Posted on 12/16/2009 5:58:54 AM PST by Poser
My kids and I argue about this often. I claim the commercials are louder than the programs we watch. They say no. Looks like I’m gonna win this one, on the other hand, I’m sure they will find something wrong with this article, like, hellloooo? it’s not from the USA.
They have it. It is called an audio compressor/limiter. My DVD recorder has one built in, but only on play, so if I want to keep the audio levels even, I have to record the program and play it back.
All radio stations except classical music stations use audio compression and limitation so that they will not drive their listeners to reach for the volume button when driving, since the volume control is so close to the channel buttons and if people get irritated with having to turn the volume up and down, they may find another station to listen to. You would think that TV stations would understand this principle.
LOL! We must be related.
There was a talk show host in the Akron area that used compression on his microphone. It was quite annoying to listen to him for two reasons. One; He was a wacky lib, and Two; compressors try to bring everything to the same level. So they “squash” the loud stuff, but also bring up the level of the soft stuff. Every time he’d pause, the background noise would be brought up. “Folks, HISSSSS, Today, Hissss, I want to talk about how much, HISSSS, I hated, HISS “Leave It To Beaver. HISSSSS”
I asked about regulating the volume of televisions, not the commercials that are broadcast. Two very different things,
Yes, right, you did. And no, they are the same thing.
A TV commercial is recorded at Vol 'x'. There isn't some guy in a Control room thinking "Oh, this Ad's volume gets raised by 'y', I better turn that dial now."
And in this instance I don't think its an Over-Reach by Congress. Most of the crap they pass IS, but this is clearly Interstate Commerce and its in their purview to regulate.
Whoops, not post 49. Mine was post 20.
I have a Samsung that has a volume control stabilizer that prevents commercials from upping the volume, and it does seem to work.
If the volume control stabilizer on your Toshiba is not working than I suggest that you check the settings to make sure it is turned on. (IIRC correctly, on my Samsung, it was turned off by default.) Also, the volume control stabilizer will not work if you have hooked your TV up to an external sound system.
:-) That is a mathematical possibility.
I have so many 1st Cousins all over the US and other countries I can't count them all. And 2nd cousins, fugetaboutit, must be hundreds ;-)
And I have a half-sister (that I never met) somewhere in Colorado. (last I knew anyway)
“I am just curious with all the technology we have manufacturer have not found a way to preset a volume level and keep all audio output to that preset level.”
That’s been done already. On my Sony TV all I have to do is set the sound to “Dynamic”. Problem solved. Once again, we don’t need the effing government!
I thought I’d “heard” it all, but this proves it; We are surrounded by legislative idiots.
TV spot audio levels are controlled by two monkeys. The Editor Monkey (a guy like me) and the network QC Tech Monkey (who typically makes just above minimum wage).
I am required to deliver the tv spot at a volume level dictated by network standards - typically around 0 to -6 dbs. This is also a PEAK level, meaning the average volume should run within that range and never exceed it.
Now, tv spots are generally high energy with stereo music and clear, normal (non-whispered or non-dynamic) voice narration. The human ear IS a dynamic instrument. Over the course of watching 20 minutes of a mono voice acted feature film, mixed to fill the intracacies of the scene, the ears tend to adjust. They adjust either to the highs or to the LOWS (volumes, bass, treble ranges). The experience becomes subjective and variable (much like when parents complain about the tv being up too loud or too low compared to what a child or grandparent enjoys at any given time). So, after the ear has adjusted to the typically lower range of that quiet romantic scene in a movie - up comes the jarring tv spot, set exactly at the legal high end level of 0dbs! Again, typically with stereo music and other mixed channels of audio.
The spots are also scheduled and placed in their segments by automatic switchers and tape machines (or digital streams). It is “random” and completely unrelated to the equipment which feeds the program (usually). For example, you will see national ads running throughout LOST, then you will see local furniture store ads. The point is, they are fed from different systems and calibrated by different Tech Monkeys.
So, this idiot lib is wasting our time and our money. Eventually, some crackpot who watches far too much tv - and who has dynamically sensitive ears (like all of us) will write her a letter of complaint that on June 22, 2011, at 12:30am, his “senses were jarred by a set of very loud commercials”. The broadcasters might get warned or fined. The first time they DO get fined, they might fire the QC Tech Monkey, find a new monkey, and then require that all spots be set at -20db (just to be safe).
Then the masses will complain about the programs being set too loudly and that volumes are not standardized at all! Then the Legislative Lib Tech Monkey will be sitting in her elitist perch, scratching her fuzzy head.
And I submit that as long as we agree to allow Congress to regulate things like this, then we have absolutely no chance of ever trimming the Federal Government back down to size. I think we end up giving Congress defacto approval of the massive overspending by ceding them the power to control things like this.
Creeping incrementalism is in large part what has brought us the bloated Gubment we have today at all levels of Government.
On the newer Sony TVs this technology is trademarked “Steady Sound” and described as automatic volume control.
Everybody hates them, except the advertiser who paid for the spot. Of course, the networks could easily play the spots and watch the audio meter. They already watch the spots to make sure there’s nothing their censors would deem to be offensive, but they ignore the volume and claim it’s subjective. It isn’t; you can see the difference on the meter. All they have to do is tell the production companies to reduce the sound level.
Of course, that would involve accountability, which is why it will never happen.
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