DStv adverts – still too loud?
MultiChoice has taken a number of steps to normalise audio levels across adverts and programmes. However, there are still some cases where ads are louder than the shows they precede or follow.
Many people continue to complain about high ad volumes, and often blame MultiChoice for this frustration. This blame, though, may be misplaced.
As far back as 2011 MultiChoice started to address the issue of louder advertisements with the advertising industry.
At the time, MultiChoice said that while advertisement volume levels were higher than those of programming, the difference should not be big enough to force viewers to turn down the volume.
MultiChoice added that the advertising volume levels of international channels were out of their control.
“We are able to normalise audio levels but we need to monitor the channel first. We also only control the audio on local channels,” the company said.
“We do not control the audio on foreign channels, and only intervene if the audio is out of range/too loud.”
In a more recent comment the company said the problem with higher ad volumes was not unique to MultiChoice. “It is a concern shared by broadcasters worldwide,” the company said.
MultiChoice tackled the issue by normalising audio levels across adverts and programmes. However, there are still instances where the audio levels differ as adverts are played across multiple channels.
An industry expert, who asked not to be named, said MultiChoice does not intentionally have higher ad volumes. It is, he said, an industry-wide battle which is technically challenging to address.
More information about advertisement loudness is available here: Loudness on adverts
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