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Sound barriers to be introduced

Tired of ads sounding louder than your TV shows? Good news is at hand....

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Tired of ads sounding louder than your TV shows? Good news is at hand….

From January 1st all three commercial networks will employ new sound measurements which will give audio consistency between programs and ad breaks by measuring perception of noise.

SBS will also start it on the same day, with ABC to follow later.

”Viewers will be the big winners from these developments,” Free TV Australia’s chief executive, Julie Flynn, told Fairfax Media.

”In the past we have not had loudness measurement algorithms to objectively measure loudness characteristics. Now that loudness metering is possible, it will introduce consistency among sound production techniques around Australia.”

The new measurement is called LKFS. The average sound of the whole ad will be measured, not just the peak levels. And if the whole ad blares, it will exceed the new limit of -24LKFS.

The new loudness rules will fall under Free TV Australia’s Code of Practice.

16 Responses

  1. In the 60s, 70s and onwards TCN9 had a room next to their transmitter (in same building as studios) called Quality Control. QC was staffed by an engineer from 4pm. His/her duty was to monitor video and audio levels in a living room setup and adjust levels accordingly. Shame that these days no real person actually monitors what’s being broadcast, let alone monitors “quality”. MediaHub needs to do something about audio levels between programs and promos, especially on ABC24.

  3. I just hope it doesn’t cause gremlins like MediaHub did. Otherwise I don’t care as I know how to use a remote control. Actually I think it’s the changing from HD to SD that has more problems than the ads. But again there’s a remote to solve the problem.

    @ Secret Squirrel

    I think the trick with watching ads is to see if the footage appeals rather than the sales pitch. Otherwise I’d admit I’d have avoided Downton Abbey. But I didn’t. Plus Dame Maggie Smith.

  5. Mostly irrelevant at my place. The vast bulk of our viewing is non-commercial, including content which is shown here on commercial networks which we obtain via other means. Including wiating until a series is available on blu-ray, and watching that way, much more intelligent. Lots of people are doing that now. Life is too short to have 30% of your viewing time wasted by the obcenity of marketing/promotion.

  6. @tvf Ten’s catch up site sometimes seems to cut off a few minutes if you tend to pause it too often. If not maybe you should try switching browsers or upgrading flash player?

  8. Good news but I’ll still mute the ads as they’re clearly aimed at stupid people. Hope that network promos are included as they’re often the worst offenders.

    What would be really good is if they would ban the breathy, faux-gravitas, hyperbolic program promos that Seven and Ten use. They actually make me less likely to check a program out.

  9. NBN is a huge loudness network. You’re watching a show then the ads come on and you have to turn the tv down because they are so loud. Then the show would return and its so low you have to turn it up again. Personally though i still think this won’t do much.

  11. “”In the past we have not had loudness measurement algorithms”

    Oh please – you’ve had a million complaints that the ads are louder. Who needs an algorithm ?

    And the networks have had volume consistency for years – it’s called the volume control knob!

  13. This is great. I hate the adds being louder than the show. However now I unconsciously and automatically press mute went the show goes to an add break.

  14. In the past all the you had to do was to add OP48 compliant to a board for a TVC and that was it. This is a good call and hopefully will address that perception that ads are louder.

  15. I’ve actually noticed when watching catch up tv on ten that the ads are much louder than the actual show as well. Also recently some of tens video content is missing minutes so you miss lines of tv show. For example a drama such as homeland is split into 6 videos. Say you get to the end of the 5th video and the last say 30seconds is missing so you may miss couple of lines which disrupts the flow of the show. Its very annoying as this is the only source of watching a tv show you have missed. They are not the only culprits I was watching home and away a few weeks ago on plus 7 and an episode was missing the last minutes as well.

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