Loud commercials

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@pangaia wrote:

I'm in Florida and the commercials come on much louder than TV. Anybody have a solution for this. I tried calling Xfinity but got no where.

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no matter if via cable TV or over the air there is nothing anyone can do now other than the producers (studios and their companies) that create the video commercial you are watching. other than complaining to the company that made the commerical or to your representative in congress. Comcast has nothing to do with volume of the commercials.

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@pangaia wrote: ... commercials come on much louder than TV. ...

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Please see https://www.fcc.gov/media/policy/loud-commercials and https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/loud-commercials-tv.

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@Rustyben wrote: ... Comcast has nothing to do with volume of the commercials.

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Note that:

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Specifically, the CALM Act directs the Commission to establish rules that require TV stations, cable operators, satellite TV providers or other multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs) to apply the Advanced Television Systems Committee's (ATSC) A/85 Recommended Practice ("ATSC A/85 RP") to commercial advertisements they transmit to viewers.

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@BruceW wrote:

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@Rustyben wrote: ... Comcast has nothing to do with volume of the commercials.

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Note that:

 

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Specifically, the CALM Act directs the Commission to establish rules that require TV stations, cable operators, satellite TV providers or other multichannel video program distributors (MVPDs) to apply the Advanced Television Systems Committee's (ATSC) A/85 Recommended Practice ("ATSC A/85 RP") to commercial advertisements they transmit to viewers.

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the second link is 404 and should be http://www.atsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Techniques-for-establishing-and-maintaining-audio-loudness.pdf?zoom_highlight=ATSC+A+85+RP .  Audio levels are set only at production time (creation) of the video in final form. there is no real time MVPD modifications to audio. the 'consumer' in that link is to use their own equipment (for example volume control, settings in their receiver, or if available, settings in any set top box to adjust audio profile. I haven't read anything so far on ATSC 3.0 about new abilities in this area.

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@Rustyben wrote: ... there is no real time MVPD modifications to audio. ...

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Perhaps, but MVPDs do have responsibilities for compliance with the CALM act. See the actual FCC rules on this at https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?n=sp47.4.76.k&ty=HTML#se47.4.76_1607. Note that the section begins "(a) Transmission of commercial advertisements by cable operator or other multichannel video programming distributor."

I watch the same commercials in NY and NJ (Verizon and Optimum cable providers) and I never see this issue at all. I would say over 50% of the commercials are too loud. It is obnoxious and all I do is constantly lower and raise the volume.

Have no fear, this practice is not new...been this way for decades and it seems only us humble viewers complain.

Commercials are louder for several reasons. In general, during commercials people tend to go to other parts of the house to do other things...cooking/preparing meals, bathroom break, checking on the kids, etc.

Commercials are loud so you have the opportunity to hear the televison when you are in another part of the house for said reasons.

When the television goes back to "normal" volume, then the commercial break is over.

Some people just doesn't want to or can't just sit there and watch the commercials.

Basically, it's an attention getter from the advertising agencies to get you to buy whatever product is being presented.