Muting loud commercials

[kd5crs]

Howdy all.

So my home automation system can control my tv now with an irTrans. That's cool. Now I can perhaps tackle one of my wife's biggest annoyances: how loud commercials get.

Seems like I should be able to take a sensor, hook it up to an analog reporting device (like an Insteon IO-Linc), and have the HA system use the data to keep the volume at an even level.

So I need a sensor that converts volume to voltage, right? Any idea where I'd get something like that?

Thanks.
Brian

 

[ctwilliams]

Of no help to your specific project, but check out Dolby Volume. It is now starting to roll out in AV equipment and will solve (finally) the problem..

 

[pkoslow]

I think it will be very difficult to come up with a reliable way to do this on your own.

As ctwilliams mentioned many of the new home theater receivers are incorporating this starting last year.

Lots of the new TV's also have some settings for this if you're using the internal speakers (check yours).

I've seen an inexpensive analog device that does this, but don't have any experience with it. You wouldn't be able to use it with the TVs internal speakers, but if you're using analog audio outputs from a cable or sat receiver to a home theater amp something like this might work for you.

 

[FaderJockey]

I've seen an inexpensive analog device that does this, but don't have any experience with it. You wouldn't be able to use it with the TVs internal speakers, but if you're using analog audio outputs from a cable or sat receiver to a home theater amp something like this might work for you.

Along those lines, any stereo compressor/limiter designed for recording studio or live sound use could be incorporated into your signal chain and work quite effectively.

There are a myriad of manufacturers and products available at places like sweetwater.com or musiciansfriend.com

The Alesis 3630 is a popular, inexpensive unit that works well

Or you could spend some serious bucks and go with the Manley

The RDL Stick On is another route if you need something more discreet.

http://www.rdlnet.com/product.php?page=242

 

[TonyNo]

I have been using compressor/limiters made for musical instruments. Works well.

 

[Neurorad]

With a PVR/DVR, you'll never watch another commercial again.

My DVR has changed my life. Literally.

1. There is always something on that I want to watch.
2. I never watch commercials.
3. I don't feel like I'm tethered to the TV, subconsciouly afraid that I might miss something. I average 20 minutes/day now.

I pay $120/year for my DVR rental, from the cable company. $10/month, on top of the ungodly amount they charge for the other stuff. Worth every penny, at least for the DVR.

Loud commercials are, of course, never an issue.

My father was in the ad/marketing business, when I was growing up, and he always ridiculed commercials - I think that's where I developed my 'distaste' for TV ads.

 

[SteveQ]

I have been using compressor/limiters made for musical instruments. Works well.

Can these be used for 5.1 surround sound? How would it be hooked up to a 5.1 home theater system?

Steve Q

 

[drozwood90]

Why not one of these?

Terk VR1

I have one on my system at home...now i is REALLY obvious when there are commercials and I'm over at a friend's house.

There is another one listed on Google...seems to be more for Composite...but for me...this did the trick! I pass (analog) 5.1 through it without issue.

--Dan

 

[icellama21]

If you are into electrical engineering, check out these:

http://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm -- conversion to Vrms
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_level -- description of line level voltages

You can get a signal analyzer that attaches to your PC, or run the line-level straight into the audio-in. From there you would need to write a custom software program to monitor the decibel level of the line(there are some libraries for windows that do this already) to differentiate between loud-scenes in a show, and loud commercial breaks. Not an easy task, better leave it to the engineers that have already built this into their products. But, if you like to tinker ...

 

[beelzerob]

With a PVR/DVR, you'll never watch another commercial again.

Ya, same here....even when watching "live", I just pause it when the commercials start, wait a couple minutes and then fast forward to see if they're over. It's funny, but if commercial makers were smarter, they wouldn't try to barge their way into your auditory canals, because it's the sudden wretched blast of sound heralding the start of commercials that makes me scramble for the remote to end it. If they were a normal, decent, humane volume, I'd probably not even bother to control them.

