On weekend football games, both college and NFL, I notice CBS keeps switching the audio between DD 5.1 and DD 2.0. Seems to happen randomly during the broadcast. It's very annoying, especially since the audio level changes whenever they switch. Not sure if this is a network problem or a problem at WBBM in Chicago, my local station.
CBS switches between DD 5.1 and DD 2.0
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If you keep watching... you will see also that they sometimes switch from SD to HD and then back again.
One game this weekend (or maybe last weekend it all blurs together) they switched back to SD for one play, then to HD again for the rest of the game.
Happens sometimes.
One game this weekend (or maybe last weekend it all blurs together) they switched back to SD for one play, then to HD again for the rest of the game.
Happens sometimes.
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Sounds like the MCO was not completely on top of his job on Sun. Also if you notice the switches have to do w/ going in & out of the commercials then it has to do w/ the station may not have the equipment to play the local spots any other way than in 2 ch.
We've had the same problem with the SEC Saturday games and NFL Sunday games in B'ham AL (WIAT-DT); receiving via OTA tuner in the 622.
Historically, that station has been very strong and reliable (other than motion artifacts / blockiness) but the audio has been bothersome this season.
Historically, that station has been very strong and reliable (other than motion artifacts / blockiness) but the audio has been bothersome this season.
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It will depend on the system that is being used. Some systems switch via automation some have to be switched out of automation and into manual to do the playout. Example on the local NBC station the commericals play out by automation but when it is time to go to the news they have to switch to manual and to go back to net is also manual. For the local FOX station doesn't have automation yet and so all of it is manual.
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Also... sometimes the automation doesn't work... in which case if they don't have a guy standing ready to flip a switch, then it stays stuck until the next commercial break.
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I agree that the switching is annoying. It seems to happen a minute or so before they go to the studio in N.Y. for an update and coming in and out of commercials. Sometimes it also seems to happen randomly for no reason at all. My receiver has a momentary drop out when the switching occurs so I miss a syllable or word when it happens.BillJ said:
FOX and NBC seem to do it more seemlessly. ESPN never switches out of DD 5.1 so it's not an issue.
I wish CBS would refine this! :nono2:
CBS is actually following the Dolby concept; give the control of audio to the producer of the program. Hence, if a commercial is produced in stereo, it is aired in Stereo and if the program is in 5.1, that's what you are supposed to hear.leegart said:
The affiliates are sent data that can control their local AC-3 encoding equipment. Some stations use it properly, others don't. For that reason it's hard to tell if the complaint is about your local CBS station, or the mixed stereo/5.1 system that CBS supports. When properly implemented, the CBS system is sound. (pun intended)
When you hear a difference between the level of a network commercial within a show and the level of the show, that's up to CBS, If you hear a difference between the level of a local commercial and the CBS program, that's the local station's responsibility.
The audio dropout when it switches modes is a configuration issue at your local affiliate. The data rate must be set to 384 kb/s for both 5.1 and stereo. You can do stereo at 192 kb/s, but switching from 192 to 384 causes the brief silent period that you are observing. Solving the problem is a configuration setting on their Dolby DP569 encoder.
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