9 
Here’s some great US TV news. Even better than recommissioning Babylon 5. They’ve passed a law to stop adverts being louder than the programmes they rudely interrupt, a move that will make commercial television much more bearable.
The decision has been passed in the US under the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (Calm) Act, and applies to all broadcasters through cable, satellite and any other medium where things are shown on TV with ads for washing powder, car tyres and energy drinks in the middle of them.
Enforcement of the volume rule appears to be a little shaky, though, with US TV regulator the FCC relying on complaints from viewers before acting in any way. And it doesn’t apply to online catch-up services, so is basically about 30 years too late to save everyone going mad.
Let’s hope we get a form of this rule in place too, as it’s a high-priority whinge over here as well. Even the BBC with its noisy idents is an offender. [BBC]
Yes!!! Fucking yes! *Tim Henman fist pump*
Fanfuckingfinally, currently have to run my STB audio through a compressor with the limiter set to slightly above programming volume, that way when adverts come on (if I’m watching live, which is rare) the noise of people trying to sell me pointless shit I don’t want doesn’t boot me in the eardrums.
Sounds like it would be less complicated to build a volume control robot
It IS a rule over heare already. Unfortunately that bit just before the adverts, the old “word from the sponsor” or little theme bit, counts as part of the program so they just ramp up the volume on that too and it’s all ok.
This regulation needs to take place EVERYWHERE!
I hate it specially when you are falling asleep during a show and the adverts come on in an attemp to shock you to death!
We dont have this issue in le Maison de Spatchmo, for one never sullies oneself by watching commercial television, for it is too comon for our tastes, and on the rare exception where we choose to watch an Non BBC channel, we record it on the sky plus and watch later, or set it to record then watch something else, or maybe discus politics or the economic climate for half an hour so we can start watching the recording and fast forward through all the adverts.
Take the X factor, for example, to begin with thats a 2 hour long show, we can condense that into about 25 minutes by fastforwarding through all the adverts and the comments by brazen hussy Talloulah or whatever her name is. We approve of the Lord High Sir Gary of Barlow and can tollerate Dermot but the rest gets zapped.
People still watch commercial television? How quaint.
Always remember: Babylon 5 ftw!
Babylon 5′s a big pile of shit.
I may have a major issue with you here.
*seethes*
I’m with you on this one!
A big pile of shit has never smelled sweeter my friend – come on, dive in!
GET OUT!
Hooray!
F and the T to the very actual W indeed.
Couldn’t have put it better myself.
Wait, Babylon 5? When?
I know – I just tried looking this up. Sadly, I think it’s just wishful thinking!
There were rumours i’m sure….
Maybe it’s this Gary means?
http://blastr.com/2012/08/babylon-5-creator-returni.php
Th eLord High Sir Gary of Cutlack is very good at reading his comments and i wouldn’t be surprised if he jumps in to clear the air!
I know it was a while ago, but did Sinclair end up being god?
And Dilen decided to be a human and was much fitter.
Its a rule over here as well, it used to be until a few months ago that all media had a peek limit of 6.5ppm (-4db) and then ofcom could smack your bottom if you were naughty, now there is a new structure called “Loudness correction”. All UK adverts are now Loudness corrected and now programs are being matched to this concept. the idea being that each section of broadcast (program, Advert, sponsor) have the same average loudness. This has come in as Digital has taken over, digital systems can handle peeks better in higher levels of db (up to -1) where as before we limited to -4db (6.5ppm ish) this should make all your listening better and make all content pretty much the same level. The big issue is that programs are atmospheric and although the average loudness matches the adjacent advert or sponsorship the cut normally ends in a quiet section as who cuts during an action scene so it feels like there is a jump in volume when in actual fact its all within the same range. They dont crank them up or down, they cant, all TX streams are recorded and reviewed for up to 36hours or so and then random samples, requests and checks are sent and logged for Ofcom. it is highly regulated and that is what is now going over to the US. VOD services will catch up to this as well soon enough as they are going to be created of the broadcast source assets that have been loudness corrected as will the adverts. iplayer are the worst at the mo with their channel idents being maxxed out at 6.5ppm.. knobs!
I never understood why iplayer needed an ident, I’ve got a pretty good idea what channel I’m watching, what with either having just gone to iplayer on tinterwebs or gone to bbc one, pressed red, waited 2 hours, pressed iplayer, waited 2 hours,
Channel idents are key to help along the “word of mouth” distribution, the ident in-beds the channel and association into you and when you talk about it (assuming its good like Frozen planet and not crap like Eastbenders) then you know which channel its on so the next person can use that detail to quickly locate the asset. this is only a small reason there are many and a lot of time and research goes into channel idents. I have just spent the last few months working on a re-branding project for all of Discovery’s VOD idents. (Check out a Discovery VOD on Sky, Virgin or BT!!) They cost a lot and branding has a lot of effect if it did not then they would not spend the money..
RT @StealthMountain I think you mean “peak”
well.. yes.. haha after all its “Peak Programme meter”
Uk please!!!!