Some congressperson at one point said she was going to introduce legislation to make that volume blast...maybe not illegal, but at least seriously discouraged. Dunno whatever happened to it, but it was the first piece of legislation I've ever heard of that actually would have made a tangible difference in my life...

 

[drozwood90]

Beez,

What happened was the legislation passed. The SPECIFIC wording stated the commercial can not be louder then the shows on the channel.

So, they take the LOUDEST thing that COULD be on the channel (an explosion or something), and make the ENTIRE commercial that volume. It's also exasperated by the way the digital TV compresses the audio.

That's why I like that Terk thing. I bought one just to try it out, as I was wearing out the volume button. I didn't mind that much...it was annoying, but every commercial it gave me something to do. Then my wife and I had our first child. The difference between a show and the commercial was SO much that it actually woke up my baby! That's when I started looking around, found a bunch of different DIY circuits, but I then stumbled on the Terk thing...and DOES it work!

Now, I find I go to a friend's house, or watch a DVD and find the volume jumping around annoying. I'm going to buy a few more for the different audio channels on the surround system.

I'm happy about it as I need to use the external DTV box, so I just put it inline to the audio for that.

--Dan

 

[Quixote_1]

Beez,

What happened was the legislation passed. The SPECIFIC wording stated the commercial can not be louder then the shows on the channel.

So, they take the LOUDEST thing that COULD be on the channel (an explosion or something), and make the ENTIRE commercial that volume. It's also exasperated by the way the digital TV compresses the audio.

That's why I like that Terk thing. I bought one just to try it out, as I was wearing out the volume button. I didn't mind that much...it was annoying, but every commercial it gave me something to do. Then my wife and I had our first child. The difference between a show and the commercial was SO much that it actually woke up my baby! That's when I started looking around, found a bunch of different DIY circuits, but I then stumbled on the Terk thing...and DOES it work!

Now, I find I go to a friend's house, or watch a DVD and find the volume jumping around annoying. I'm going to buy a few more for the different audio channels on the surround system.

I'm happy about it as I need to use the external DTV box, so I just put it inline to the audio for that.

--Dan

I bought one of those, and I have to say that I was rather disappointed. Maybe mine's broken or something, but it only seems to kick in if there is an abrupt change of volume, such as an explosion, and the device creates an audible clicking noise over my speakers when trying to adjust the volume.

 

[Quixote_1]

Beez,

What happened was the legislation passed. The SPECIFIC wording stated the commercial can not be louder then the shows on the channel.

So, they take the LOUDEST thing that COULD be on the channel (an explosion or something), and make the ENTIRE commercial that volume. It's also exasperated by the way the digital TV compresses the audio.

That's why I like that Terk thing. I bought one just to try it out, as I was wearing out the volume button. I didn't mind that much...it was annoying, but every commercial it gave me something to do. Then my wife and I had our first child. The difference between a show and the commercial was SO much that it actually woke up my baby! That's when I started looking around, found a bunch of different DIY circuits, but I then stumbled on the Terk thing...and DOES it work!

Now, I find I go to a friend's house, or watch a DVD and find the volume jumping around annoying. I'm going to buy a few more for the different audio channels on the surround system.

I'm happy about it as I need to use the external DTV box, so I just put it inline to the audio for that.

--Dan

I bought one of those, and I have to say that I was rather disappointed. Maybe mine's broken or something, but it only seems to kick in if there is an abrupt change of volume, such as an explosion, and the device creates an audible clicking noise over my speakers when trying to adjust the volume.

 

[drozwood90]

Strange...it might be. You can only hook line level sound to it.

I do notice a small click, but only when I'm changing channels, or the sound has been REALLY REALLY REALLY quiet for a long time, then there is sound again.

--Dan

 

[kd5crs]

Thanks everyone. I ended up getting the Terk unit, and it seems to be working well for me. The loudest commercials are now much less loud.

Brian