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Commercial Mode

Randy

Randy

Well-Known Member
Superstar
So with all the fancy processing, modes, doodads and such that receivers and pre/pros have programmed into them, why don't they have "commercial mode"?

So I am watching Iron Man 3 on TV now on FX and I have the ole HT fired up and its a decent enough experience until the commercials come on then I have to grab the remote and turn the volume way down so I can bare to stay in the room, then the commercials end and I have to grab the remote and turn the volume back up to where I had it.

So why don't they make a "commercial mode" where I single press a button and it lowers the volume by "X" db and when I single press the button again it toggles back to the previously set movie watching volume?

Or, does this already exist and I don't know it? I don't really want to mute the volume, simply take it down a few notches.

Mods, feel free to move this if you think it should go somewhere else. Umm, except the recycle bin...
 
They do have volume compressors on receivers, but enabling it unfortunately can detract from the louder parts of a show/movie. The FCC supposedly said they were doing something about this, but it doesn't seem like they did much.

Even if the general audio levels are managed, there's also an issue with the surrounds. Where a normal program will use the surrounds sparingly (for ambient or other noises), commercials will end up running all channels equally, so if your surrounds are near your listening position you get relatively blasted, even if the volume is otherwise manageable. Since levels are the same, nobody really does anything, but I do wish that when channels are running a 5.1 audio stream, they would keep the commercial sounds to ONLY the front three channels.
 
^^^This is exactly what I am talking about. ^^^

I guess I could try night mode if my Marantz has that. I honestly don't know and will have to look.

Well its definitely not conveniently located on my remote. I just checked.
 
I made a gizmo which did this automatically a long time ago. The problem is that there is no consistency to the volume jump between commercials; some are loud as hell and others not so much. Additionally commercials are usually processed to shit with frequency dependent compression and other tricks like what AM and FM radio stations used to do, so separating a commercial from normal program material is harder than it would appear.

Building a manual version of commercial partial muting would be really simple to do for a manufacturer, and I have seen some audio gear which does do this for answering the phone for example.

So simple answer; yes, I could build something just like that. You probably couldn't. :moon:
 
The FCC does have rules about that problem and if it happens to you a complaint should be filed so the offenders are called out by a ruling body.
 
Flint said:
The FCC does have rules about that problem and if it happens to you a complaint should be filed so the offenders are called out by a ruling body.
Click to expand...

I don't think the "commercial compression loudenss" issue is something a complaint from me is going to solve. It has gone on this long and I don't see it changing. I just think this would be a really handy feature for AV receivers and pre/pros.
 
Flint said:
The FCC does have rules about that problem and if it happens to you a complaint should be filed so the offenders are called out by a ruling body.
Click to expand...
Uh, I think the FCC is more likely on the side of the commercial vendors in today's political climate.....
 
Randy said:
I don't think the "commercial compression loudenss" issue is something a complaint from me is going to solve. It has gone on this long and I don't see it changing. I just think this would be a really handy feature for AV receivers and pre/pros.
Click to expand...
Yes, DOLBY COMMERCIAL ®!!!!
 
In fact, the FCC takes those complaints very seriously. The problem is that they have to have enough data to hold people responsible. Your saying that complaining won't change anything is the very reason nothing is getting done.

The industry has adopted technology which rates the perceived "loudness" of every piece of content based on well proven algorithms and defined standards in order to resolve this problem. If someone screwed up and didn't set thing correctly, the FCC is the proper governing body to speak to them and ultimately fine them if they are found to violate regulations regularly.
 
Flint said:
In fact, the FCC takes those complaints very seriously. The problem is that they have to have enough data to hold people responsible. Your saying that complaining won't change anything is the very reason nothing is getting done.

The industry has adopted technology which rates the perceived "loudness" of every piece of content based on well proven algorithms and defined standards in order to resolve this problem. If someone screwed up and didn't set thing correctly, the FCC is the proper governing body to speak to them and ultimately fine them if they are found to violate regulations regularly.
Click to expand...
I hereby elect you to go to the FCC in Washington and be our representative for this onerous act!
 
My comment was more of a general complaint about the "loudness" of commercials as we have discussed many times. I'm simply saying it would be nice if someone put a -10db button (or something similar) on the remote of their receivers and pre/pros.
 
rammisframmis said:
I hereby elect you to go to the FCC in Washington and be our representative for this onerous act!
Click to expand...


I second the nomination.

Are there any others?

Are there any others?

Are there any others?

Hearing none. I move Flint be elected by acclamation!
 
rammisframmis said:
I hereby elect you to go to the FCC in Washington and be our representative for this onerous act!
Click to expand...

You forget, I did, indeed, go to the FCC for two years as a representative of a lobbying organization (but not as a registered lobbyist) and speak to FCC commissioners about this and other issues. Those I spoke to about the loudness issue were visibly pissed off that they found it so hard to enforce the commercial loudness regulations they put in place. A commercial should never have a perceived average "loudness" of more than +3dB compared to the entertainment content. If they can prove someone has violated this rule, they can warn them, and even fine them significantly, if they choose to.
 
Flint said:
This is one reason I love streaming my content.
Click to expand...
I've had the unfortunate experience of listening to Spotify free with commercials. Talk about LOUD! The commercials are at least a good 10dB over the volume of the songs. I don't think they are covered in the FCC regulations.
 
Flint said:
You forget, I did, indeed, go to the FCC for two years as a representative of a lobbying organization (but not as a registered lobbyist) and speak to FCC commissioners about this and other issues. Those I spoke to about the loudness issue were visibly pissed off that they found it so hard to enforce the commercial loudness regulations they put in place. A commercial should never have a perceived average "loudness" of more than +3dB compared to the entertainment content. If they can prove someone has violated this rule, they can warn them, and even fine them significantly, if they choose to.
Click to expand...
So, you if you actually went there and didn't have any effect, what possible effect could our pitiful complaining do?
 
Complaints are how they get data on instances of violations. If no one complains, how will they know if something went wrong. This is like saying why doesn't the police arrest bank robbers when no alarm of call is made to alert them that a bank has been robbed. Most of the time this issue was a simple fuck-up by an engineer in setting up a program or advertisement, not a blatant intent to blow out your ears. In all cases, the FCC needs to know it happened or is happening in order to do anything about it.
 
I just hit the skip button on the remote so I don't have to sit through the commercials. No DVR, Randy?
 
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