DSTV ads sound volume

I'm no audio expert but think a compressor/limiter could solve the audio problem. I use one in my home studio and the main purpose of the unit is to maintain a preset dB limit on the audio level. I have installed one on my DSTV audio outputs and it works wonders. Set the compression limit to the program content audio level and the ads volume gets hard kneed down.

This unit also helps when watching movies late at night. It evens out the avg audio level which seems to boost the lower levels.
 
Where can I get one? Details please - as I said earlier, I'm willing to pay bux to reduce my stress levels...
 
thanks everyone, thanks Debbie2 for sending the stuff to the media and thanks st3ve for shining some light over the issue.

The bottom line is that I really don't care how easy or difficult is to solve the problem. If they use obsolete equipment, I think they can afford upgrade. If they can't, they should hire someone, install switches or whatever and he/she will sit there and will adjust the volume manually. I really don't care. To me the easisest way seems to be to tell the advert makers that if their advert don't conform to certain standards, it won't be broadcast. Simple as that. I don't understand were is the problem!

Taking into account the pathetic ad misplacement which happens more and more frequently those days, they should seriously consider upgrading their antiquated equipment!
 
Wake Up Killadoob!!!!!

R 400 for DSTV is a ripoff just like Telkom.... Check out what they're paying overseas for more channels than we get......
 
I don't understand. AVL has been around since 1930's, it's not new or difficult to implement. Any competant radio engineer should be able to implement it.

In fact I would be very surprised if DSTV did not have a peak clipping device to protect their transmitters.
 
yes st3ve, I am aware of this issue and I understand the problem, but I think in our DSTV case it is quite a bit beyond this. As you can see from my samples, the sound is not just more dense, but the amplitude is much bigger.

I would not complain if there was a small difference, but shaking the house at 11h at night while struggling to hear the normal broadcast, it is quite unacceptable! I think they should take the overal volume of the current broadcast and adjust the ad volume on the fly according to that, so the experience is pleasant one.

Nowadays there are such sophisticated technologies around, I can't believe that this can't be done!
 
I dont know if any of u saw the news yesterday but sabc got a contract with warner bros now so most new stuff will show on sabc first
 
The ABC Australia article is 100% correct. The problem is with the average perceived volume. The PEAK volume remains the same.

I'm now assuming that everyone read the ABC article.

Take the first graph (dinner conversation) What the compressor does during mastering is reduce the peak levels and bring it in line with the lower volume stuff, but now the sound dude ups the total volume back to where the peaks were and the recording's avg sound is seems loader.

By using compressor unit, wired between the decoder and amp, with the compression ratio set to infinity the compressor becomes a limiter at a set dB level. The limiter will now reduce the total volume of the ad (the wide blue graph no becomes narrower vetically) and reduces the percieved avg volume.

Obviously the normal program peaks will also be limited but will create a perception that the rest of the programming content is now louder. You can now set the output volume on the comp/limiter to suite.

I will do a test with my equipment if anybody is interested.

I still believe that Multichoice could manage audio beter with a set of comp/limiter which they must have at their disposal.
 
peterz said:
R 400 for DSTV is a ripoff just like Telkom.... Check out what they're paying overseas for more channels than we get......
Click to expand...

I agree. If you compare DSTV to SKY you will see that we pay a lot for what we get. It is the same as comparing our ADSL to oversees ADSL. We are getting ripped off! :mad:
 
The only REAL way to get the attention of trangressors is to boycott all products advertised in this way, which is a problem with DSTV as they are one of the main transgressors. shades of telkomonopoly ..
 
Got a reply from a particular journalist I sent an email to. He writes a humour column. He says he'll use it.

Lets try draw more attention to this.
 
bekdik said:
The only REAL way to get the attention of trangressors is to boycott all products advertised in this way, which is a problem with DSTV as they are one of the main transgressors. shades of telkomonopoly ..
Click to expand...
I boycott them anyway :)
 
I just made another complaint on hellopeter about the issue.

The levels of sound on DSTV during adverts are UNNACCEPTABLE. Take a look at this picture:

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8576/screenshot42tk.jpg

This picture depicts the sound volume from about 100 seconds of adverts, followed by about 40 seconds of normal programming. It's not hard to see where the adverts end! (Information recorded at 22:10 on 16 November 2005, on Discovery Channel, during the programme "The Flight That Fought Back".)

I live in a complex, and as soon as the adverts come on I have to lunge for the remote in order to mute the sound. My neighbours are constantly complaining about the intermittant bursts of sound that, quite literally, make the walls shake.

DSTV claims they have no control over this. That is rubbish, & simply a mere excuse to scapegoat. If you are going to seriously tell me that there is nothing you can do, then please allow me to put you in contact with people who do know how to fix this problem. Then you can hire them to normalise the volume level.

So DSTV, here are two specific questions for you:

1) Do you deny responsibility for this problem?

if so, then...

2) Will you allow me to put you in contact with people who can fix the problem?
Click to expand...
 
Hi Guys and Girls.

Does any of you have any other Free-To-Air Frequencies for Multi Choice Decoder?

I am no longer a subscriber of DSTV, but I have stumbled across a frequency that give me Extreme Sport, RTNC [which I have no clue where it come from], APNA Channel - Indian, BestTV, and a few other channel on the Public PAS7/10 Bouquet Option.

The frequencies that I have are:

BTV - Botswana TV [Very nice programs - In the same line as SABC3]
Botswana Broadcasting:-
Frequency: 11625
Symbol Rate: 15000
Polarisation: Vertical
FEC: 3/4
---------------------------------------------
Extreme Sport
Frequency: 12682
Symbol Rate: 26657
Polarisation: Horisontal
FEC: 1/2
---------------------------------------------

Hope you enjoy it while it it is test phase.
 
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