commercial volume levels

[davidrosie]

Hello folks. I am unbelievably annoyed at the spike in volume when a commercial begins to play. How do I find receivers that can smooth out these spikes (if such receivers exist)? I can't afford expensive equipment, so I'm looking for a receiver in the sub $400 range.
Thanks for the help.

[hershon]

On my new HDTV there is something on the menu that stops that from happening so you might want to check your TV menu if its fairly new. I haven't used this control because I',m afraid it will flatten out the sound of the show I'm watching. Like you, I hate this crap of the commercials being louder. They do the same nonscence in movie theaters and videos/dvd's with coming attractions. It seems life is designed to make life hard with these scumbags sending spam, viruses, telemarketing, etc. I wish we could sentence anyone who does that crap to death- wouldn't bother me a bit and it would end or help curtail the problem. Instead I find out that alot of these teenagers sending out viruses that do millions of dollars worth of damages get slaps on the wrist and wind up being hired as computer consultants.



Hello folks. I am unbelievably annoyed at the spike in volume when a commercial begins to play. How do I find receivers that can smooth out these spikes (if such receivers exist)? I can't afford expensive equipment, so I'm looking for a receiver in the sub $400 range.
Thanks for the help.

[This Guy]

like Hershon said, check your tv for a function called "volume leveling" or something similar. Receivers can fix this only with DD or DTS movies, it's usually called night mode or something simillar which tones down the loud passages. It can't be done on analog signals, atleast not to my knowledge. So if you have your cable tv connected using analog audio, a new receiver will not help.

[Wireworm5]

I just hit the mute button on my receiver remote.

[davidrosie]

I just hit the mute button on my receiver remote.

I try that too, but the bastards still get you with the first few seconds of the obnoxiously loud commercial. Plus, if you've got a beer in one hand and a bag of popcorn in the other, it takes even longer to get to the remote!

The problem with using the t.v. to smooth out the sound (as opposed to the receiver) is that I would need to be using the t.v.'s speakers, which pretty much sucks.

Hershon, I'm with you. My idea would be to connect electrodes to the jerks, which would be tied in with the commercial's volume. The louder the volume the more severe the electric jolt. And I know exactly where I'd attach those electrode's connectors. :eek:

Thanks for all of your responses.

[hershon]

Lets exterminate these people together, LOL! Here is some good news as I think you've misinterpreted something, unless I have. If you hook your TV audio through your receiver (and turn your TV speakers off or set to 0), and use the "leveling out option" on the TV, then the sound coming out of your speakers will still be the levelling out sound. As I said, I haven't used this option because I'm convinced it will affect the sound of the shows/DVD's I'm watching in that it will flatten it out. I'm not 100% sure about that though. What I don't get in the first place are the scumbuckets who thought it was a good idea to increase the volume on commercials, movie previews, etc. All it causes is negative feedback from people like you and me who then ignore them instead of watching them.




I try that too, but the bastards still get you with the first few seconds of the obnoxiously loud commercial. Plus, if you've got a beer in one hand and a bag of popcorn in the other, it takes even longer to get to the remote!

The problem with using the t.v. to smooth out the sound (as opposed to the receiver) is that I would need to be using the t.v.'s speakers, which pretty much sucks.

Hershon, I'm with you. My idea would be to connect electrodes to the jerks, which would be tied in with the commercial's volume. The louder the volume the more severe the electric jolt. And I know exactly where I'd attach those electrode's connectors. :eek:

Thanks for all of your responses.

[kexodusc]

Sometimes I find the opposite, that is, the program is louder than the commercial, and I never find any two channels of equal volume either...oh well.
I do notice that most commercials make excellent use of the surround channels via pro-logic or whatever, not sure if it's the processing in my RX-V1400 or if their being mixed that way intentionally...if they are, good for them, I guess...half the time the ads are better than the crappy program choices...that's when a DVD goes in.

