The next big battle

[pixelthis]

Pix, I know what you are trying to say, but there are some inaccuracies in your post.

No they didn't. They really wanted stereo so they could compete with the theaters at that time. Stereo was a cheap upgrade

It was a cheap upgrade, but that didnt keep them from fighting it tooth and nail.
I was there, don't try to say otherwise.

No, they fought being mandated to change without funding to do it. The upgrade to DTV (not everyone is HD) costs between hundreds of thousand for local stations (where the market could not support it financially) to millions for network owned and affiliates. Local stations and the Networks didn't have the cash to do this transition when it was mandated, so they didn't want something imposed on them that they could not afford. I think every American should understand that completely

Trying to get something for nothing is something too many Americans understand.
A broadcast liscense carries responsibilities, if broadcasters didnt want to upgrade (and most needed to upgrade obsolete equioment anyway) then they should have just walked away, let someone else take over.
DTV was and is the future, no way around that




No they do not turn up the volume on commercials. Program material is not as compressed dynamically as commercials are. There are spaces of silence, and lower level sounds can easily be discerned. Commercials are heavily compressed with the volume pumped up as close to digital zero as it can be for maximum impact. They advertisers like it that way. All broadcasting antennas have limiters to prevent overload, so the volume has a maximum gain imposed on it. Commercials are loud because the programming on before and after is not heavily compressed with its volume pumped up to the hilt. Commercials are not shot and mixed by the networks, they are mixed by post houses like mine, and the audio engineer has been given instructions to compress and push the volume.

In the book WINNING THROUGH INTIMIDATION Robert Ringer, talking about a tour he took through a local TV station, mentioned how the tour guide answered that question when it was posed to her.
She said that it wasnt even possible.
When leaving the control room Ringer asked a tech if he could do it and he said "sure,
just turn this knob".
THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM that several receivers have a mode that fixes it.
And anybody with ears can tell it.
There is no technical reason like you cite, if there were then you're saying it is unfixable?
SURE, and the check is in the mail.
It is an easy fix to run the vollume through a master gain circuit to even out the vollume.
If they don't do it because the advertisers like it that way...
IT IS STILL THEIR FAULT.

[pixelthis]

BTW you can add the local NBC station to the list of those showing this commercial.
It looks nice but is actually cheaper than it looks.
Really, tho, we have a lot more infrastructure than when broadcasting started, it has really become obslolete.
Its no longer a VHF signal with a FM mono audio carrier.
Its UHF HDTV with subcarriers and DD sound.
Time to say goodnight.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

In the book WINNING THROUGH INTIMIDATION Robert Ringer, talking about a tour he took through a local TV station, mentioned how the tour guide answered that question when it was posed to her.
She said that it wasnt even possible.
When leaving the control room Ringer asked a tech if he could do it and he said "sure,
just turn this knob".
THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM that several receivers have a mode that fixes it.
And anybody with ears can tell it.
There is no technical reason like you cite, if there were then you're saying it is unfixable?
SURE, and the check is in the mail.
It is an easy fix to run the vollume through a master gain circuit to even out the vollume.
If they don't do it because the advertisers like it that way...
IT IS STILL THEIR FAULT.

Pix, you really shouldn't argue about things you have no first hand information about. I have mixed commercials for broadcast, and I can tell you first hand what producers tell us. They want the dynamic range compressed to the hilt, and keep the volume as close to digital reference as possible without clipping the signal. I also mix television programming, and I use only as much compression as it takes to meet SMPTE standards for broadcast audio. Is the problem fixable, yes it is. You tell producers that their requests are going to annoy viewers instead of getting their attention, back off the compression and gain, and mix the commercial at the same levels you mix regular programming. That will cure the problem without the Dolby loudness metering system. If you doubt my explaination, I suggest you purchase Sound Forge 8 and do an analysis of the audio of a commercial versus program audio and you can plainly see the flattening of the wave forms on the commercials (the compression) versus the less flattened wave forms of the program audio.

Televisions stations have become so automated there is nobody sitting around riding the gain on program material which includes commercials. Commercial spots and programming are on servers with the times they run slaved to a master clock. There are no audio dials or sliders in the process, its all automated.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17229281...consumer_news/

http://www.dxaudio.com/page1/files/3...7f6a070-3.html

[pixelthis]

Pix, you really shouldn't argue about things you have no first hand information about. I have mixed commercials for broadcast, and I can tell you first hand what producers tell us. They want the dynamic range compressed to the hilt, and keep the volume as close to digital reference as possible without clipping the signal. I also mix television programming, and I use only as much compression as it takes to meet SMPTE standards for broadcast audio. Is the problem fixable, yes it is. You tell producers that their requests are going to annoy viewers instead of getting their attention, back off the compression and gain, and mix the commercial at the same levels you mix regular programming. That will cure the problem without the Dolby loudness metering system. If you doubt my explaination, I suggest you purchase Sound Forge 8 and do an analysis of the audio of a commercial versus program audio and you can plainly see the flattening of the wave forms on the commercials (the compression) versus the less flattened wave forms of the program audio.

Televisions stations have become so automated there is nobody sitting around riding the gain on program material which includes commercials. Commercial spots and programming are on servers with the times they run slaved to a master clock. There are no audio dials or sliders in the process, its all automated.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17229281...consumer_news/

http://www.dxaudio.com/page1/files/3...7f6a070-3.html

What is wrong with you?
You have basically said the same thing I SAID.
Just wrapped it up in a bunch of doublespeak.
I understand ity, but some wont.
BASICALLY YOU said the problem is "fixable", but they don't want to.
Which is what I SAID, BASICALLY.
But dont worry, the free market is a wonderfull thing, and "late night " watching modes,
which limit dynamic range and level sound for late night viewing , and other solutions,
fix this artificial "problem" even if the broadcasters don't want to.