ChatterBank2 mins ago
film sound?
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I have often noticed that films seem quite quiet on TV. Then when the adverts come on they are noticeably louder. Is this deliberate or my TV playin up? Has anyone else noticed this kind of thing?
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For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.A BBC Sound engineer explained this to me once, and it's due to the audio compression that is used when an adverts soundtrack is created.
It's nothing to do with compression as we understand it computer terms, but by compressing the audio signal you elevate the quiet parts of the soundtrack so they are at a similar volume level to the loud parts. This makes the sound much more punchy and full, which is what advertisers want.
What it means to you the listener is that adverts seem much louder. Although in effect they are not louder, there just is no quietness in them.
I hope that kind of makes sense...I tried to find you a link that explains it better, but Google just turns up loads of pages about digital compression, which is not the same thing.
Hi, found a link explaining 'compression';
http://www.saecollege.de/reference_material/pages/Compressio n.htm
It might be a bit technical, but you might find it interesting.
Cheers
As previous posters have suggested, it is to do with compression. The same technique is used my most radio stations so that they appear the loudest on the dial. (Why? I don't know.)
The trick is that the sound isn't actually louder but it is only perceived to be so.
I understand C4 now have "perceived loudness" meters to monitor the output of programmes and commercials!