[Kursun]

like Hershon said, check your tv for a function called "volume leveling" or something similar. Receivers can fix this only with DD or DTS movies, it's usually called night mode or something simillar which tones down the loud passages. It can't be done on analog signals, atleast not to my knowledge. So if you have your cable tv connected using analog audio, a new receiver will not help.To check that night mode is effective only with digital signals I switched my receiver to FM tuner in 2 channel "direct" mode and hit the "midnight" button. The receiver automatically switched to "stereo" mode from "direct" mode. The receiver amplifies pure analog signal in direct mode. In "stereo" mode it converts the analog signal to digital and does tone processing. The receiver can't do the night mode in analog "direct" mode. It has to switch to the digital "stereo" (or ProLogic, or whatever) mode to do the "night" mode processing.
So what you have said is quite right. It can't be done on analog signals.
I remember there was once an dynamic range expander/compressor device by "Dbx"...

[hershon]

On my HD TV there us an audio option called "level sound". This prevents noticeable changes in sound volume when a TV show for instance goes into a commercial. Theortically, if your TV sound goes through your receiver and you have this control option turned on your TV, you will not get the sudden volume increase. I do not use this myself, as I'm paranoid of the sound of the shows I'm watching being flattened. If you do not have this "level sound" control on your TV, I'm not sure if any receiver controls will be effective in preventing volume jumps.



To check that night mode is effective only with digital signals I switched my receiver to FM tuner in 2 channel "direct" mode and hit the "midnight" button. The receiver automatically switched to "stereo" mode from "direct" mode. The receiver amplifies pure analog signal in direct mode. In "stereo" mode it converts the analog signal to digital and does tone processing. The receiver can't do the night mode in analog "direct" mode. It has to switch to the digital "stereo" (or ProLogic, or whatever) mode to do the "night" mode processing.
So what you have said is quite right. It can't be done on analog signals.
I remember there was once an dynamic range expander/compressor device by "Dbx"...

[Kursun]

There is more than one way to flatten audio dynamic range. "Level sound" option on a TV is not the only way to do it. The "night/midnight" mode on receivers will also do it. Actually dynamic range limiters, audio compressors are very common concepts/devices in the audio world.
BTW, you shouldn't be paranoid of the shows you're watching being flattened... They've already been compressed to death at the studio console.

[davidrosie]

Lets exterminate these people together, LOL! Here is some good news as I think you've misinterpreted something, unless I have. If you hook your TV audio through your receiver (and turn your TV speakers off or set to 0), and use the "leveling out option" on the TV, then the sound coming out of your speakers will still be the levelling out sound. As I said, I haven't used this option because I'm convinced it will affect the sound of the shows/DVD's I'm watching in that it will flatten it out. I'm not 100% sure about that though. What I don't get in the first place are the scumbuckets who thought it was a good idea to increase the volume on commercials, movie previews, etc. All it causes is negative feedback from people like you and me who then ignore them instead of watching them.

So, Hershon, are you saying that I should route the sound through my TV first, then to the receiver and out to my speakers? Wouldn't that degrade the sound though? In other words, the sound would be processed by the TV in order to level out the volume and then the sound would be processed a second time by the receiver?

Kursun, thanks for doing the experiment. Is there any downside to sound quality when the receiver switches into a digital mode? I don't have a tv that would level the sound as Hershon suggested, so for the time being I am limited to using something like a receiver's midnight mode.

[hershon]

The way I have my TV sound set up is the monitor left/right audio outputs on my TV are going into my receiver via the TV in setting on the receiver connected by cheap rca cables. For whatever reason, my TV sound believe it or not sounds the richest and most natural via cheap rca cables then much better quality cables- why I don't know but they do. This not applicable for CD or DVD sound. Also the sound, sounds better going from the TV (monitor output) to the receiver than from the straight from the audio output on the (HD) digital box to the receiver. Again I don't know why.

I do not use "level sound" on my TV which supposidly prevents jumps in the volume when a commercial comes on, only because I'm afraid it will flatten the sound of the show I'm watching. Whether or not it will do this I don't know, I just don't want to take a chance.

If you however have a TV with a "level sound" or similar device, and you listen to TV via the way I have it hooked up, theoretically you won't be hearing any jump in the volume when a commercial goes on. I do not use "Night" controls or any device like that on my
receiver.





