Annoyingly Loud commercials

[Woodland Detectors]

I just have to ask.
is it me or are some commercials so loud that when they come on they are so freaking loud they blow you our of your chair?

Do they actually think that if it's louder that we will pay them more attention??

Seriously?
c'mon!

I turn the channel and not allow them any type of ratings.

What's going on there people?

[shaun7]

I know what you mean.......AAAARGGGGHHH!!!

[simonds]

Yes, I know what you mean. I have Direct TV Sat dish. I watch the history channel most of the time, when I have the TV on. The history channel seems to be the worst one. I have to turn up my volume to 90 just to hear it, then a commercial comes on and blasts me out of the chair, I can turn it down to 20 and still hear the commercial very good. I'm thinking about calling direct TV about this problem. I don't know if it is something that they can adjust or not. But it really bothers me too.

[Woodland Detectors]

Yes, I know what you mean. I have Direct TV Sat dish. I watch the history channel most of the time, when I have the TV on. The history channel seems to be the worst one. I have to turn up my volume to 90 just to hear it, then a commercial comes on and blasts me out of the chair, I can turn it down to 20 and still hear the commercial very good. I'm thinking about calling direct TV about this problem. I don't know if it is something that they can adjust or not. But it really bothers me too.

Yep.
The History Channel. And those direct tv commercials!

[Silver Surfer]

Do they actually think that if it's louder that we will pay them more attention??

Yes, they do... And you have to admit, it gets your attention, although negative attention... I have worn out the "mute" button on every controller I have ever owned due to that.
No some TV's came with "smart sound" that was supposed to fix that, I have one, and although it does decrease the volume difference, it is still there..
I had an electronics genious buddy of mine back in the mid-90's work with me on building (and marketing) a device that would automatically mute, or nearly silent, commercials.... Well, the "machine" made that kind of stuff illegal.. Just like with Tivo, they tried to implement a system where it would not record commercials... That too, was "illegal".... The TV and Movie machine is very imbedded in our Govt and it's policies..

I have to admit though, that in the rare case that they make a really good commercial, I enjoy the heck out of them.. I love the one on now where the guy tricks the kids, and the looks those little girls give him are priceless!! My wife, however, did not appreciate my inference that "you women learn that look at way too early of an age"... LOL...

[willie d]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124475706604107803.html

[BigDan]

The history channel is the worst, and Direct TV the worst ads for increased volume. Despite their attempts, I have conditioned myself to pay no attention and infact cannot recall a commercial I was just "staring" at. But, I can tell you what I was thinking about. And it probably has nothing to do with the television show.

[Woodland Detectors]

Thank you Willie D

READ THIS!------>


Some members of Congress want broadcasters to turn down the volume on television commercials.

A bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D., Calif.) would require the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to "preclude commercials from being broadcast at louder volumes than the program material they accompany."

Broadcasters say they are addressing the problem already. "The major television broadcast networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, are each, individually, implementing policies that attempt to control loud commercials," said David Donovan, president of the Association for Maximum Service Television, a broadcast industry trade group, speaking at a hearing Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Telecommunications Subcommittee.

Mr. Donovan said Rep. Eshoo's bill could slow TV stations' voluntary efforts to control commercial volumes because any FCC proceeding would generate debate and uncertainty.

"I can assure you that the industry is motivated to act," said NBC Universal Principal Engineer and Audio Architect Jim Starzynksi, also at the hearing. Final review of an industry standard on commercial volume is expected in July, and broadcasters could begin implementing it by fall, he said.

[Iron Patch]

Yep, legislation is happening.

The way it works is the commercial can be at the same volume level as the loudest part of the program so many minutes (not sure how many) before going to commercial. So if there was a loud explosion you're going to get blasted by Budweiser or whatever else comes on during the break. It's a very stupid system and has to be fixed.

[mtntrekr2]

I also read before that the commercial cannot be any louder than the loudest part of the show. But the commercials are getting around that at 3 in the morning by having their own show or infomercial and then they can set the volume loud enough to make you jump out of bed.
I also like the history channel and I will say that as bad as it is I use the volume of the stupid infomercials to wake me up because I start work at 4:30 and when they come on at 3 I do get up.

Joe

[Produce Guy]

It happens here in Austin,Tx. to,my cable carrier is AT&T u-verse.

[spartacus53]

This was in the news a few weeks ago. Apparently the FCC is to get involved in resolving this issue. Basically the way it works is for example the highest volume is a ten, most networks will set their programming to a 5-6, but the commercials are allowed to, and have opted to broadcast at a ten. The FCC hopes to have this resolved before 2011.

[Zephyr]

Jeez, a broadcasting electronics handbook I have from the early 70's mentions the same volume difference 'problem' and that laws were in effect (even back then) to correct it. Looks like the FCC still hasn't done anything about it in over 30+ years....

[Woodland Detectors]

This is a good thread.

I'm happy to hear that something is being done about it.


When I sold insurance for GE it was very important not to make your clients feel on edge.

When some of these commercials came on it just made me wonder, what are they thinking?
Why do I want to buy something from someone who is screaming at me?

[RPG]

And I thought it was just me.