Atrocious Audio Processing on Analog Channels?

[superh]

Does anyone find the audio processing atrocious on the analog channels? Specifically, I subscribe to Time Warner cable in Kansas City and use a cable card on my main TV. On the digital stations, no additional processing is employed (it is a user-configurable option on the Scientific Atlanta boxes), so commercials are louder or quieter than the broadcast - no amplitude compression is employed, if you keep the processing disabled.

Audio processing is disabled on my TV with the cable card.

However, of course, since analog cable audio compression isn't user-configurable for most people (and there are voltage limits), Time Warner has taken the courtesy to do it for us - leaving us with fidelity no better than that of FM radio stations.

I don't mind that there is audio compression used, I just want it done right. What I'm hearing is a bad multiband compression algorithm which leaves the audio sounding tinny and hollow and amplifies white noise when there is no audio playing, leaving a loud hiss sound.

Anyone else notice this? I think they could do a much better job with this. They must be using cheap processors, or lack the know-how to configure audio.


I was a radio station engineer for a year and would have slit my throat if I couldn't make the station sound better than this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[dishrich]

Most commercial grade analog modulators the cable co. use have a switch on them to enable audio limiting/compression. Of course, these are NOT high grade compressors, but probably something along the line of what they used to put in VCR's. And it is totally unnecessary to use it when the are remodulating the satellite channels, since the programmers ARE using audio processing on their end to compress their prog some, since just like a radio/TV station, they cannot exceed a certain audio level on satellite uplinks.

But, since most cable techs probably do NOT want to be bothered to take a few extra minutes & properly set the modulation levels on the modulators, it's easier to just crank up the input level, flip on the limiter switch & go on with business, since the majority of their customers will NEVER know the difference - actually, most would rather have it VERY compressed, so they do NOT have the large volume swings on their TV sets.

Now, if you are having audio issues on your analog OTA locals on cable, it may NOT be the cable operator's fault. Most cable co. that pick up local channels OTA, use heterodyne processors, which only move the station from it's OTA assignment to whatever channel assignment it is on the cable system. (this is NOT a demod/remod device) So in this case, you are getting EXACTLY how the OTA station is doing the audio processing, which to quote you, can be "atrocious" in itself - the cable co. CANNOT fix this in this instance.