Peeve... match production of commercials to programs

[DishSubLA]

It used to bother me in the early days of HDTV that while the programming was in HD, the commercials were not. We would go from beautiful 16:9 HD programming to fuzzy 4:3 for the commercials. I paid for the fancy HDTV, and I felt that I wasn't getting my full value when an SD commercial was shown .

 

[Juan]

It used to bother me in the early days of HDTV that while the programming was in HD, the commercials were not. We would go from beautiful 16:9 HD programming to fuzzy 4:3 for the commercials. I paid for the fancy HDTV, and I felt that I wasn't getting my full value when an SD commercial was shown .

For the rest of us..there is the DVR

 

[sam_gordon]

This isn't particular to Dish,
But to all providers
Down to station level production.

I wish the presented production of commercials at least somewhat matched the program it is presented with.

If I'm watching a B&W show,
The commercials should also be B&W.

If I'm watching a 4x3 show with side bars,
The commercials should match.

It drives me crazy to be watching older productions in B&W,
Just when my brain is acommodating to the tonality...
BAM..
Bright @$$ color commercial break throws my brain into a tizzy.

Rant Over

Although technically possible, not really practical.
1) Companies need to pay for each version of a spot they have produced. Based on what you're requesting, they'd need to have multiple versions of each spot... an HD version, an SD 16x9 version, an SD 4x3 version, and a black & white version. Not sure if there are old movies that are black & white 16x9, but that would be an option too. As would "letterbox" versions to fit that programming. Much cheaper to just have one version of a spot and send that to everyone who runs it.
2) While some commercials are sold for a specific show, others are sold to run during certain dayparts. So a spot may be sold to run "between 8a and Noon". So to accomplish what you want, when the spot gets trafficked, someone would need to look at what programming is running at the time and make sure the right version is set to air.

It's the same reason why commercials as always louder than the programs. They are purposefully recorded at a higher audio db level so that when a commercial comes on it will attract your attention.

The main reason that AVR manufacturers have added audio auto-leveling settings in their receivers.

There's an FCC reg for OTA broadcasters to prevent that. If you have problems with that happening for an OTA station, I suggest contacting them. I don't know if there is a similar reg for cable networks.

 

[jerryez]

I hate it when commercials look like the program. When I am 30 second skipping commercial, they try to fool me into stopping at a commercial that looks like the show. Sometimes even the same actors.

 

[TheKrell]

There's an FCC reg for OTA broadcasters to prevent that.

To make matters worse, advertisers can (or at least could at one time) play games such that the dB measures the same, but the commercial has a much higher apparent loudness.

 

[navychop]

Thank you. Beat me to it. Changed or nonexistent background noise, frequency shift, tempo etc.

 

[Bobby]

The hell with color or black and white commercials. I wish they would make silent ones so I don't have to hear about a bunch of Bullsh!t that I'll never buy or is a scam

There's thing called a 'mute' button. That's what it is there for!

 

[TheKrell]

Thank you. Beat me to it. Changed or nonexistent background noise, frequency shift, tempo etc.

Interesting. I thought it was just peak-limiting and average levels (though measuring the same) sounding apparently louder.

 

[sam_gordon]

To make matters worse, advertisers can (or at least could at one time) play games such that the dB measures the same, but the commercial has a much higher apparent loudness.

Nope. Not supposed to. It's not a db measurement. It's "dialnorm" measured in LKFS. Normally it's ~-24, but different networks/stations can adapt that.

Doing some more research, it's the CALM Act Loud Commercials.
It's been in place since December of 2012, and applies to locals and MVPDs.

 

[tetrode]

The hell with color or black and white commercials. I wish they would make silent ones so I don't have to hear about a bunch of Bullsh!t that I'll never buy or is a scam

Mute button for anything I can't skip.

 

[TheKrell]

Nope. Not supposed to. It's not a db measurement. It's "dialnorm" measured in LKFS.

Is that statement true before the CALM act? My thinking above was very likely prior to 2012.

 

[John2021]

Mute button for anything I can't skip.

no DVR there

 

[TheKrell]

no DVR there

Heaven help you! I often take our summer vacation on the Outer Banks of NC, and of course none of the rental properties have a Spectrum DVR. God I hate live TV! Wall to wall commercials much more odious and lengthy as those I remember as a kid.

 

[sam_gordon]

Is that statement true before the CALM act? My thinking above was very likely prior to 2012.

No. The CALM act brought the "loudness" reading (ie: dialnorm/LKFS) about. At least I hadn't heard about it until the CALM Act. Maybe it was out there, but not widely known.

 

[John2021]

Heaven help you! I often take our summer vacation on the Outer Banks of NC, and of course none of the rental properties have a Spectrum DVR. God I hate live TV! Wall to wall commercials much more odious and lengthy as those I remember as a kid.

LOL i have a DVR i was speaking of the OP

 

[Radioguy41]

Advertisers are not going to produce a black and white advertisement.

I beg to differ, there is a B&W commercial running right now for MS disease. They do occassionally pop up, usually designed to depress the viewer.

 

[John2021]

Heaven help you! I often take our summer vacation on the Outer Banks of NC, and of course none of the rental properties have a Spectrum DVR. God I hate live TV! Wall to wall commercials much more odious and lengthy as those I remember as a kid.

AGREE!!! with all of the god awful commericals they should be paying us to watch t.v. and not us paying them

 

[DishSubLA]

For the rest of us..there is the DVR

He, he! Well NOT when watching live news or live sports or those times we have the TV on LIVE for some light content OR even a DVR playback of lighter programming (like the funny House Hunters International with we Americans crying about how they can't find a USA style home in the Nordic countries ) while we pay bills or are having to do some work on the PC and grabbing the remote to skip commercials isn't that practable--at least for me. I am glad everything you watch has been recorded to DRV and you never view LIVE television.