Well, I guess I'm not the only one bugged by inappropriate or too loud background noise or music! Like Steve StrummerUK  I'm also bugged by the ducking used to tame too loud background music/noise.  The impact of the ducking is dramatic and distracting.  Maybe just a little ducking would be OK but that would take less background noise.  

I remember the TV show "Brothers and Sisters" from the mid-2000's that was situated in the middle of a wine growing area.  It had a lot of traffic noise in the background and there was no traffic out there in the winery area.  How did that make sense?

Cheers,
--Larry

I've found there's no background music issue if I leave the TV off...

I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one that notices poor audio quality on so many TV shows. I've always assumed it's because of tight production schedules and the fact that non-dialog sound comes last in the process.

Another gripe: every channel on my cable service is a different volume. I think it may have to do with overloading distribution amplifiers with too many drops per amp. Whatever the reason, it's annoying and should have a simple technological solution, like a leveling amplifier built in to the cable box.

My cable box (PVR) and Blu-Ray player are routed via HDMI through my receiver (Pioneer VSX-2010) which has some features to automatically adjust the volume.  As far as I can tell they do nothing.  Maybe I just couldn't find the right options or parameters - the user guide for the receiver is 130 pages and that's only the English part!  Amazingly complex device.

I find that the biggest volume level differences are between different sources like Netflix streaming (via the blu-ray player) versus live TV.  I have to turn the volume way up for Netflix streaming.  Also, Pandora levels from track to track vary wildly - annoying sometimes. 

--Larry

 I mainly notice the big changes in volume like bitflipper. Not just the variation on the channels but the commercials. There should be a rule  that insists a commercial can't be any louder than the program material.

 It is really aggravating when someone in the next room is sound asleep and I have the volume set perfectly so I can hear it but it isn't waking anyone up...then the commercial comes on and before I have time to mute it BAM! 

Starise,  I believe a new law just became effective that limits the volume of commercials.  It was passed years ago but everyone was given years to get on the bandwagon.  Everyone is supposed to be on the bandwagon now.
--Larry

 I am very glad to hear that. Thanks Larry.

 I think there will probably be a level in hell where all of the mixers for commercials will be made to sit and listen to their own commercials at full volume;)

Starise


 I mainly notice the big changes in volume like bitflipper. Not just the variation on the channels but the commercials. There should be a rule  that insists a commercial can't be any louder than the program material.

It is really aggravating when someone in the next room is sound asleep and I have the volume set perfectly so I can hear it but it isn't waking anyone up...then the commercial comes on and before I have time to mute it BAM! 

Well, I think you'll find that commercials really aren't "louder," but they are far more compressed so they seem louder.  You don't need a lot of headroom when you're just brainwashing the masses - lol.

Starise,  It took effect in December 2012.  Read about it here:

http://articles.latimes.c...s-into-effect-20121212

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/w...oudness_Mitigation_Act

Google will find other articles too.  Look for "TV volume law"

--Larry

 Interesting reads there Larry, thanks for posting them.

 Apparently my local cable broadcaster is not strictly following the law yet....I have noticed the commercials not being quite as bad as they once were. At one time I almost had a few accidents. Similar to being slapped in the face out of a sound sleep. Now it seems to be slightly better but not the same as the regular programming.

 Like you, I tend to also use some of the internet video services and the problem there isn't the commercials but bad audio quality. I am not wired direct and am instead streaming through wifi. Maybe at least some of that is coming from the wireless process. By the time the signal reaches me it has been put though probably at least a half dozen converters sent into cow territory over miles of cable and then lastly broadcast over wifi.

 Craig- I would like to offer those guys a little bit of head compression myself.