I Have Something to Say
[u]Audio on Films and TV broadcast in the UK[/u]
Due to ever improving technology, the quality of audio and video is now better than it has ever been. Video images are higher resolution and colours more vibrant; audio is clearer, with virtually no hiss, and is capable of a greatly improved dynamic range. Great news - or is it?
In the UK there have been many complaints about the ridiculously loud volume of advertisements (commercials) on TV, by comparison to the surrounding programme material we actually want to see. Complaints included things such as children being woken by excessively loud advertising and even people receiving complaints from their neighbours if they fail to turn the volume down during the advertisement breaks.
In recent years the UK Advertising Standards Authority has introduced a new rule that any advertisements broadcast must be no louder than the loudest parts of the surrounding programme material. Originally this seemed to make sense although my personal preference would have been for the ruling to say that the adverts should be the same [i]average[/i] volume as programmes. Unfortunately, the new rule doesn't seem to have helped much.
I have noticed recently that the volume range of regular programme material, particularly films, has become annoyingly wide. This means constantly having to ride the volume control on the remote to turn up the quiet sections loud enough to hear them, and then backing of again for the louder parts, which can be ridiculously loud by comparison. This ruins viewing pleasure in many cases to the point I now watch far less TV. I feel sure that broadcasters are now using dynamic range expanders now so that they are still able to make advertisements sound significantly louder than the programmes without breaching the rules. What is even more annoying is that this ridiculously wide dynamic range seems to be used even when no advertisements are present, such as when viewing pre-paid films transmitted via the internet.
Apparently there is now a ruling in America that the advertisements can be no louder than the rest of the broadcast. I hope that is implemented in the UK so we can get back to enjoying watching programmes without needing to ride the volume control the entire time.
Due to ever improving technology, the quality of audio and video is now better than it has ever been. Video images are higher resolution and colours more vibrant; audio is clearer, with virtually no hiss, and is capable of a greatly improved dynamic range. Great news - or is it?
In the UK there have been many complaints about the ridiculously loud volume of advertisements (commercials) on TV, by comparison to the surrounding programme material we actually want to see. Complaints included things such as children being woken by excessively loud advertising and even people receiving complaints from their neighbours if they fail to turn the volume down during the advertisement breaks.
In recent years the UK Advertising Standards Authority has introduced a new rule that any advertisements broadcast must be no louder than the loudest parts of the surrounding programme material. Originally this seemed to make sense although my personal preference would have been for the ruling to say that the adverts should be the same [i]average[/i] volume as programmes. Unfortunately, the new rule doesn't seem to have helped much.
I have noticed recently that the volume range of regular programme material, particularly films, has become annoyingly wide. This means constantly having to ride the volume control on the remote to turn up the quiet sections loud enough to hear them, and then backing of again for the louder parts, which can be ridiculously loud by comparison. This ruins viewing pleasure in many cases to the point I now watch far less TV. I feel sure that broadcasters are now using dynamic range expanders now so that they are still able to make advertisements sound significantly louder than the programmes without breaching the rules. What is even more annoying is that this ridiculously wide dynamic range seems to be used even when no advertisements are present, such as when viewing pre-paid films transmitted via the internet.
Apparently there is now a ruling in America that the advertisements can be no louder than the rest of the broadcast. I hope that is implemented in the UK so we can get back to enjoying watching programmes without needing to ride the volume control the entire time.
