Comments on: Why Are TV Ads So Danged Loud?

By: Should Television Ad Volume Be Equalized? - Screen Rant

Should Television Ad Volume Be Equalized? - Screen Rant — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:20:52 +0000

[...] in March of 2008, I went on a tear about the loud volume of commercials on our television [...]

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:17:11 +0000

“The reason we get “blasted” at commercial time is determined by how the audio levels are recorded when creating their ads.”

Not true. The audio levels are RECORDED at the same levels as tv shows, but they are later PROCESSED using a Maximizer or a Brickwall limiter during mixdown. The recording process is the same.

By: 790

790 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:24:08 +0000

Is tomarrow Solient Green day?

Anyone know?

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:23:04 +0000

You guys.... there's a cool thing here on the site called the "search function." lol Hate Product Placement? Here's One Culprit Vic

By: 790

790 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:22:51 +0000

Another reason the volume is higher and compressed is because most tv ads have subliminal messages in them.

Its called Subterfuge. And there’s companies that design comercials exclusivly with these hidden messages in them.

Its pure evil…

By: Bruce Simmons

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:02:20 +0000

Panda,
Product placement is already in full swing. A friend of mine was the one responsible for getting reeses pieces into ET when M&M’s bailed on the movie.. and she retired early from the money she made from selling product placements to studios..

Every single thing you see in a movie or tv show is there because the maker paid for it to be there.. . The Truman Show just mocked the process that’s been in place for years.

Sorry .. but we’ve already been besieged there!

By: 790

790 — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:27:57 +0000

Prob is Panda I don’t buy most products they shove down our throats. So these product ads just annoy me.

By: Jim Carey

Jim Carey — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:19:06 +0000

Bruce,
Online program commercials are much louder also! When I watched Daybreak and other online eps, it was very annoying…I didn’t want to wake the whole house!

Dataschmuck,
Thanks for caring! You receive a valuable “reward of omission”: People will not hate your guts.

By: Panda

Panda — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 23:12:58 +0000

A friend of mine once theorized that the future of ads in TV shows is product placement, and that (tech allowing) studios would digitally input products into older syndicated shows. For instance, a Cheerios box could be digitally replaced by Cap’n Crunch in Seinfeld’s kitchen cabinet. This would combat the Tivo or downloading issue. Could we live with that one?

Who knows what the next gen of ads is. They’re everywhere already.

By: Dataschmuck

Dataschmuck — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:48:04 +0000

I absolutely HATE how commercials are louder than TV shows, but I actually CAN do something about it. I work at a TV station. I dub these commercials from tape to our main server every day. Each commercial has bars and tone at the front, and if you set the audio levels to that tone, the commercial ends up waaay too loud. So I just play through the commercial and set the audio levels to the actual volume of the commercial, instead of the tone at the front. Sure it takes a little longer, but it makes me feel better in the end.

By: darkbhudda

darkbhudda — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 06:56:07 +0000

There’s 2 tricks they used to use, not sure if digital transmission but with analog they do the perceived loudness trick and also a trick with the compressor.

TV compresses the audio into a smaller band for transmission. The quiet noises become louder and the louder noises quieter.

The trick they used to do with commercials was have it really low volume for a tiny fraction of a second, the compressor would then kick in and boost the whole commercial, so it was actually louder.

By: Bruce Simmons

Bruce Simmons — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:37:19 +0000

Everyone here has made a common point across the board and Jimmy summed it up:

“I don’t even watch “TV” anymore. Instead I download episodes in higher quality without these commercials to watch on my own schedule and without interruption.”

Unfortunately, I’ve seen the sign of the times where ads are probably going to start showing up in downloaded content because shows like Jericho, though it isn’t doing so hot in ratings, is the most downloaded show on iTunes (Or was when I was looking it over recently.)

Advertisers and marketers are starting to recognize that and realizing that even though Nielsen is stuck in the dark ages by just measuring TV viewing, this new realm has to be tapped and they are starting to call for some type of ratings off of the internet. (Which means our days of ad free shows may slowly come to a close.. ug.)

Thanks everyone.. I’ve got a new subject to tear into in the not too distant future.

By: Jimmy

Jimmy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:27:16 +0000

Because of these Commercials being very loud, and taking up 20 minutes of each one-hour of my TV time, I don’t even watch “TV” anymore. Instead I download episodes in higher quality without these commercials to watch on my own schedule and without interuption. It’s the way of the future!

By: 790

790 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:50:55 +0000

Good Jim. But you need to write sentance paragraphs better. Haha
I’ve been told I write and spell like a Pakled.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
He’s very smart, and he knows alot. Yes your very smart. You will fix craft and make us go fast?
^
(Quote:
Pakled commander)

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:58:23 +0000

Jim, I actually wrote about how overly loud the volume is set in movie theaters a while back: Going Deaf In Movie Theaters Vic

By: Jim Carey

Jim Carey — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 17:25:32 +0000

Andy,
DVR viewing rules. It provokes the question, “What commercials?” and “What Mute Button?” I skip past ads.

790,
Oh man you had me roaring. Pakleds? Gotta say, TNG gave us some interesting “people.”

I use English subtitles when I watch DVDs, because I hate rewinding (old term) in order to understand intimate whispered scenes which are followed by some really loud orchestration.

And last but not least, I do NOT need my ears to bleed, in order to enjoy a movie experience, whether in the theatre or at a friend’s house. Big sound systems and they have to blare the volume…

790, was that rantyland enuff 4 u?

By: Screen Rant

Screen Rant — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 01:55:10 +0000

LOL, believe or not I actually really switched to Geico recently.

Had to put in a claim and honestly, they were awesome plus they were cheaper than what I had previously.

Notice the utter and complete lack of ANY affiliate links.

Vic

By: 790

790 — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:26:13 +0000

Well this site isn’t called Candyland its called Screen Rant and today was a bad day at the dynamite factory.

Promotional consideration provided by GIECO,

“Did you know I saved over 150 dollars by switching to GIECO?”…

By: Brian W.

Brian W. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:15:35 +0000

doh, i should read first then comment

By: Brian W.

Brian W. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 22:13:58 +0000

the loudest part of the show you’re watching isn’t louder than the commercials but the commercials stay closer to that maximum volume the entire time. It’s called compression.