TV rant!

[mailee]

Has anyone noticed the volume on the TV on a lot of channels gets much higher on the adverts? It really is starting to annoy me as I have it set while watching a program and then have to turn it down when the adverts blast out! Not sure if it is just a problem with Virgin media or all of the digital channels? :evil: Mind you most of the ads are better than the programs anyway....but that is another rant. :roll:

 

[doctor Bob]

Strange how this annoys us yet a big old planer sounding like a Lancaster bomber 1ft away is no problem what so ever

 

[DaveyP]

They say that the average level is the same as the program... which of course is just fudging it to comply with
the requirements..

Its the f'ing peek level that should be the yard stick.

Lancaster bombers and war films are exempt

 

[Lons]

DaveyP is spot on. Been going on for a long time and doesn't matter who your provider is.

Some bright sparks decided that increased volume would make the ads more effective but despite the complaints and feedbacks they can't accept that it does exactly the opposite.

We turn the sound OFF completely when the ads appear and I know numerous other folk who do likewise. :? The more it happens the more irritating it gets.
(I think it's really sabatage by the BEEB to get everyone to switch channels :wink: )

 

[Mark A]

I'd much prefer a Lancaster than go compare. I turn the TV off for about 30 seconds when that comes on so that I don't have to watch or listen to it! Then back to mighty ships or wonders of the solar system.

Discovery are bringing out a new series soon called "Coal". They've done crabbing, lobstering, logging. What next?

 

[MickCheese]

You need Sky+. Just start it recording at the beginning of a program and go make a cup of tea.

Then come back after 15 minutes and start watching, at the adverts just fast forward. The ads are now so long that you will use up your 15 minutes before the end of the program and you have gained 15 minutes of your life back. :lol:

Mick

 

[Harbo]

We tend to watch the Beeb live and record commercial channels on our Humax PVR - have not seen a commercial for a long time!
The time interval gets smaller as the programme gets towards the end too i.e. more ads.

As said most 1 hour programes last only 45mins.

Rod

 

[studders]

Only ever watch online using catchup service, coupled with AdBlock+, don't get any ads. Not suitable for everyone though as sometimes the download speed rate makes watching nigh on impossible; good job I suffer with insomnia really, can watch most stuff in the wee hours when most peeps are akip, assuming there's something worth watching of course, of which there's often nowt.

 

[Jacob]

What ps me off is music on top of documentaries. You are sitting there having a laugh watching killer whales chomping up seals and penguins or whatever and all the time there's a huge brass band or orchestra blasting away. If I wanted music I could just put my own on, or play the mouth organ!

 

[Harbo]

Well at least they didn't play "Jaws" music!!

Rod

 

[bugbear]

Has anyone noticed the volume on the TV on a lot of channels gets much higher on the adverts? It really is starting to annoy me as I have it set while watching a program and then have to turn it down when the adverts blast out! Not sure if it is just a problem with Virgin media or all of the digital channels? :evil: Mind you most of the ads are better than the programs anyway....but that is another rant. :roll:

Started being a real problem in 2004 (ish) when the advertisers started using the same compression technology that the music singles studios were using.

Audiophiles objected to the use of compressors on music too, but that's another story.

BugBear

 

[Mike.C]

If you time the average length of a commercial break you will find they are around 3 minutes long. Now time how long it takes for you to boil a kettle and make a cup of coffee/tea, and again you will find that this takes around 3 minutes too. So why do they increase the sound during these breaks?, so that you will hear the adverts from the kitchen?
At least this is what it used to be, even before digital tv :roll: :roll:

Cheers

Mike

 

[cambournepete]

Some bright sparks decided that increased volume would make the ads more effective...

I have also heard that they improve the picture quality for the ads to make them look better*. I don't know how true this is though.

Pete

*This is pretty easy in the world of digital TV, just increase the bit rate for that channel while it's showing the ads. That would steal some bit rate from another channel, but they don't all show ads at the same time (even if it feels like it) and there's probably a bit spare in each multiplex (group of channels) anyway).

 

[Sawyer]

One of the standard tricks of the ad. men, and very annoying: like 95% of advertising, in fact.
Anyone who can invent an advert filter so we can watch telly advert free will be a millionaire very quickly.

No problems with the sound of a Lancaster bomber though, I could happily listen to it any time. Merlin engines x 4 - lovely!

 

[cambournepete]

Anyone who can invent an advert filter so we can watch telly advert free will be a millionaire very quickly.

The technology is already there (and was 12/13 years ago), but the ads earn the TV companies money.
I've no idea how much extra you'd have to pay for the ad-free version of Sky1...

 

[theartfulbodger]

I think the rules allow the adverts to be as loud as the loudest part of the program..the car chase/helicopter explosion/screaming on beastenders etc

The only think I watch live these days is the news. Since we got a recordable digibox thing we record everything we want to watch - it allows us to live life around the TV schedule not the other way round, and also to fast forward through the adverts

 

[DaveyP]

Just popping back to say...

This doesn't seem to be an issue with the jolly fine service provided by the good old BBC Tellingvision or wireless

 

[bugbear]

Just popping back to say...

This doesn't seem to be an issue with the jolly fine service provided by the good old BBC Tellingvision or wireless

Apart from endless sodding trailers for Strictly.

BugBear

 

[knappers]

If they trailed it using a 30 second compilation of the girls running up the stairs, they can trail strictly as much as they like...
Si.

 

[milkman]

We tend to watch the Beeb live and record commercial channels on our Humax PVR - have not seen a commercial for a long time!
The time interval gets smaller as the programme gets towards the end too i.e. more ads.

As said most 1 hour programes last only 45mins.

Rod

They don't even last that as the programme itself wastes a good 10 minutes telling what they are going to show you, what they showed you last time and what they are going to show you next time. Almost no content and no depth.
Brilliantly parodied by Mitchel & Webb.
No wonder I'm developing attention deficit disor… ooh Squirrel!