TV Audio Synchronization: Is there a way? (so annoying!)

[Mike Lowe]

Why is it that the networks cannot coordinate a decible level between shows and commercials? Every time a commercial comes on I have to turn down my theatre system (not sure if that could be the difference?) to not lose my hearing. Don't even get me started at how quiet my PS3 is when compared to the cable; especially when watching a Blue-Ray disc.

I have Comcast DVR...Phillips surround sound 5.1.

Is there a way to coordinate your audio via the surround sound system? If not, does Best Buy sell something like this? It would be very helpful!

[wade moore]

I don't know if it's true - but I had a marketing professor tell me once that there is no difference in volume, they just raise the octave of the commercials or something like that.

[ThunderingHERD]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008VWOJ

[JonInMiddleGA]

This clip explains it about as well as anything. Basically the audio peaks are similar, but the spots are produced to be all peak.

[Daimyo]

My receiver allows me to set different volumes for different sources. Won't help with commercials, but it will with the PS3 vs cable box issue.

[korme]

Originally Posted by Mike Lowe

Why is it that the networks cannot coordinate a decible level between shows and commercials? Every time a commercial comes on I have to turn down my theatre system (not sure if that could be the difference?) to not lose my hearing. Don't even get me started at how quiet my PS3 is when compared to the cable; especially when watching a Blue-Ray disc.

I have Comcast DVR...Phillips surround sound 5.1.

Is there a way to coordinate your audio via the surround sound system? If not, does Best Buy sell something like this? It would be very helpful!

My PS2 had that problem, in fact I HATED watching movies because even at max volume I had to strain to listen. However with the 3, it's the complete opposite as I immediately scramble to turn it down once the loud ass PS3 comes on

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by wade moore

I don't know if it's true - but I had a marketing professor tell me once that there is no difference in volume, they just raise the octave of the commercials or something like that.

I think this is true, because according to the FCC it is illegal to have commercials play at a higher volume level than shows.

[Butter]

Originally Posted by Horizon

I think this is true, because according to the FCC it is illegal to have commercials play at a higher volume level than shows.

You only have 9 posts, you are not allowed to post truly informational things like this.

Someone get a mod in here.

[stevew]

Man, i almost started a similar thread a few days ago. Loud commercials are getting a lot worse than I ever remember them being, and i'm seriously annoyed with it. I hate having to turn down my receiver all the time when I'm watching dish.

I may have to look into getting that Terk thing, I knew they made things that were supposed to help the problem, I just didn't know what they were called.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Shorty3281

My PS2 had that problem, in fact I HATED watching movies because even at max volume I had to strain to listen. However with the 3, it's the complete opposite as I immediately scramble to turn it down once the loud ass PS3 comes on

the 360 is the same way. the 40 setting on my receiver is perfectly fine for TV watching, but if I switch over to 360 without turning it down, I shake the windows.

[cthomer5000]

Yeah, it's completely noticeable. I'm assuming the "peak" argument is true, but in practical application that means the commercials can be/are significantly louder than most shows.

[stevew]

Are their any receivers and/or TV's that have the "same volume" type function built in?

[SteveMax58]

Yeah...that video that JiMG posted does a decent job of explaining it.

The problem is that all easily adjusted measurable qualities of broadcast audio show no difference between the program, and the commercial. It's the dynamic range of the audio content which fluctuates. But the signal level(measured in decibals) remains the same. It "could" be normalized by the CATV/IPTV companies out there...but at an unrealistic cost.

This is really only a problem that can be corrected by the broadcaster, if they even acknowledge it to be a problem. However...the "best-cost" solution for them would be to violate broadcast audio standards...or set a dynamic range specification for advertisers. Neither of these are very desirable...so the only right way is to normalize the audio content's dynamic range on the fly. Not cheap and adds more complexity to their distribution model.

This used to be a more common problem associated with local CATV companies that did analog ad insertion. Essentially...a lot of them would not adjust the locally inserted ad's audio level properly(or sometimes it was created without being properly set), and all of a sudden you'd have a ridiculously loud ad...much worse than a national broadcaster might normally have these days. I'd imagine you could still find some out there blaring somebody's ears out.

I want to say DirecTV had a receiver model that did a good job of normalizing the audio. I believe it was one of the HD receivers, IIRC.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

This clip explains it about as well as anything. Basically the audio peaks are similar, but the spots are produced to be all peak.

[FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif]
[/font]

Its exactly the same thing they're doing to a lot of pop music. They compress everything and jack up the average volume to near what the peak volume was. People think louder sounds better.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

I want to say DirecTV had a receiver model that did a good job of normalizing the audio. I believe it was one of the HD receivers, IIRC.

Yeah, I've got the Sony SAT-HD300 and there is zero difference between the commercials and the shows. I always thought it was DirecTV themselves that handled it, not the receiver.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Synovia

Its exactly the same thing they're doing to a lot of pop music. They compress everything and jack up the average volume to near what the peak volume was. People think louder sounds better.

CHR/Top 40 format stations have been doing something along those lines for decades.

[Synovia]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

CHR/Top 40 format stations have been doing something along those lines for decades.

The problem is, a lot of its not the stations, but the sound engineers mixing the albums, and at that point, theres nothing you can do to get rid of it.


Listen to an old CD (80s, etc... Dire Straits - Brothers in arms is a great example) and you'll be amazed how much quieter they are, until they want to be loud. Way more range.

[Horizon]

Originally Posted by SteveMax58

This used to be a more common problem associated with local CATV companies that did analog ad insertion. Essentially...a lot of them would not adjust the locally inserted ad's audio level properly(or sometimes it was created without being properly set), and all of a sudden you'd have a ridiculously loud ad...much worse than a national broadcaster might normally have these days. I'd imagine you could still find some out there blaring somebody's ears out.

This has been my experience. It seems to be more freguent with local commercials. Especially with the non major network channels. I always wondered if this had something to do with them being cheap commerccials that were not being broadcast in stereo. I wonder if there is any difference from standard cable and digital cable.

Eaxample: Local commercials on the USA network were terrible from standard cable; now that I have a Digital cable box I don't seem to notice it as bad anymore.

Thanks to my DVR I don't exactly listen to commercials.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Synovia

The problem is, a lot of its not the stations, but the sound engineers mixing the albums, and at that point, theres nothing you can do to get rid of it.

Well my point was that the engineers are doing what radio was already doing, leaving what you're talking about further compounds the problem.

Funny thing is, listeners respond to it like lemmings to the sea.

[CU Tiger]

Magnavox/Phillips created a filter built into their sets that workeed amazingly well in the pre HD days.
I think they called it smartsound...too damn lazy to google.

Sadly they dropped it when they went to HD plasma sets and stopped focusing on technical quality improvements to separate themselve. AFAIK

[gstelmack]

RIP excessively loud TV commercials - CNN.com

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

RIP excessively loud TV commercials - CNN.com

Full of (less) sound & fury, signifying virtually nothing. And virtually impossible for it to have major significance since nobody is going to produce a separate spot with separate audio to go with the "average volume of the program they accompany". Heck, define "program they accompany", is that within each individual show? Highly doubtful, more likely the average will be drawn broadly (I've yet to find a definition) ... and spots have always generally been produced at the same volume (just with different delivery styles). The perceived problem is highly connected to the way many shows go to commercial on a dramatic moment or silence, making the transition seem more abrupt. The average volume of the show however is considerably higher.

A quarter says the number of complaints will change very little.