the sound muted… doesn’t really do much for me anyway…
but even at the lowest volume setting my TV/amp has - - I’m 100% sure it can be heard across the street… also, when I put a porn DVD into the player - - even the DVD load eject mechanism seems to increase in volume so that it sounds like a low flying Jumbo Jet…
And lets not talk about back in the old days - when fastforwarding a video was like the Indy 500 in your bedroom!!!
Is the sound format PCM or AC3? PCM sound is uncompressed (similar to CD audio) so it tends to sound much louder than AC3, which is a compressed format similar to mp3 audio. Nearly all movies are AC3, since it allows more space for the movie data, but a lot of music DVDs are PCM or have a PCM option, which allows for a higher dynamic range. PCM is also a lot cheaper, since it doesn’t require a licensing fee to Dolby Labs.
To share the fun, of course.
I’d guess it’s like with commercials being so loud.
They’re not actually louder than normal DVDs, any more than commercials are louder than the programs.
But normal DVDs have a range of sound levels, from near-inaudible, to eardrum bursting (I’m looking at you, LotR). And I’ve never, personally, seen porn that changed the audio levels at all.
Er… That is to say, I’ve never, personally, seen porn.
So that you don’t miss the subtlty of the various grunts, moans, and "yesyesyesyesyesyes"es. Also, If it wasn’t so loud, you might not hear what the guy was saying over all the ecstatic orgasming of the ladies. When he says “oh yeah, suck it” he wants you to hear it and know that he means it. Plus, I think it’s in the contract of the talanted folks who do the soundtracks. They may not get paid much, but they are satisfied to know that every “bowmp chicka bowmp” is relished to the fullest by it’s audience. If you listened to porn at its intended volume level, you’d get the fullest intended enjoyment, believe you me.
ZJ
It’s because porn DVDs use the special DVDA format.
If you get that joke, shame on you.
I’m very glad I’m not the only one who has the horrible feeling that my neighbors are listening to my porn and judging me for it. 
What worries me more is that they can probably also hear the … battery-operated assistant.
I usually turn the volume down as low as possible. Unfortunately, the audio is actually more arousing to me than the video. As a result, I find myself right up next to the television, straining to hear it.
So, that’s two different reasons for me to go blind. sigh
Orgazmo. Shame on me.
DVDA is the name of Parker and Stone’s band, too, jsyk.