Bell's movie ad...isn't it TOO LOUD?

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Korak

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I'm sitting in my lazyboy enjoying an interesting episode of Law and Order and a Bell ad comes on about their movie lineup. Well it almost makes me want to cover my ears!!!...Instead, I hit the mute button.
Is there any way to get them to lower the volume of their ad? I estimate it to be twice as loud as the program I'm trying to watch.
 
Honestly...I don't know why this has taken so long to address...but some of the newer crop of high end A/V Receivers have it covered...finally.

They have a new feature called...Dolby Volume...and what it is supposed to do is regulate all the volume to the same level as what you set it at.

I have not seen or heard this feature...but it promises to end this problem once and for all.

I'm sure that within a few years Dolby Volume will be standard on even the lowest end A/V Receivers...as this is a feature that will surely be welcomed by all.

Quoted from the Dolby site: "A primary benefit of Dolby Volume is a more consistent listening experience. Sound quality, including dynamics, timbre, and bass performance, is maintained at all volume levels. Further, volume levels of all playback sources are consistent with the listener’s preferred setting."
 
I have a feature in the sound menu on my TV that's suppose to regulate the volume so that ads don't blast louder than the set volume, but it is completely useless. Just a placebo. It should say "click here to do nothing".
 
Get a PVR and skip the ad. You can get the 6131 (HD receiver with EHD PVR support) for about $100 as an existing subscriber (just go to retentions). Use pretty much any USB HD and you're set, never watch a commercial again! :)
 
A couple of things:

The ads are not louder. By regulation they are not allowed to be. They are simply dynamically compressed into a very small volume range (near the maximum (loud) range) so that they appear to be louder. The programming itself has a much larger dynamic range (from loud to soft), therefore it appears to be less loud even though the loudest parts of the programming can be as loud as the commercial.

The volume regulation on most TVs, etc. equalizes the volume of the incoming signal for various sources, or perhaps even for various channels, however, it can do little for dynamic range variation - like commercials.

If the TV or AVR has a "midnight mode" or similar dynamic compression technology, then there is usually not as much of a difference between the programmes or the commercials because the dynamic range of the programming is narrowed.

Any mechanism to change or combat this dynamic range takes away from the intent of the programming, so audio purists may not appreciate this "tampering" with the signal, although some people may prefer it.

I haven't watched commercials since the mid-1970's, so this hasn't been an issue for me for a long time - VCRs then PVR. My time is too valuable to spend it watching commercials. Even if you pay yourself only minimum wage, the payback of a PVR is under a year, not to mention all the other benefits of owning a PVR like watching on your own schedule, etc.
 
Although I agree with you 57...as I too have skipped commercials for 30 plus years...but I've done that for TV shows only.

However...I do watch sports live and will embrace a feature like Dolby Volume...assuming it works as it's supposed to...especially when flipping channels during commercials.
 
Great explaination 57 but I still remain a doubting Thomas. Most TVs have a system to control volumne levels but it only works as you change channels on the tv not the channel changes on your various video boxes. This has been one of my major complaints for a long time. Still maintain that Bell TV could control the levels in their main control room in the same manner we used to control levels of various equipment in radio control rooms. You may be right that the purists would object but the majority continue to listen through the built in speakers of their televisions or a fairly inexpensive audio system.
 
I have a PVR, but most of the time I watch live TV and I don't think you can skip ahead while in "live tv" mode, however I do skip commercials when watching recorded material.
 
Although you can't skip ahead when watching "live", you can "pause live TV", which means that you could start watching an 8PM programme at say 8:20PM and then catch up to "live" by the end of the programme at about 9PM. Or, better yet, you can set a recording for 8PM and start watching that recording at 8:20. That way you don't run into an "live TV" buffer limitations.

You can do the same with sports - for example a 3 hour football game can be watched in about 1-1.5 hours, so you could start watching when the game has been recording for 1.5-2 hours already and then "catch up" when the game is just about over.

This allows you to save a lot of time while still watching the "end" live, or close to live.
 
Unfortunately with the 9200's infamous "jump to live bug"...it's virtually impossible to watch a program prior to the show/event's recording completely finishing...hence the reason I watch sports live...I don't mind gambling with 20 or so minutes...but I would never try to jump in half way through a hockey/football game...the risk is too great...
 
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