I’m writing to invite any one of your program directors and/or web masters to get a nice high-quality set of earbuds and settle in to watch CTV online programming. Please ask the viewer to adjust the presentation to a comfortable volume. I challenge the viewer to then leave the ear buds and volume unchanged during a commercial and see if they’re not FUCKING DEAF before the end of the commercial.
Canadians are generally NOT hard of hearing. Canadians are generally literate and can understand the message conveyed in the message. There is no reason to assume Canadians need the volume to DOUBLE during a commercial break without actually trying to drive the viewers away or cause actual hearing damage.
Please show respect for your Canadian viewers who still have their hearing intact and create your streams with normalized volume.
With ALL sincerity,
—A Bitchin’ Canadian who LOVES TV
This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2010.
there’s actually proposed legislation on this in the states… not sure about Canada. Just Google “commercial volume” there are a ton of articles
believe it or don’t, a guy friend of mine is in advertizing. he once told me, when i asked him the same question, that 90 % of commercials are designed that way. they are intentionally made to be louder than your eardrums can stand, because they make you pay attention. even for the shortest period of time. the human brain processes info at a very rapid rate,and even 2 seconds of a loud, lousy commercial, will get through to you. most of them made nowdays are only 15 seconds long, and they are played on a faster than normal format, so that you get most f it, before tuning out. but it still will stick in your mind, no matter what goes on afterward. is it fair, you bet, in the world of the ad agency concerned.
Also, people get up during commercials so they want you to hear them from the other room.
…also so that you can hear it because you’ve left the room.
oops…jynx on virgomom…u owe me a coke 😉
Yeah, they have been putting the volume up on commercial’s since I can remember, for the reason LS stated. Hence the mute button.
I watched the ECMA’s online last night with (gasp) no commercials!!!! What a concept! It was as good as my favourite Canadian tv public broadcasting stations that air entire shows without commercial breaks. I avoid watching or listening to commercials because I am not interested. The louder volume tactic is wasted on those who are quick on the draw with that mute button a counter-tactic employed by most people I know. Maybe the advertisers should do a survey on how many people mute their louder volume into ineffectualness before deciding this is an effective sales technique.
MORE TV BITCHES !!!!! YYYYYYAAAAAAAYYYYYY
I love not having TV.
No noise, no nonstop tampon commercials. Life is so much better without it. I get to come & interact with other anonymous posters, surf , play games, answer & send e-mails. Check up with the office staff, send files back & forth, so I don’t have to go in…Life is wonderful.
Until you can get your TV signal for FREE, you should all become TV free.
Umm, more:
…”settle in to watch CTV online programming. “
Online viewing has the potential to replace tv as we know it.
What I fucking love is how they show the same commercial EVERY. DAMN. FUCKING. TIME.
Ugh.
Have you been tested for HPV?
What LS said is true. So if you’re going to write an open letter, write it to the people who make the commercials. (Good luck!)
And about the sound, it’s not just a matter of volume. These commercials use a method called compression where they bring the low level volume to match the high volume so it sounds louder when in fact it’s all just the same volume.
BF is correct…and this method allows the overall measured “volume” to pass scrurtiny, while the ad itself ‘sounds” loud and in your face…
In addition, certain frequencies are boosted to really pierce your brain and be heard from miles away even from the tinniest TV – and nothing you can do will shut out the shrill, waivering and angry sound….oh, wait, that’s Alannis Morrisette.