Are TV Commercials Too Loud?

When you drive to and from work, and you see the idiot that looks like their driver's license came from a cracker jack box, and with no concept of real life, chances are they work in an advertising department somewhere.

They got noticed

the mute button on my remote is the closest button to me

(*&)((#&^*$^ &% tax advertising lawyers)

Some advertising firms seem to be 'getting' it. Although I haven't purchased anything by Samsung, I immediately recognize the latest Samsung commercials for their use of the song "Hey, Soul Sister" by the group 'Train'. I suppose there are some people who hate that song, but I happen to like it and the YouTube video is now up to 12 million 'hits' with many of the comments mentioning the Samsung commercials.

The commercial uses the song's opening, an acoustic strumming of the mandolin (? -- or a 4-string guitar?) and the simple "Hey, hey..." opening lyrics. It doesn't bust your eardrums, and you don't (well, I don't) immediately punch the mute button on the remote. http://www.youtube.com/Train, Hey Soul Sister

http://www.youtube.com/samsung

I'm pretty sure the Senate already addressed this issue. Maybe we'll get quieter television viewing experiences sooner rather than later? I watch all my shows online so I'm afraid I can't share in the ear throbbing commercials for Sham-Wow and the like

Anyways, here's the link to the Senate's new regulations:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/30/politics/main6916562.shtml

You are right, this should have started already. But like most gov. projects it will take time to get all providers in compliance.

yes.. there are many types of prostitution... I see great actors doing commercials for banks, trust companies, and insurance companies.. working for the enemy!

working for the enemy!

You mean embedded?

well.... as long as they aren't impregnated...

Agreed. Most TV is a waste of time, money and energy. But some worthwhile programming exists.

One of the more valuable things to pursue in life is to seek higher knowledge than can be gained via the senses.

I agree with the idea of generally keeping the TV off. When there is a show on TV I might want to see, I usually DVR it, then skip or mute the commercials,

BUT, there is some TV I have to watch live. I'm talking, of course, about FOOTBALL. The real American brand. SEC; BIG 10, ACC, BIG 12, NFL/NFC, NFL/AFC. Georgia-Florida; Ohio State-Michigan; Alabama-Auburn; Redskins-Cowboys; Patriots-Dolphins. War played on a field, with a hunk of leather and some cleats. Bragging rights.

One of the more valuable things to pursue in life is to seek higher knowledge than can be gained via the senses.

--Yep, football.

But not that boring soccer/futbol stuff.

Thank the Good Lord for the "Mute Button", It really works. The Stations in my area of Okla. are all programed together, so to change stations don't cure the problem. the screaming, talking through your nose, dial tones in the back grounds, and flashing lights are not aimed at the general public but to those who have the money and to reach them you have to bust through the fog..???

They know that many viewers leave the room for the bathroom or refrigerator during commercials, so they increase the volume so you'll still hear it.

The very philosophy of frequent advertising in media in reality, may not have an impact to consumers. It is a well known fact that just by seeing the advertisement not much people rush to buy the article. It means only a compelling dominance of the advertiser.

Sensible messages and minimum frequencies should sound decent.

The T.V media basically exploits the addiction of viewers by imposing advertisements. High volumes give a jerk for attention of the viewers, a sort of compulsion to look at it.

With the advantage of remote and multiple choices of channels now viewers are used to skip / escape advertisements, the best thing we can do about is. There is a current trend about viewing only the channels with least advertisements.

Sound and light are important sensations to humans with the external world and all the media use this effective vehicles. Amplifiers, flash lights, loudness it is hard to get rid off from any part.

Solutions.

* keep rubber ear plugs to save ears.

* Use minimum volume, closed door T.V watching.

*Restrict duration of time spent on T.V.

* Engage into pleasant hobby works or reading- useful time pass out means.

* For the past 8 years I got engaged in research with no Audio or video based gadgets and surely it makes a new meaning.

* Changing the external world is difficult, but it wiser to device means to avoid disturbances to keep up one's peace of mind.

I don't watch much TV but when I do I Mute them. I think most people do. I'd much rather have a TV that senses them and mutes itself. Since there is software to "strip" commercials out of video recordings, I'm sure it can be done. Probably resistance from advertisers keeps it from happening.

Actually, according to Turner CEO Jamie Kellner if you skip commercials you are stealing.

http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2002/5/2/22720/40202

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Yes, kuro5hin is flaky

Google "turner ceo + stealing" and you'll get plenty of links.

Thats so even from the kitchen you know if the show your watching has come back on!!!

In Europe at least, they are not actually louder, "they just SOUND Louder", because they have changed the frequency spectrum, similar I believe to the "Loudness" control on older hifi systems. Certain frequencies are boosted - the ones that we hear best of course.

Some modern TVs have a control that evens it out better (if selected and set up). Different manufacturers have different names for it, usually something like "Dynamic Sound Control" or similar.......Don't buy a set that HASN'T got such a control is my best tip.

Check all the menus of your TV out carefully, you may already have it available, but don't know it. My set is 6 years old from Phillips and has it already fitted......so its nothing really new....

There have been other CR4 blogs on the subject...

More likely is not an equalized sound, but an addition of what is known as compression.

It is also applied to a lot of modern music on MP3s and remix versions of older music on MP3. You can sometimes hear it for yourself if you compare an original vinyl recording with that of a download from iTunes.

It makes the music (or in this case, commercial) sound more punchy, but at a loss of dynamic range.

I do believe you are 100% correct....I had forgotten the proper description, many thanks.

Castration of the offenders would be a good start at curing the problem.

I'd volunteer to do it. That's how annoying it is (they are) to me.

The volume of TV commercials often defeats the attention grabbing purpose of the increased level. In many cases the immediate response if not just lowering the level but instead, many listeners will seek out the MUTE feature and thereby eliminate the irritarion source. I don't think the broadcasting stations increase the volume though. Most commercials are transmitted at the level that hey are recorded cosequently the advertising agencies seem to be indifferent to the resulting discomfort as long as they can convince the sponsor that the ad is being heard which results in increased sales and/or promotional value.

Yes they are 6 to 9 db hotter than the program signal.

This has to be on purpose as there are "AGC" (automatic gain compensator) compressors on nearly every system I've ever seen.

This is not an accident.

If you read this blog from the beginning, all the way through, you will find out why the ads "sound" louder.

What many forget is that there are legal limits to the sound levels issued by TV companies, not too quiet and not too loud, all they can play with is the compression factor - which they do!!

Australia many years ago had laws that prevented this, they must have lapsed in the last year, because the volume has returned.

There is a simple solution, start an add logo for the top right side of the screen. companies who have there product sound aired at the same volume as the show playing (not volume allowed) the same sound pitch (different pitches sound louder) can display the Logo, and consumers can choose to buy from companies that don't piss us off. Work?

I have not bought cadburys chocolate for more than two years, we supported there scumbag company since its inception and they downsized the large block from 250 grams to 200 grams and charge us the same price - reasoning? sugar is cheaper now than 50 years ago, and is now more highly automated so labour costs are less. If material costs were a factor aldi would not have a 300 gram block for a dollar less than their 200 gram and it tastes exactly the same as cadburys.

Support the companies that support their customers - 20 dollars a week from just 1000 people in a suburb is a million dollars a year. Crushing a global giant is easier than you think. 10 percent of their sales may be their shareholder profit component.

Bring in the Screen Logo