I think the problem is related to the old problem of making one size fit all... these days they are expected to cater for people with a little squawky loudspeaker and people with Dolby 5.1 surround sound systems.

The net result is that those without the decoder hear everything jumbled together! As I've got Dolby 5.1, I'm alright, Jack! It's interesting how much the adverts use surround sound, BTW!

Sometimes it can be a matter of settings - my daughter recently grumbled that her DVD player wasn't plating everything back... people on screen with their mouths moving, but no speech, just background music.

I checked the settings, and it had been switched to Dolby 5.1 even though she only had a mono TV... switched it back to 'normal' and things were fine.

Not that I'm suggesting a solution, just a possible explanation!