[diagoro]

I've been watching the MLB playoffs on TBS and have to say, PLEASE, turn down the volume on those DTV commercials. They seem to be at least 60% louder than any other programming! I've caught this on numerous audio systems, so it's not a mere issue of setup.

 

[inkahauts]

No, its the broadcasters jacking up the audio for commercials so you'll notice them... In LA, Fox is the worst. Every single commercial is at least 20% louder than the programs. Its absurd...

 

[SParker]

No its Directv's own inserted commercials and they are ridiculously loud!

 

[MountainMan10]

We have dolby digital turned off because of this issue. With dolby we have to turn the volume up. Sounds great. Then a commercial comes on that is not in dolby and it shakes the windows.

 

[dave29]

I've been watching the MLB playoffs on TBS and have to say, PLEASE, turn down the volume on those DTV commercials. They seem to be at least 60% louder than any other programming! I've caught this on numerous audio systems, so it's not a mere issue of setup.

are you talking about directv or digital tv

 

[jimmyv2000]

Some HDTV's have a setting in thier audio menu to correct this issue
both of my philips tvs have a audio leveler control feature for commericals and that sort.
I have it enabled on both my tv's and don't have this issue

 

[Grentz]

Its a real crappy move that advertisers/broadcasters have been doing for years and years.

Dont they realize it just makes me hate their commercials even more?

 

[Rockaway1836]

I'm just sick of all the Frank tv ads !!!!!!

 

[AirRocker]

Loud commercial are extremely annoying... Shame on any advertiser for doing this... There was a Vonage commercial last night that almost blew me off the couch...

 

[barryb]

I've been watching the MLB playoffs on TBS and have to say, PLEASE, turn down the volume on those DTV commercials. They seem to be at least 60% louder than any other programming! I've caught this on numerous audio systems, so it's not a mere issue of setup.

Count me in on this one.

DTV's commercials are so friggin' loud its just not acceptable. I know what you are wanting to do Directv... and it's not working!

In your attempt to gain new customers you are upsetting those you already have as well as any new prospects.

Kindly kick the volume down. Nobody likes abrasive advertising.

 

[drded]

It is an annoying broadcast practice made worse by Directv's engineers when they insert the DTV ads and drive you out of the room.

With all the advances in limiters and AGC devices, you'd think DTV would invest in and use them in their satellite control room.

You'd also think they'd get a little better at insertion and rejoining, both which leave much to be desired. Amateurish!

Dave

 

[arxaw]

I agree. D*'s own ads are absolutely the worst offenders. PAINFULLY loud to the point I have turned the TV off in disgust. If they think I'm going to add some service they're screaming at me, they're wrong.

 

[K4SMX]

This is a new and separate issue from the long-term loud commercial problem, which primarily involves local commercials on local stations. These are DirecTV adds for NFL, NHL, etc. which are inserted all over their system, and they far exceed even the loudest local TV car dealer commercial I have ever heard. There's about four different examples of these DirecTV commercials currently in use, and they've got to be at least 10db louder than normal programming. What are they thinking???

 

[dervari]

I've falled asleep watching CNN before and get woken up by those damn DTV commercials.

 

[houskamp]

FX is the the worst I've noticed, with TNT next in line.. I have to hit mute on some movies they are so bad..

 

[mortimer]

We've had so many threads about this, and every time I post the same link. This is not a case of commercials being louder than the programming. From the Sci-Fi channel FAQ:

Why are commercials so LOUD?
Compression. Advertisers use compression so that everything in a commercial is about at the same (loud) audio level, close to the maximum allowable levels. This way, you can still hear their pitch even if you get up to go the kitchen or bathroom. SCI FI does not turn up the volume on these commercials - they're just recorded and mixed that way. Most of our shows, however, are not in an audio-compressed format so they generally have a wider dynamic range than the ads. Since we can't go back and add compression to our shows, the ads tend to sound a lot louder than the programming.

Note that on the HD channels, which broadcast in Dolby Digital, the effect is even more pronounced, because of the wider dynamic range DD provides.

I suppose the effect is the same, because the commercials SEEM louder. But we should at least know the correct reason, and it's not that the commercials are actually louder.

http://www.scifi.com/feedback/FAQ1.html#otherissues

 

[ziggy29]

+1 about being sick of Frank TV. For all I know it's a funny show, but I'm so sick of the promos that I won't watch it.

 

[dervari]

The DTV ads are much louder than even normal ads.

 

[Redlinetire]

We've had so many threads about this, and every time I post the same link. This is not a case of commercials being louder than the programming. From the Sci-Fi channel FAQ:

Note that on the HD channels, which broadcast in Dolby Digital, the effect is even more pronounced, because of the wider dynamic range DD provides.

I suppose the effect is the same, because the commercials SEEM louder. But we should at least know the correct reason, and it's not that the commercials are actually louder.

http://www.scifi.com/feedback/FAQ1.html#otherissues

I don't know if it's 'loudness' or 'dyanmic range' or whatever, but I do notice that on some channels I have to crank the volume up to hear regular programming, but others I don't. For instance, the baseball on TBS seems to be relatively quiet (so I use volume setting 30) to how Fox, ESPN or others mix baseball games (usually 25 or so).

Presumably the commercials are all mixed the same, but now that I've cranked up the volume this dynamic difference is even more pronounced at the higher volume setting.

 

[rahlquist]

We've had so many threads about this, and every time I post the same link. This is not a case of commercials being louder than the programming.

Though I dont have an EQ on my current setup I have been at friends houses and watch DirecTV's own commercials (like the one with the idiot flight attendant) drive the spectrum analyzer into clipping. When you jump into a commercial and the baseline levels are showing 5db higher its not a Dolby issue.

Sorry not jumping on you but somewhere around here I have a thread requesting D* implement a night mode or dynamic range limiting. I was watching a movie at midnight from my R16 on SD one night and have Dolby off and had to keep cranking my AV receiver up and down so I could hear vocals vs. the overly loud dramatic soundtrack finally gave up on the movie because it wasnt worth the effort.