Volume Control... AAAARRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

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Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#1
This may just be the time of year (my housemate insists on having a fan on in the living room when we get the merest hint of summer sun) but does anyone think that the volume of TV progs and especially adverts are getting exceptionally & unacceptably loud? :devil:

The TV volume is competing with the fan anyway :rolleyes: but even so I find myself constantly wanting to tear the remote away from the housemate (I'd be dead if I touched the fan) as the already quite loud programmes' decibel levels suddenly soar upwards for the advert break and the adverts are almost without exception at rock concert level (OK so I'm exaggerating a bit but c'mon you know what I'm saying here :x )

It's almost certainly because the housemate is going deaf and the fan of course doesn't help, but I do prefer to be allowed to set my own level of bearable sound, not constantly have to adjust it in case I might be lured into buying some stupid cornflakes or a different sort of bloody ladyshave against my will... :(

I'd say thank gods for the remote but I strongly suspect they're actually behind this heinous variety of 'love-bombing' - it never happened when you had to get out of your couch-potato pit to turn a knob 2 or 3 yards away.... *mutters bitterly* o_O
 

Tonyblack

Super Moderator
City Watch
Jul 25, 2008
30,841
3,650
Cardiff, Wales
#2
When I'm here in Tucson we generally only ever watch PBS (Public Broadcast Service) that doesn't have adverts as such. When I've (rarely) gone to other stations, I find the adverts almost impossible to watch. Not only are they loud, the people in them seem to be on speed, trying to get as much info into the couple of minutes as possible. They really grate on my nerves. :devil:
 

Batty

Sergeant
Feb 17, 2009
4,154
2,600
East Anglia
#4
Jan, I'm constantly reducing the volume control during the adverts.
What's more, there are some programmes that are so quiet that I have to turn the volume up - and then have my ears blasted when the adverts come on, which then has me scrabbling for the volume control... and I then have to turn it up again when the advert finishes ...
:x
 

Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#6
Hah! Yeah we have one of those WWD.... allegedly! :devil:

It is an older digital model so maybe it's had the mastering for volume knackered? Also it's absolutely crap for DVD volume - those are so bloody quiet you have to whack up to full virtually... can't flipping win! :x
 
#7
Batty said:
Jan, I'm constantly reducing the volume control during the adverts.
What's more, there are some programmes that are so quiet that I have to turn the volume up - and then have my ears blasted when the adverts come on, which then has me scrabbling for the volume control... and I then have to turn it up again when the advert finishes ...
:x
Yes, they push it to the FULL LEGAL LIMIT! The show producers know full well and are in collusion with the people who pay their bills.

I want one of the newer televisions that can make the commercials muted. I Hate them.
 

boohoo

Lance-Constable
Sep 18, 2008
11
2,150
just next door
#9
Who really watches adverts now a days, me I've got the remote in my had before the music has time to stop and I'm happily flicking away (drives everyone mental :laugh: )
 

Jan Van Quirm

Sergeant-at-Arms
Nov 7, 2008
8,524
2,800
Dunheved, Kernow
www.janhawke.me.uk
#10
:laugh: Yeah Boo Hoo *resists urge to call you Boo Boo as per Yogi* :oops:

But the trouble is a lot of adverts breaks are tuned around the hour (except for the BBC but on there it's either always Eastenders *reaches for projectile weapon* or even one of their 'not-an-advert-lasting-3-minutes for a repeat.... :devil: ). In fact surfing during ad breaks is even more annoying as you then get a cacophany of volumes in x many jingles everywhere else...

Is this the reason why I spend most of my time online with the sound OFF! :x
 
Oct 13, 2008
2,118
2,650
Devon
#13
The loudness of adverts does annoy me as well.
My 92 year old Mother, who is going deaf, though she denies it, has her T.V. volume so high you can't here yourself think, let alone talk. :rolleyes: Good job she lives in a detached bungalow. :)
She has still got her C/Hing on as well, :rolleyes: but that's going off topic. :laugh:
 

Jason

Special Constable
Jul 10, 2008
727
2,650
52
Pontarddulais - Wales
discworldmonthly.co.uk
#14
There are two things that affect the volume.

The physical volume of the recording and a thing called compression.

I believe adverts can go about 20% louder that the programmes around them but they can also squash the compression so that more of the sound is in the up levels this magnifies the volume increase.
 

Straw Walker

Lance-Corporal
Feb 6, 2009
123
2,275
Dover
www.g4mix.co.uk
#15
Ezekiel000 said:
I just mute advert breaks, but also I watch most TV recorded on V+ so no advert breaks most of the time.
The PVR is the only way to watch commercial TV. No sound at all on the ads at 32 times FF but you do have to be a bit quick on the play button.

Many of the commercial channels now seem to pad out the adverts with 'in house' previews to increase the break length up to five minutes. :x
 

Batty

Sergeant
Feb 17, 2009
4,154
2,600
East Anglia
#19
Straw Walker said:
Many of the commercial channels now seem to pad out the adverts with 'in house' previews to increase the break length up to five minutes. :x
I once timed the adverts/breaks during a CSI programme, as I was becomming increasingly annoyed that the channel would show the opening 5 minutes of the programme, and then - before the opening credits had rolled - go to an ad break.
Considering that the programme is listed as being on the screen for an hour, I timed the programme as actually only lasting for 38 minutes. The resulting 22 minutes were promos and adverts.
I did complain as the maximum amount of advertising permitted in an hour is 14 minutes, but the 8 minutes 'over-run' was classed as 'promotion of forthcoming programmes'. Which to me is nothing more than another name for an advert!
 

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