Advert volume.

[Shadow Man]

I am sure I read a while back that TV companies were banned from turning the output volume up when adverts come on.

Is this true??

I am certain they still do it, or perhaps it is just my imagination.

[Thrasher1504]

Not 100% on this but, I am sure the difference in sound is due to the frequency that the ads are transmitted at or the difference in some technical stuff to do with they way ads are tranmitted compared to other tv items.

I don't think they can control the volume?

I just wish they would put something decent on TV instead of the usual crap we suffer now!

[pug100]

I think it's your imagination try here from the ASA

http://www.cap.org.uk/cap/Consultations/open/T V_ad_sound_levels/Contents

[gettinblurry]

I'm with you Shadow Man. They may not be supposed to do it & there may be some fancy technical explanation, but as far as I'm concerned the bottom line is that some adverts are louder than the programme.
It's not just adverts either, some trailers on BBC are the same so it's not only the commercial channels.

[alijangra]

I notice it most on Paramount Comedy. Very irritating.

[cameo]

It doesn't matter how 'they' try and hide it. It definately happens and is really annoying.
I'd also noticed that now it's starting to happen on the BBC as well!!

[mosesg]

The adverts are definately louder I always reach for teh remote to turn it down in the ads. Mind you some of the background music on programmes is too loud you can barely hear what the actors are saying, it is so annoying!

[cruella]

Hi Shadow Man
Thank goodness someone else has noticed this. I thought it was just me and have actually stopped watching Paramount for that very reason.

[ruggief]

Hi there,
My father suffers badly from tinittus (badly spelled I know) and has the tv volume turned quite low but the adverts definitely are louder so much so he's taken too muting them all rather than up and down, I agree with earlier he answers, he finds Paramount and Uk Gold particularly bad

[pug100]

The effect you are hearing is the relative loudness between say a film which has a wide dynamic range (large difference between the loudest sound and quietest sound) and a tv advert which is usually compressed (almost no quiet passages in the sound ).
Think of it as switching between Radio 3 and Radio 1. Radio 3 has nice passages of music, pause, gentle dj voice etc...Radio 1 its bang bang music with dj talking over the end of the track and into a sting and intothe news
There are limits as to how loud broadcasts can be but by using an audio compressor the advert makers an squeeze more volume into their broadcasts. The effect when put next to a film or drama can be quite startling.