DStv ads too loud? There is hope!
One only has to do a Google search for DStv Ad Volume to see that many consumers are frustrated by the higher volume levels which accompany advertisements on the pay-TV service.
MultiChoice last year confirmed the higher volume levels in a written statement, but said that it is the industry standard.
“The industry standard is that advertisement volume levels are higher than those of programming. The difference should not be big enough to turn down the volume,” a MultiChoice spokesperson said.
MultiChoice added that the advertising volume levels of international channels are out of their control.
“We are able to normalize audio levels but we need to monitor the channel first. We also only control the audio on local channels. We do not control the audio on foreign channels, and only intervene if the audio is out of range/too loud.”
There are however plans to tone down the volume levels of advertisements on television.
In December last year President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed legislation that requires television broadcasters to curb the volume of noisy commercials in America.
“This is sweet relief for TV viewers,” David Butler, spokesperson for Consumers Union, told US based Mercury News. “Advertisers have been screaming in our ears during every commercial break for decades.”
In South Africa there are similar initiatives under way. Well known TV journalist Thinus Ferreira recently reported that DStv Media Sales asked the South African advertising industry, TV commercial producers and others stakeholders to turn down TV commercial volumes.
“DStv Media Sales wants the South African television advertising community to work towards one standard of advert sound volume,” Ferreira wrote.
According to Ferreira DStv Media Sales said that local TV viewers and DStv subscribers are “fed up and tired of too loud TV commercials which are caused by audio compression during post production – something which broadcasters don’t really have control over at the moment”.
”Too loud TV commercials are everybody’s problem. We all need to work towards one standard,” DStv Media Sales is quoted as saying. ”A uniform standard needs to be adopted to regulate the loudness of TV commercials.”
There seems to be a push to regulate the loudness of ads in South Africa, similar to what has happened in the United States. This is an intervention which is likely to be welcomed by TV viewers around the country.
Loading ...