So, Hershon, are you saying that I should route the sound through my TV first, then to the receiver and out to my speakers? Wouldn't that degrade the sound though? In other words, the sound would be processed by the TV in order to level out the volume and then the sound would be processed a second time by the receiver?

Kursun, thanks for doing the experiment. Is there any downside to sound quality when the receiver switches into a digital mode? I don't have a tv that would level the sound as Hershon suggested, so for the time being I am limited to using something like a receiver's midnight mode.

[Kursun]

Kursun, thanks for doing the experiment. Is there any downside to sound quality when the receiver switches into a digital mode? I don't have a tv that would level the sound as Hershon suggested, so for the time being I am limited to using something like a receiver's midnight mode.There is a perceptible difference of sound when listening in analog "direct" mode and in digital "stereo" mode. But the reason for this is that the internal tonal equaliser is active in the digital "stereo" mode. I prefer the sound in this mode.

My CD deck is connected to the receiver on its digital input. This way the CD signals are converted to analog after the digital equaliser circuits. This way there is no unnecessary AD & DA processes along the path. Actually I also have a good quality analog connection between the CD deck and the receiver. I have not noticed any differences when listening in "direct" mode to both digital and analog inputs.

[davidrosie]

Thanks for all the help and suggestions you guys. It's nice to know that when I have my head up my rear end people like you are there to help.

[hershon]

For whatever reason: 1. When I go from my TV monitor audio out (left and right) into my receiver (TV audio in left and right) the quality of TV sound is much richer and more natural using a cheap $4 pair of RCA cables than using $40-60 Monster and other brand cables,
2. Likewise, instead of using my TV monitior audio out, I use my cable TV audio outs into the receiver, the sound quality isn't as good as that coming directly from the TV. In both cases the sound is kind of flat and sterile. I don't think this is my imagination. Can you explain why that is. Also, and I appologize if I'm asking you to post something you already did, is there an alternative digital way to get the TV sound into your receiver and will it be any better to the sound I already have? Thanks for any help.




There is a perceptible difference of sound when listening in analog "direct" mode and in digital "stereo" mode. But the reason for this is that the internal tonal equaliser is active in the digital "stereo" mode. I prefer the sound in this mode.

My CD deck is connected to the receiver on its digital input. This way the CD signals are converted to analog after the digital equaliser circuits. This way there is no unnecessary AD & DA processes along the path. Actually I also have a good quality analog connection between the CD deck and the receiver. I have not noticed any differences when listening in "direct" mode to both digital and analog inputs.

[Kursun]

For whatever reason: 1. When I go from my TV monitor audio out (left and right) into my receiver (TV audio in left and right) the quality of TV sound is much richer and more natural using a cheap $4 pair of RCA cables than using $40-60 Monster and other brand cables,
2. Likewise, instead of using my TV monitior audio out, I use my cable TV audio outs into the receiver, the sound quality isn't as good as that coming directly from the TV. In both cases the sound is kind of flat and sterile. I don't think this is my imagination. Can you explain why that is. Also, and I appologize if I'm asking you to post something you already did, is there an alternative digital way to get the TV sound into your receiver and will it be any better to the sound I already have? Thanks for any help.I'm afraid cables and TV sound are not the subjects I know well.
In my home I have a secondary set of speakers for basic TV watching. A pair of 2-way DIY speakers + a small sub (6" driver) are active when watching TV. This way we don't have to fire up the receiver for casual TV watching (except for some rare special musical events). The speakers are powered by the internal amplifier of the TV (nothing special, only 2*4W!). The disadvantage is having a 5.1 plus a 2.1 speaker system all in the same living room! (I'm planning to add 2 more for 7.1!)

Let me try some thoughts on your questions:
(1) Your TV sound is probably too bright. A lower priced cable may have thinner dielectric resulting in higher parallel capacitance, which tames the high frequency irregularities.

(2) I may be wrong but TV sound is hardly hi-fi. I actually prefer its sound listening through my secondary loudspeakers as my main speakers accentuate its faults. Unfortunately I don't know anything about digital TV sound.